Efficiency and organization as intern/resident

[GlassRose]

Hello clan! Could the more seasoned residents/attendings chime in on things that helped you become more efficient/organized as a resident? Things ranging for note writing tips to seeing patients to physically keeping track of tasks. Did you have a particular folder/notebook/clipboard, a special way or an app that helped you kept track of your to-do list and patients, ways the medical students could help you out, etc?

Things that worked for me as a medical student aren't quite cutting it right now as a resident since I have quite a bit more responsibility and patients, so I'm looking for some new strategies to try out. Thanks in advance!

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[hamstergang]

Things that worked for me as a medical student aren't quite cutting it right now as a resident

What are you currently doing and what's getting in the way of them working like they used to? How are they failing you?

 

[Crayola227]

Things to do to shine in PGY-1

 

[GlassRose]

What are you currently doing and what's getting in the way of them working like they used to? How are they failing you?

Re keeping up with tasks for patients: I think the biggest difference right now is I'm used to going in and printing a patient list which gives me a little snippet about the patients (age, CC, admission date, disco planning to date, etc). I'd then editorialize this list as the day went on so I could keep track of things (check boxes mostly). But at most of my sites I don't have the option and I'm not sure how/if I can do that with my (unfamiliar) EMR. I should make a point to ask. I'm sure I can go through and manually make a list like this but that seems like it would take up more of my time. Maybe it's worth it though?

My biggest issue is just time management. Everything I do takes forever at this point because I'm still learning the ropes (I know this will eventually get easier and I know several of my co-interns feel the same way). I don't have medical school tricks for this because obviously the amount of responsibility is very different.

 

[Bartelby]

Take a piece of paper and divide it into four quadrants (draw a big "+" in the middle), on the front and back. That creates eight spaces. Make eight checklists, one for each patient. This is where you write everything you need to do: orders, following up on things, people to contact, etc. Put a box next to each item and check off the box as you finish (or half-check for half done things requiring followup). Review the page regularly and you will never forget anything important. This page should stay with you at all times. Start a new page each day, and carry over anything you need to carry over (shred the old one).

For longer-term issues and due dates, use a planner. I like Google calendar plus Google keep. This system will not be nimble enough for day-to-day minutiae, though.

Make your system simple and easy to use, because you will not have much time. Without a system, you will eventually forget something, which is really no good.

 

[michaelrack]

Re keeping up with tasks for patients: I think the biggest difference right now is I'm used to going in and printing a patient list which gives me a little snippet about the patients (age, CC, admission date, disco planning to date, etc)..

Death to disco!

 

[GlassRose]

Take a piece of paper and divide it into four quadrants (draw a big "+" in the middle), on the front and back. That creates eight spaces. Make eight checklists, one for each patient. This is where you write everything you need to do: orders, following up on things, people to contact, etc. Put a box next to each item and check off the box as you finish (or half-check for half done things requiring followup). Review the page regularly and you will never forget anything important. This page should stay with you at all times. Start a new page each day, and carry over anything you need to carry over (shred the old one).

For longer-term issues and due dates, use a planner. I like Google calendar plus Google keep. This system will not be nimble enough for day-to-day minutiae, though.

Make your system simple and easy to use, because you will not have much time. Without a system, you will eventually forget something, which is really no good.

Thank you, this is a great idea and seems very quick.

Death to disco!

Lol, this actually made me laugh out loud Nice catch. Maybe our patients would get better quicker if we planned more discos vs dispos.

 

[Crayola227]

Thank you, this is a great idea and seems very quick.



Lol, this actually made me laugh out loud Nice catch. Maybe our patients would get better quicker if we planned more discos vs dispos.

or more likely die faster, that's another way dispo can get moved up for your CAD s/p v4 CABG, CHF, COPD'er with unstable angina