How are the new PGY-1's preparing?

[Brian Pavlovitz]

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Ok, friends. I see that I've replied to 3 threads on a Saturday night, having recently finished 4 years of medical school. Since it's obvious I REALLY have no life, I thought I'd ask my fellow soon-to-be Pathology Residents how they're preparing themselves for the beginning of their training.

What am I doing, you ask? Nothing yet!! 😉

 

[Kibosh]

I really don't seem to be doing much right now either to prepare for residency (other than finding a place to live and setting up my utilities). I was a teaching assistant for part of the second year pathophysiology class at my medical school a couple of months ago. So in a couple of areas, I had a very nice review.

 

[deschutes]

Dude. Take a round-the-world trip. See all the friends and family you haven't seen in 4 years and won't see for another 4. Read all the non-medical books you've been meaning to read. Max out your Netflix subscription. Play WoW. ANYTHING but study.

 

[uhoh!]

Hail the Iron Chef!! 😀

Doing all that you suggest and more...This topic has come up before, and very similar suggestions had been up then as well. The votes in favor of doing nothing academic were so one-sided, just had to follow them! All I see ahead is one whole month of relaxation, with future prospects of a similar month distant at best...

 

[djmd]

Yeah man this is your last known big vacation (maybe after residency/fellowship, depending on your job). Enjoy it, they will be teaching you pathology starting day one, so wait.
No one will care if you know the cut off for atypical carcinoid day one or not.

enjoy your freedom while it lasts....

 

[Anna Plastic]

I completely second the "take a break" sentiment. Let me share a tale of my time around the end of residency and beginning of fellowship: I had to start fellowship July 1st. My residency ended June 30th. I had to move across country, and no one was budging on the start/stop dates. So I had to save about half of my year's "vacation" to pack and move. Some folks will use vacation to study for boards or handle other life issues (i.e. childbirth, family illness)--a use of vacation that is far from relaxing.

I remember the halcyon days of fourth year med school--no real responsibility yet, able to look at a four-week block of time and wonder how far I could get in my computer game for the day after giving myself a pedicure. Enjoy it now, guilt-free. Believe me, you have the rest of your life to work your a** off.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Amen I say. Aaaaaaa-men!

 

[drPLUM]

drPLUM's Prescription for Optimal Residency Preparation:

EtOH
Disp: # 6
Sig: 1 dose PO Qhour from 6pm to midnight QD
1st dose now

😀


drPLUM's Residency Preparation Step by Step Guide:

1. Copious EtOH consumption every evening (less brain cells to clutter your mind during residency)

2. Sleep until at least 10am everyday

3. Attend gym to get blood flowing before lunch and scout talent

4. Attend pool (with post-workout flex in full effect) and continue to scout talent

5. Put another expensive steak dinner on credit card and use residency relocation loan to pay off; pursue talent scouted previously in day

6. Repeat step 1 of process

 

[beary]

2. Sleep until at least 10am everyday

3. Attend gym to get blood flowing before lunch and scout talent

10 am??!! I don't think I've gotten up before noon!

But I don't do all this silly gym business. 😀

 

[Aubrey]

I've been watching the first 3 seasons of "Scrubs." Oh, and fishing every Sunday.

 

[Tappat]

Ok, friends. I see that I've replied to 3 threads on a Saturday night, having recently finished 4 years of medical school. Since it's obvious I REALLY have no life, I thought I'd ask my fellow soon-to-be Pathology Residents how they're preparing themselves for the beginning of their training.

What am I doing, you ask? Nothing yet!! 😉

May 2006 -- Vacation.

I MAY take Step 3 in June, if my scheduling permit comes in time and I still feel like taking it then, but otherwise will just do stuff around the house and take little trips to see friends. The only other thing I might do (but probably won't) is flip through a histology atlas sometime in late June.

 

[Aubrey]

So, when is everybody actually starting? Time's getting short. Our first orientation day is the 13th.

 

[Tappat]

So, when is everybody actually starting? Time's getting short. Our first orientation day is the 13th.

July 3! This seems late, but I'm not complaining.

edited to say: Except that I could really use the money a bit sooner.

 

[JaneDough]

I'd ask my fellow soon-to-be Pathology Residents how they're preparing themselves for the beginning of their training.

I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. Seriously though, I have been playing XBox waaaaaaaaaaay too much and sleeping as much as I want.

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

So, when is everybody actually starting? Time's getting short. Our first orientation day is the 13th.

We officially start July 3.

 

[uhoh!]

July 3, both in letter and in spirit, i.e. no orientation scheduled before then. 😀

 

[beary]

We start June 17, which seems really early. That is the sum total of everything I know about what this next year will entail.

 

[yaah]

We start June 17, which seems really early. That is the sum total of everything I know about what this next year will entail.

Is that accurate? Last two years the path residents haven't started until July 1 - the other specialties start two weeks earlier for hospital orientation and such which is mostly irrelevant for us.

 

[CameronFrye]

For us, overall hospital orientation is Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, but our Path orientation doesn't start until the 26th. Hospital orientation is this early b/c some dept's here at UVA start residency a week early so that the last week of the year is a holiday for everyone (prelims can move to their next residency, some residents go on a big beach trip together, etc.).

