Good experiences with third year rotations

[j48seconds]

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Ok, I am a 2nd year student who is a bit of a worrier and I just read some threads about how bad 3rd year is. However, I haven't read a thread about good experiences with third year. I thought it would be good to have a balanced perspective. Also, I would appreciate any useful hints, suggestions to prepare for third year (yes i know that i'm early but i just need to feel better about the upcoming year). Right now I'm very anxious about it because I have no idea what to expect.

Thanks

 

[GuP]

I would say the single biggest factor that will determine the outcome of your third year is attitude. You may be an all-star on the wards but if your attitude stinks, no one will like you. Next thing, IMO, would be comraidre (sp?) with your fellow students. This makes a huge difference - even the worst rotation can be fun if you have some cool people to kick it with.

 

[generic]

I agree. I just started my IM rotation (first one) and it was pretty hard at the beginning, but after a week or two it's gotten to be pretty good. I enjoy the variety--patient care, rounding, lectures, discussion. We get free lunch and breakfast most days. My team (2 interns, 1 resident, attending, and another student) has gotten along very well. I got to do a Paracentesis and ABG after only 2 weeks in the clinics. I got to present a patient with a rare condition for Professor Rounds and "stump the attending."

Don't worry, you'll probably like it when you get there--surely it'll be better than pre-clinical years.

 

[MadameLULU]

I agree. I just started my IM rotation (first one) and it was pretty hard at the beginning, but after a week or two it's gotten to be pretty good. I enjoy the variety--patient care, rounding, lectures, discussion. We get free lunch and breakfast most days. My team (2 interns, 1 resident, attending, and another student) has gotten along very well. I got to do a Paracentesis and ABG after only 2 weeks in the clinics. I got to present a patient with a rare condition for Professor Rounds and "stump the attending."

Don't worry, you'll probably like it when you get there--surely it'll be better than pre-clinical years.

Awesome! 🙂

 

[QuinnB]

I think some excellent points have been brought up. First, 3rd year is really the toughest but there is no way I would trade it for 1st or 2nd year. It is way more interesting to actually see conditions than read about them and interacting with people instead of walls and books is a lot easier on your psyche (even though I haven't seen the sun in 3 weeks). Another thing is that, like someone previously mentioned, it doesn't matter how smart you are or how much you know, you can't do really well in clerkships w/o working well w/in your team, being liked by your team and being a pt advocate. I have a classmate who scored 265 on step I, reads like crazy and always gets top 5-10% on every shelf exam but has yet to honor a sequence (high pass in the first 4 so far). A lot of it is b/c of his really cocky attitude and the team has commented on this.

 

[ezal36]

third year isn't that bad. Most people on here are whiners.besides that just when you can't stand it anymore it's over and you move to another rotation. It also depends where you do rotations. Indiana has been great but so was salisbury NC.good luck ! It will be fine🙂

 

[koma]

Right now I'm very anxious about it because I have no idea what to expect.

Thanks

I also expected 3rd year to be this absolute hell of a year, and actually my M2year kept telling myself to 'enjoy these 12 hour days studying in friendly starbucks because come july you will be in the hospital prison surrounded by screams of the dying and constant humiliation.' well, now i realize it's actually the other way around. i absolutely love the hospital and look back in horror on those starbucks months spent reading and memorizing. i definitely think this is an easier year by far than last year, even though i am at the end of my surgery rotation and facing a shelf & orals next week. it's exhausting but so so much more enjoyable then studying...for the first time, i am actually pretty content with going to medschool.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

I would say the single biggest factor that will determine the outcome of your third year is attitude. You may be an all-star on the wards but if your attitude stinks, no one will like you. Next thing, IMO, would be comraidre (sp?) with your fellow students. This makes a huge difference - even the worst rotation can be fun if you have some cool people to kick it with.

I might disagree slightly with your second factor. I would say it is the teams onto which you get put. One bad resident or annoying fellow student can torpedo a rotation faster than anything.

