Don't do a sub-i when you're totally spent...

[NNguyenMD]

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So, I'm approaching my last week of this terrific MICU AI with the perfect team of residents at a great hospital, and I've basically been sub-performing most of this month because I'm physically and mentally spent having gone on non-stop with tough rotations since May. It was surgery from May to end of June, then a sub-i in General Medicine all of July, and MICU all of this month. I'm ready to drop dead.

Where as a month ago I was in top form, I find myself fumbling through my presentations to my residents, and fellows, who thank god have saved me from being publically humiliated by my attendings. I've found myself not caring anymore whether I'm doing a good or bad job. I find myself getting easily pissed off by those around me. I think I've become a depressed, cynical, unmotivated, and drained MS4 and its barely September. The location I am doing this rotation is one I was really hoping to apply for, now I don't know.

I think I've professionally screwed myself in the ass because I didn't know better than to take a breath before jumping into something as tough as MICU.
Don't make my mistake friends, if you need a break then take one.

 

[pillowhead]

I think I've professionally screwed myself in the ass because I didn't know better than to take a breath before jumping into something as tough as MICU.
Don't make my mistake friends, if you need a break then take one.

This is EXCELLENT advice. I feel like you just wrote about my life. I've been going hard since May with an Ob/Gyn rotation, Peds rotation, then a tough Cardiothoracic Surgery rotation (which was enjoyable but still tough). I was scheduled to start a SICU rotation yesterday and showed up and literally almost had a breakdown when I found out I was going to have to do q4 overnight (explains why there were no other students!) Trying to deal with residency applications on top of all of this is so stressful. I literally walked out of the hospital, wen to the dean's office and essentially begged them to give me a vacation starting right now. That explains why I am home now typing on SDN.

DON'T go crazy and try to overdo it in 4th year. Start out with one or two good sub-Is, get your letters, and then relax. As the above poster illustrated, you can't do well when you're utterly exhausted anyway. And if you made a mistake like I did by trying to do too much, don't be afraid to admit it and just say, "I can't do this right now." Especially if you did well in 3rd year, people will understand.