 

[djmd]

Is that accurate? Last two years the path residents haven't started until July 1 - the other specialties start two weeks earlier for hospital orientation and such which is mostly irrelevant for us.

Cameron said it, but I was going to second that most place that have an early oreintation are because they just do a hospital wide oreintation.
Good news for people coming here,, I think you stil get payed for those two weeks. Which is pretty sweet for pathology residents, two day of orientation and two weeks pay..

 

[yaah]

Cameron said it, but I was going to second that most place that have an early oreintation are because they just do a hospital wide oreintation.
Good news for people coming here,, I think you stil get payed for those two weeks. Which is pretty sweet for pathology residents, two day of orientation and two weeks pay..

I realize that, but it hasn't been the case here for many years. The last few classes have not had to go to the hospital orientation.

 

[beary]

Is that accurate? Last two years the path residents haven't started until July 1 - the other specialties start two weeks earlier for hospital orientation and such which is mostly irrelevant for us.

I have no idea. That's what they originally told us. I haven't heard a single word of anything else. I finally just emailed the program coordinator today to find out exactly what my first day is.

 

[JaneDough]

Cameron said it, but I was going to second that most place that have an early oreintation are because they just do a hospital wide oreintation.
Good news for people coming here,, I think you stil get payed for those two weeks. Which is pretty sweet for pathology residents, two day of orientation and two weeks pay..

For reals? Here I thought I would be eating Ramen for the first 2-4 wks while I waited for the first paycheck around July 14.

 

[hizo1]

Man, you guys are so effen lucky your residency preparation for path is so chill.

Up here in Canada we still have to do an internship-like year for Path, making it 5 years.

My preparation for residency will entail some component of reading so that i don't kill anyone on the floors.

hec

 

[deschutes]

Up here in Canada we still have to do an internship-like year for Path, making it 5 years.

My preparation for residency will entail some component of reading so that i don't kill anyone on the floors.

Isn't it F-ed up? Think of all those codes and baby-catching you'll be handling as an off-service resident.

On the other hand, think of how well this internship year is going to prepare you for Part II. I just submitted my app for the Fall session - leafing through the Toronto Notes is FREAKING ME OUT. I haven't done a cranial nerve exam in well over a year, man.

 

[djmd]

For reals? Here I thought I would be eating Ramen for the first 2-4 wks while I waited for the first paycheck around July 14.

Bad news is (I think) that you get the pay with the first one on the 14th of July.
You just get a double sized paycheck...

Mind you that was like (or exactly) 4 years ago.. so Im a little hazy.
😀

 

[beary]

I am getting frustrated that I still don't know what day I start or anything. Does everybody else know when and where they are starting?

I have sent emails but not gotten any reply. 😡

Edit: I just found out we start this Friday, as in 3 days.

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

I am getting frustrated that I still don't know what day I start or anything. Does everybody else know when and where they are starting?

I have sent emails but not gotten any reply. 😡

Edit: I just found out we start this Friday, as in 3 days.

Gee, beary--it's a good thing you emailed them! 😉

 

[beary]

Gee, beary--it's a good thing you emailed them! 😉

Yeah, seriously! I am so nervous about starting tomorrow. It's just an orientation day but I can't believe this is finally here.

 

[miko2005]

Yeah, seriously! I am so nervous about starting tomorrow. It's just an orientation day but I can't believe this is finally here.

Good luck, Beary!!! My orientation is not for another few weeks... 😎

 

[quant]

Yeah, seriously! I am so nervous about starting tomorrow. It's just an orientation day but I can't believe this is finally here.

Hey Beary
Congrats on the new start.....hope you have fun.
Did you meet yaah yet?

 

[beary]

Hey Beary
Congrats on the new start.....hope you have fun.
Did you meet yaah yet?

I just met yaah today!! He's cool.

Tomorrow we have to take a stupid standardized patients test. Haven't I taken enough of these in my life??!! 😡 And then next week is all the ACLS stuff. Then a week of path orientation, and then I finally start working. My first rotation is micro. I guess that will be a good way to ease into things and hopefully figure out the ropes a little bit.

 

[yaah]

I just met yaah today!! He's cool.

Tomorrow we have to take a stupid standardized patients test. Haven't I taken enough of these in my life??!! 😡 And then next week is all the ACLS stuff. Then a week of path orientation, and then I finally start working. My first rotation is micro. I guess that will be a good way to ease into things and hopefully figure out the ropes a little bit.

All that stuff blows and is a waste of time. Apparently though they are increasing the path part of the orientation and including some shadowing on rotations, which is proably a good idea.

I think I had five tacos at the "meet the new residents except for one of them" lunch yesterday before getting paged for about the 4th time to tell a clinical resident that no, we cannot rush a "rule out CJD" brain biopsy unless they want to pay for the histo lab decontamination.

I get to guide not one but two new residents through blood bank. Bleargh.

 

[beary]

All that stuff blows and is a waste of time. Apparently though they are increasing the path part of the orientation and including some shadowing on rotations, which is proably a good idea.

That standardized patient thing was one of the dumbest things I have ever done in my life. How come pathology isn't important to other physicians? There should have been a station where everybody had to pick out an eosinophil or something. If you need somebody to treat your asthma in an emergency situation, I'm not who you want. I also sucked big time at the "sterile technique" station.