Coping with unfriendly residents

[asama527]

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Anyone have any suggestions for dealing with mean and unfriendly residents? I'm beginning the inpatient component of my medicine rotation soon and I will have to work under notoriously unfriendly and particularly harsh-grading resident. I can try switching to a different team, but I want to at least give it a shot first. Any thoughts?

 

[JaSam]

Anyone have any suggestions for dealing with mean and unfriendly residents? I'm beginning the inpatient component of my medicine rotation soon and I will have to work under notoriously unfriendly and particularly harsh-grading resident. I can try switching to a different team, but I want to at least give it a shot first. Any thoughts?

look, if they already have a reputation for being that bad even before you start... SWITCH OUT OF IT!!! I mean seriously, a reputation like that doesn't come along from just 1 student usually, its a history of being harsh-grading and mean to a lot of them so unless you turn them on sexually or have a dynamite personality or are just literally the smartest med student like , ever ... there's no reason to see why they would have a change of heart towards you all of a sudden. I mean think about it, if i'm a terrible person and i'm mean to everyone and you think that i'm going to be nice to only you, you better have a damn good reason why you think that will be.

I've had the same situation from students working under notoriously bad residents/attendings/whatever at my school and the outcome is never happy, the story just seems to repeat itself. Students go in intimidated and scared, work extra hard knowing the resident is tough, resident doesn't give an F and still gives out bad grades ---> students sad.

 

[Law2Doc]

I can try switching to a different team, but I want to at least give it a shot first. Any thoughts?

I'm shocked that your school is so willing to allow folks to switch out from working with bad residents/attendings etc. In most places you are stuck and everyone is going to have at least one bad experience over the course of the third year. Truth of the matter is when you get out into the professional world, you don't get to always choose who you are going to work with/for. So it's not unreasonable to expect you to develop the skill of working with difficult people now. Sure you might end up with a bad eval, but that's life, it happens. You can have a heart to heart with the rotation director after, if you feel you must. But I probably would push on without ruffling feathers. You don't get to complain too much without getting a rep with the administration. So you need to pick your battles wisely.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

You can have a heart to heart with the rotation director after, if you feel you must. But I probably would push on without ruffling feathers. You don't get to complain too much without getting a rep with the administration. So you need to pick your battles wisely.

I agree if it's just a matter of the resident being malignant and a poor grader. Everybody will get at least one of these, kind of balances out the super-nice peds resident who always gives honors. Save your trips to the PD for sexual harassment, patient negligence, things like that. We don't get to switch as a rule, but if it's common practice where you're from then that's certainly a reasonable option.

Barring that, don't converse with the resident or try and 'change' their outlook on medical students or life. Just show up for work and do your job. Don't take things personally, and stay calm or ignore their petty little outbursts. Don't try to be a superstar, as you'll likely get a poor grade anyway. Study during any amount of time you would otherwise spend making your resident's job easier. If your school gives you the chance of evaluating residents let them have it.

 

[njbmd]

Anyone have any suggestions for dealing with mean and unfriendly residents? I'm beginning the inpatient component of my medicine rotation soon and I will have to work under notoriously unfriendly and particularly harsh-grading resident. I can try switching to a different team, but I want to at least give it a shot first. Any thoughts?

Reputation is basically gossip. Why not take the resident as YOU find them rather than listening to gossip which may or may not have any basis in fact. I can tell you that on my first rotation as a PGY-1 surgical resident, I was told that I would be on the worst rotation under the worst chief and attending. Well, it was the best rotation of my life and that "worst chief" taught me how to become an excellent resident and that attending wrote one of my best evaluation letters.

Some things that you might want to do:

• Discuss with the resident, their expectations for you.
• Ask the resident what they think would make a good medical student performer. Ask them how they got through their rotations.
• Have a good line of communication with the clerkship director and attendings if you can't solve your problems with the residents.
• Do an excellent job without excuses. Be professional and don't gossip.

Every person who demands a lot from you is not "harsh" but may be trying to push you to a higher level. Everyone who smiles in your face and tells you how wonderful you are is not doing you a favor. Go into this rotation with strong expectations that you will learn and grow. Attitude is everything.

 

[krikkrak]

^^^^^taking notes...the residents on my OB rotation are less than pleasant for the most part but its not that bad.

 

[asama527]

Reputation is basically gossip. Why not take the resident as YOU find them rather than listening to gossip which may or may not have any basis in fact. I can tell you that on my first rotation as a PGY-1 surgical resident, I was told that I would be on the worst rotation under the worst chief and attending. Well, it was the best rotation of my life and that "worst chief" taught me how to become an excellent resident and that attending wrote one of my best evaluation letters.

Some things that you might want to do:

• Discuss with the resident, their expectations for you.
• Ask the resident what they think would make a good medical student performer. Ask them how they got through their rotations.
• Have a good line of communication with the clerkship director and attendings if you can't solve your problems with the residents.
• Do an excellent job without excuses. Be professional and don't gossip.

Every person who demands a lot from you is not "harsh" but may be trying to push you to a higher level. Everyone who smiles in your face and tells you how wonderful you are is not doing you a favor. Go into this rotation with strong expectations that you will learn and grow. Attitude is everything.

Thanks for the input. I think I'll just deal with it. It's probably better to get used to dealing with unpleasant people now than try learning later on when there's a lot more at stake and changes can't be made so easily. Thanks for the input and encouragement.

 

[Leverage]

Anyone have any suggestions for dealing with mean and unfriendly residents? I'm beginning the inpatient component of my medicine rotation soon and I will have to work under notoriously unfriendly and particularly harsh-grading resident. I can try switching to a different team, but I want to at least give it a shot first. Any thoughts?

switch asap

 

[oompaloompa]

While I think its rather mature of you to give this resident the benefit of the doubt, I must warn you that it sounds like this person is unlikely to give you the same courtesy. I can tell you from experience on both sides of this situation (resident and student) that at least 60% of your grade is already determined by who's evaluating you. It may not seem fair but it's the truth. We had a similar saying in my days as a waiter - "60% of your tip is already determined before you meet the customer." Seriously, some people are baseline agreeable and some are baseline @ssholes, and you can only change their opinions by so much during your brief time with them.

Sure, you'll encounter these people all thoughout your career, but now is the point when they can do the most damage to you, why risk bad marks on your record right before you apply for residency? Learn all you can during this rotation, but also play the game.

 

[radslooking]

if you can move to a different team without making too many waves, then do it. if it will take some work and make you look like youre looking for special treatment, then just stay on your original team and grin and bear it. you don't want to look like a scared pansy, but at the same time don't endure someone known to be an ass if you don't have to.