How do you carry your stuff for rotations?

[Td367]

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Hi all. Looking for a better way to carry all my stuff for clinical rotations. I carry an Ipad, stethoscope, white coat clipboard, signout sheets, various pocket guides, pens, pen light, iphone, personal stuff (wallet, keys), protein bar, small water. My lab coat pockets are packed and it weighs a ton. Thought about a bag but not a fan of a huge messenger bag or fanny pack. Any tips/advice would be much appreciated, thanks!!

 

[Siggy]

First, find out what you don't need and dump it. Small water? Dump it. There's generally plenty of either water fountains or ice/water machines in the hospital. Stethoscope? Get a belt holster (spend the money for one better than the hard plastic ones) and it moves the weight around. iPhone/wallet/keys go in my pants or shirt pocket and not the white coat. Similarly, I carry a large clip board case around. Sure, I have to find someplace to stuff it if something is happening, but I generally don't have that issue. Various pocket guides? How many do you need? Pocket Medicine is great for IM/FM rotations, but I didn't use it much for psych, surgery, or OB/Gyn, thus I don't carry it around for those rotations.

 

[dantt]

Hi all. Looking for a better way to carry all my stuff for clinical rotations. I carry an Ipad, stethoscope, white coat clipboard, signout sheets, various pocket guides, pens, pen light, iphone, personal stuff (wallet, keys), protein bar, small water. My lab coat pockets are packed and it weighs a ton. Thought about a bag but not a fan of a huge messenger bag or fanny pack. Any tips/advice would be much appreciated, thanks!!

i'm calling troll

 

[Td367]

Hi all. Seeking advice from residents. Looking for a better way to carry all my stuff for clinical rotations. I carry an Ipad, stethoscope, white coat clipboard, signout sheets, pocket guides, pens, pen light, iphone, personal stuff (wallet, keys), protein bar. My lab coat/scrub pockets are packed and weigh a ton. Leaning towards a bag but not a fan of a huge messenger bag or fanny pack. Any tips/advice would be much appreciated, thanks!!

 

[gutonc]

Hi all. Seeking advice from residents. Looking for a better way to carry all my stuff for clinical rotations. I carry an Ipad, stethoscope, white coat clipboard, signout sheets, pocket guides, pens, pen light, iphone, personal stuff (wallet, keys), protein bar. My lab coat/scrub pockets are packed and weigh a ton. Leaning towards a bag but not a fan of a huge messenger bag or fanny pack. Any tips/advice would be much appreciated, thanks!!

Carry less stuff. You're spending 10-14 hours in the hospital, not through-hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Phone, signout sheet, wallet, keys, pen, stethoscope. Leave the rest in your car.

 

[Mr hawkings]

Hi all. Seeking advice from residents. Looking for a better way to carry all my stuff for clinical rotations. I carry an Ipad, stethoscope, white coat clipboard, signout sheets, pocket guides, pens, pen light, iphone, personal stuff (wallet, keys), protein bar. My lab coat/scrub pockets are packed and weigh a ton. Leaning towards a bag but not a fan of a huge messenger bag or fanny pack. Any tips/advice would be much appreciated, thanks!!

Not a resident but a fellow student but here is what i did.

-Ditch the Ipad and the clipboard.
-Get a holder for your iphone and wear it on your belt
-Fold your sheets lengthwise and you'll usually have enough to form a pretty sturdy surface for whatever you're writing.
-Ditch the penlight and get a key-chain light to hang on your sthethoscope.
-Ditch all the pocket guides and consolidate to one that you jot additional notes in. Eg using post-it notes in pocket medicihe
-Speaking of pocket medicine, pull out the extra pages you dontneed. I was able to take out about 20 pages. Its not a lot but it allows me to add supplemental stuff like my EKG cheat sheet that i need.
-limit your snack to light-weight bars.