Third year is awesome dude, whenever you start feeling sorry for yourself you can say "I got to put my hand in a person's peritoneum today."

 

[efex101]

Third year is great and much better than sitting in class or studying from home...*but* there is knee deep BS that you will have to wade through for every rotation! No matter how well you interact with your team, how hard you work, how much of a teamplayer you are...IF you get one bad apple it can make the experience pretty nasty. I have not yet myself experienced this but others have. Another thing, get a thick skin! if you are a person that gets easily worked up over comments or attitudes towards you beware! let things roll off and you will be fine.

 

[abc56]

i totally agree, 3rd year can be great, but if you have to deal with annoying people, it can have its bad moments. thats why having a thick skin is very important. i find that dealing with certain personalities is one of the hardest parts of third year (a bad resident, an obnoxious fellow 3rd year). i personally have a very thin skin and therefore, having a bad resident can make an otherwise good rotation very bad. im trying very hard to toughen up and not let her bother me, because, seriously everything else is great (and im on SURGERY right now!! i cant believe i am saying surgery is great, but it is)

 

[raidermedic]

I don't know, right now I'm on surgery after having just did IM. Those first two years are starting to look kind of sweet. I would never do the first two years over again but I do have to admit that it was nice to be able to just say "Hey I'm not going to class today I'm going to sleep in." That and I have almost forgoten what it was like to sit around and study when I am totally rested. As opposed to now where I have to fight to stay awake while reading large amounts of information that may not even be asked on the rotation.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I'm loving 3rd year

My method of dealing with "certain personalities" is to intellectualize my experiences with them and use it as a learning opportunity regarding how to interact with difficult people. They often have similar triggers. It isn't always possible to get friendly with such people but I've gotten good at being tolerated by them.

 

[generic]

I agree...try to imagine yourself in their shoes (after 30 hours of straight working or pregnant during residency, whatever)...that has helped me brush off a few comments that might otherwise have bothered me more.

Also I think one good thing about "3rd year" (except I'm a 2nd year) is that being enthusiastic and pleasant to work with is supposedly rewarded more than simple memorization ability. I like that because I feel like I have more control over my evals and lifestyle.

Plus I've learned so much in the past few weeks--what people say about seeing disease processes in real life is true. It really helps it stick in the ole memory...

 

[hippiedoc13]

My mantra for third year and beyond is, "It's not about me, it's not about me, it's not about me..." This totally helps keep things in perspective, in two ways. One, when a resident/attending is unpleasant, abrupt, whatever, it reminds me that they most likely would have been rude to whatever medical student happened to be standing there, and I was the unlucky one today, but I shouldn't take it personally. Number two, the practice of medicine is not about me (or you)...it's about the patient. That's why we're all here. The crazy inhumane schedules we work have a funny way of making us focus on ourselves. But all I have to do is tell myself "it's not about me" and think of my 17-year-old patient in the SICU with a GCS of 5 who'll never be the same, or my bipolar patient who can't escape the revolving door of psych units, jail, and homelessness...and then it all comes back into perspective, and the fact that my resident cut me off during my presentation on rounds just doesn't matter so much.

 

[pillowhead]

My mantra for third year and beyond is, "It's not about me, it's not about me, it's not about me..." This totally helps keep things in perspective, in two ways. One, when a resident/attending is unpleasant, abrupt, whatever, it reminds me that they most likely would have been rude to whatever medical student happened to be standing there, and I was the unlucky one today, but I shouldn't take it personally. Number two, the practice of medicine is not about me (or you)...it's about the patient. That's why we're all here. The crazy inhumane schedules we work have a funny way of making us focus on ourselves. But all I have to do is tell myself "it's not about me" and think of my 17-year-old patient in the SICU with a GCS of 5 who'll never be the same, or my bipolar patient who can't escape the revolving door of psych units, jail, and homelessness...and then it all comes back into perspective, and the fact that my resident cut me off during my presentation on rounds just doesn't matter so much.

I think this is actually a really important thing to internalize during third year. Once you do, I think you'll be happier and actually a better student as well.