Anyone else feel like a poser?

[deleted128562]

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I mean aside from not knowing the system, trying to restore fund of knowledge lost during MS4, and all the hospital employees thinking you're a *****....

Patient: "So what do you think doc, what are we gonna do?"

Me (thinking that whatever I say the attending will want to do something different, probably rightfully so): "Well we're going to run some tests, give you some medication to try to help you feel better, and come up with a plan".

Patient: "What tests and meds do you mean? What kind of plan?"

Me: "Well I am thinking to do X, but let me talk to my supervising doc, Dr. Y and make sure we are all on the same page, and I'll let you know what the team comes up with".

Patient: "But aren't you the doctor?"

Me: "Well I'm one of your doctors, but I still have a lot to learn".

Patient: "Oh so you're like a medical student then?"

Me (laughing): "Yeah pretty much".

I feel like such a faker wearing the long white coat. Anyone else with me?

(Funny thing too, was talking to a brand new PA a couple days ago, she was saying how she loves getting to practice on her own now that she's out of school. Made me feel like more of a rube, lol. Not that I think I shouldn't be supervised right now.... just struck me as ironic and funny....)

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

Just say that you want to get a second opinion. Patients love that.

 

[wholeheartedly]

mention talking with your supervising physician then maybe say

"Well, we believe in taking a team approach here so that you get the best care possible" might also be a good response.

Putting yourself in the same category as medical student probably won't instill much confidence in the patient, even though you really do feel like a bit like a fraud at the moment. I work in a teaching hospital, you guys grow and catch on pretty fast. You'll get there. 👍

 

[shan564]

I think everybody understands the concept of a "boss." When we do our ward rounds, they can tell that my attending is in charge, and that's no surprise, since he/she is usually older than I am too. And I check with them throughout the day, so it's pretty obvious that I'm the doctor who takes care of everyday things for them, and my boss is just there to supervise.

When I talk to a patient who hasn't yet met the attending, I'll throw in something vague like "I've consulted with my boss, and we'll get you started on X treatment for Y condition. He/she'll be by to check in on you in the morning." If they ask for specific roles, I'll just say "I'm the resident doctor"... either they understand what that means, or they figure out from context that it means that I'm their regular doctor, and my attending is the person to whom I have to answer.

 

[RadOncDoc21]

I had that feeling come in waves depending on the situation and/or the patient... Just recently I did an outside rotation and the nurse referred to me as a student. At first I was a little heated but then realized compared to other places I didn't have any responsibilities and could basically come and go as I wanted so I played the part and enjoyed my time.

 

[Khaos]

Not to worry, that feeling goes away for the most part. You will get much more comfortable and finally start applying the knowledge you learned to everyday practice. It takes time and practice to mix the knowledge and actually applying it. You'll notice yourself getting it faster than you think.

As long as you stick in there and keep trying. I remember the 2nd month of intern year when I was on my ICU rotation and the other intern was on call. She was called to a room and when she walked in, they were doing CPR. She walked right back out and couldn't be found for the rest of the night.

 

[Bartelby]

It helps to clarify your role upfront, and then when giving the patient your plan explain it in clear terms (but hedge on anything you may not really do) and then say that you need to review the plan with your supervising doctor and that you will come back afterward to give them the final version. Patients are fine with that as long as they feel a highly experienced person has the final say. As you go further in intern year you will need to do a lot less hedging and delaying because you will do a lot of the same stuff over and over again.

I also think that at the start of the year most of us feel uncomfortable. Translating knowledge into action (that you implement yourself) is a new skill; being the intern especially on nightfloat or other less supervised roles just isn't the same as being a medical student. As you get a feel for standards of practice and the practicalities of implementing care in your hospital the knowledge will come rushing back and your confidence will increase. It takes time though.