The messenger bag may sound great but you're not actually going to carry that on rounds realistically. Its more likely you will leave it at some central location while you round

 

[Mass Effect]

Ditch the white coat clipboard and get one of these to store things in and use as a clipboard.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001CUBR9U/ref=nosim/studentdoctor-20

 

[DreamingTheLive]

You can't be serious. Ditch 95% of that stuff. Pens, paper, scope, brain = win.

 

[NERDY]

don't carry your whole wallet, I usually keep 1 credit card and some cash (~$10) in my white coat.

 

[NutritionistRD]

Hey TD

Maybe this bag would be helpful

http://www.innovativecareusa.com/shop/medical-pack/

I plan to use it next year when I start clinical rotations. It's definitely not a fanny pack or a big messenger bag. My roommate is a resident and puts most of what you mentioned above in hers.

 

[Td367]

Thanks everyone for all the advice

Seems like the concensus here is to consolidate my stuff. I’ll definitely try to do that starting with the white coat clipboard

I still really want another way to carry my stuff, the bag you mentioned sounds like an awesome idea. Its just the right size that I wanted, ordering mine tonight

Thanks again!

 

[paki20]

Hey TD

Maybe this bag would be helpful

http://www.innovativecareusa.com/shop/medical-pack/

I plan to use it next year when I start clinical rotations. It's definitely not a fanny pack or a big messenger bag. My roommate is a resident and puts most of what you mentioned above in hers.

haha are you going to wear this under your white coat all day or do you plan on leaving it in a locker..i would think it would be pretty weird and uncomfortable to be wearing this during rounds and when you see patients..

 

[Td367]

-Have you seen this New York Times article by Dr. Abraham Verghese titled, The Doctor's Bag for the New Millennium? If not, check it out.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/the-doctors-bag-for-the-new-millennium/

 

[tco]

I'm on neuro right now, which is the rotation that you need the most stuff for, and have absolutely no trouble carrying everything in my pockets. You've got too much junk. Ditch some of it.

 

[gravitywave]

Hi all. Looking for a better way to carry all my stuff for clinical rotations. I carry an Ipad, stethoscope, white coat clipboard, signout sheets, various pocket guides, pens, pen light, iphone, personal stuff (wallet, keys), protein bar, small water. My lab coat pockets are packed and it weighs a ton. Thought about a bag but not a fan of a huge messenger bag or fanny pack. Any tips/advice would be much appreciated, thanks!!

you don't need an iPad on the floor. you don't need a water. you don't need more than one pocket guide either, unless it's Maxwell's + Pocket Medicine.

Granted I'm late in third year and don't need as much stuff as I did earlier on, but today I was packing:
- one pen
- one blank sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper
- steth
- wallet
- keys
- phone
- snack

economize aggressively. there is a lot of good advice in this thread.

 

[duckie99]

I'm on neuro right now, which is the rotation that you need the most stuff for, and have absolutely no trouble carrying everything in my pockets. You've got too much junk. Ditch some of it.

if you are good you don't really need anything beyond a steth and penlight. Steth can be used for reflexes and even temp changes. Just need a paperclip or something for pinprick.


OP, just have some recent notes for your patients and maybe a signout sheet all folded together lengthwise. Pocket medicine for IM and if you are not on IM then you probably don't need a pocket book. But if you feel the need there are smaller and lighter ones like Tarascon available which are ok. Otherwise the only medical equipment you really need is a good penlight (breast pocket) and stethoscope (around the neck - belt clips are lame). Depending on the subspecialty you may find a few extra smalls helpful... for example ekg calipers for cardiology. If you are female I suggest wearing pants or shirts with a breast pocket to carry some extra smalls like a snack or keys/credit card/etc. When I was M3 who was studying for shelf exams I also tended to bring a book like case files that I could leave in a room and read during down time.

I have never seen a resident carry around a bag. At some programs ipads are provided but if not I haven't seen one used (too expensive and too easy to lose/get stolen). Stick to a good smart phone attached to a belt clip and the minimal amount of stuff. And by minimal I mean absolutely minimal.

Also, OP, if you want advice from residents just ask the ones you work with... Or just look around and see what they do. In any case I don't see how asking advice from those in a similar situation and training level (i.e. students) is any worse...

 

[45408]

stethoscope (around the neck - belt clips are lame).

Around the neck is lame. Put that in your pocket.


I carry my cell phone, iPod touch, penlight, two pens, dictation card, handful of folded papers, patient list, wallet, pager, ACLS algorithm card, stethoscope, name tag, surgery cap and protective eyewear. It's all pretty compact.

Cell phone and wallet go in scrub pockets, pager on waist, one pen in scrub pocket, one pen in white coat.

 

[JediZero]

I always feel self-conscious looking stuff up on my phone, as I'm afraid they think I'm texting. iPad looks more professional, so if you have one, I'd say use it.

Otherwise, dump the rest of your stuff that you don't use every day. You don't need the clipboard, you don't need your wallet, and you don't need the books (assuming you've got some reference apps on your iPad). Pens are good, too, I suppose.

 

[Bacchus]

Around the neck is lame. Put that in your pocket.


I carry my cell phone, iPod touch, penlight, two pens, dictation card, handful of folded papers, patient list, wallet, pager, ACLS algorithm card, stethoscope, name tag, surgery cap and protective eyewear. It's all pretty compact.

Cell phone and wallet go in scrub pockets, pager on waist, one pen in scrub pocket, one pen in white coat.

You're a surgeon 😛. Of course, you don't wear your steth around your neck.

I keep mine in my pocket until I start using it, then its easier to just throw around my neck.

 

[Kaputt]

Why are so many people in this thread suggesting that you don't carry your wallet around? How much space is your wallet really taking up?

 

[JediZero]

Why are so many people in this thread suggesting that you don't carry your wallet around? How much space is your wallet really taking up?

Depends on how much crap you keep in there. I don't see how you're going to need it at the hospital, though... maybe in the cafeteria, but you can just keep a credit card in your pocket or something.

 

[Kaputt]

Depends on how much crap you keep in there. I don't see how you're going to need it at the hospital, though... maybe in the cafeteria, but you can just keep a credit card in your pocket or something.

I'd rather not have a credit card sitting in my pocket. Maybe you should slim down the contents of your wallet! Mine is pretty slim.

 

[Tatastrophy]

I'd rather not have a credit card sitting in my pocket. Maybe you should slim down the contents of your wallet! Mine is pretty slim.

I have 2 copies of my credit card and one always stays in the little plastic pouch that hangs on my ID clip. I Put it in between 2 little cheat sheets I have in there so that people can't see that I have a credit card in there. Done. I never have to worry about forgetting it elsewhere because without my ID, I can't even get in to half the units.

As far as any additional advice that hasn't been given: if you really insist on carrying your entire house with you, you could take your coat to a taylor and have them add a pocket. I had to do that because my coat is XS and for some reason the manufacturer thought it was a brilliant idea to make my pockets XS too. It is nice and roomy and fits just about anything I would need, an Ipad too probably if I was schmancy like that.

I would not wear your stethoscope around your neck because it makes your neck hurt. Just pocket it.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

You need significantly less than you think.

I was in the ICU a month or so ago. I carried my wallet, keys, cell phone, pen, and check out sheet. Each room had its own dedicated stethoscope and pen light.

When on the wards, I add the stethoscope and pen light.

 

[yoyostring]

weird indeed. seriously you're an idiot if you wear this.

 

[koojo]

I have a carry-on sized luggage which I carry with me everywhere. Never leaves my side..

 

[evilbooyaa]

If you're on surgery, stethoscope goes inside a pocket. If you're on medicine, it goes around your neck.

If you're dressed up, use your pant pockets for phone, keys, wallet, gum/chapstick

If you're in scrubs, use the inside shirt pocket for keys, gum/chapstick. I keep a credit card in my phone case and that's enough for any thing I need during the day. I leave my wallet in the locker room.

 

[SouthSideSteve]

Ditch the white coat clipboard and get one of these to store things in and use as a clipboard.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001CUBR9U/ref=nosim/studentdoctor-20

Hey TD

Maybe this bag would be helpful

http://www.innovativecareusa.com/shop/medical-pack/

I plan to use it next year when I start clinical rotations. It's definitely not a fanny pack or a big messenger bag. My roommate is a resident and puts most of what you mentioned above in hers.

really? people carry crap like this around???

rofl

 

[badasshairday]

Around the neck is lame. Put that in your pocket.

👍

Never around the neck.

 

[Siggy]

really? people carry crap like this around???

rofl

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuygRWVwuUI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[evilbooyaa]

👍

Never around the neck.

Surgical resident, I presume?

Googled 'surgeon', found this on the first page. GG Surgeons?

To those about to rage: I'm being facetious. I just think it is humorous.

 

[SouthSideSteve]

Surgical resident, I presume?

Googled 'surgeon', found this on the first page. GG Surgeons?

http://static5.depositphotos.com/1000970/406/i/950/depositphotos_4063471-Surgeon-with-stethoscope.jpg[img]


To those about to rage: I'm being facetious. I just think it is humorous.[/QUOTE]

I was on GS with a med student who would scrub in wearing his flea collar. Made me cringe every time.

edit: he was also a colossal douchebag, so I let it ride for my own amusement.

 

[45408]

Surgical resident, I presume?

Googled 'surgeon', found this on the first page. GG Surgeons?

To those about to rage: I'm being facetious. I just think it is humorous.

I don't know any surgeons with hair that long. He looks like he just got pulled off the set for the stock pothead photo. His hat is covering his eyebrows. Roll that thing up, good Lord. He's wearing a disposable stethoscope around his neck, and he's not wearing an undershirt. The mask he's got has the little elastic straps going around his ears, rather than tying behind his head. And no eye protection.

STOCK PHOTO FAIL. He looks like a student shadowing someone else, with a pretend stethoscope on for good measure.

 

[PTPoeny]

really? people carry crap like this around???

rofl

I haven't seen very many students with a bag. But residents and attendings that don't wear their white coats generally need a place to carry stuff. My sernior resident on my last rotation was the exception, never wore a white coat and managed to carry all his stuff including an otoscope with the large head every day without a bag or clipboard with room inside or anything.

Every neuro attending or resident that I have met carries some sort of bag - much bigger than this one, but they tend to carry around a lot more tools. 😛

 

[badasshairday]

I don't know any surgeons with hair that long. He looks like he just got pulled off the set for the stock pothead photo. His hat is covering his eyebrows. Roll that thing up, good Lord. He's wearing a disposable stethoscope around his neck, and he's not wearing an undershirt. The mask he's got has the little elastic straps going around his ears, rather than tying behind his head. And no eye protection.

STOCK PHOTO FAIL. He looks like a student shadowing someone else, with a pretend stethoscope on for good measure.

WHOA WHOA WHOA! HOLD ON! I agree with everything except the bolded. What's wrong with no undershirt? I think undershirts suck. I like to show off my awesome chest. Always get compliments. I also wear one scrub size too small, so I can show off my guns some more.

 

[username456789]

I was on GS with a med student who would scrub in wearing his flea collar. Made me cringe every time.

Nothing makes me cringe more than surgeons awkwardly referring to stethoscopes as flea collars.

But scrubbing in wearing a stethoscope is stupid.

 

[username456789]

I also wear one scrub size too small, so I can show off my guns some more.

This is the correct protocol.

Also it's been how many years now and I only just realized you have an angry monkey in your CT.

 

[Mass Effect]

really? people carry crap like this around???

rofl

No one I know carries a bag, but three of my attendings this year have had storage clipboards. It's convenient and light. What's the big deal?

 

[duckie99]

No one I know carries a bag, but three of my attendings this year have had storage clipboards. It's convenient and light. What's the big deal?

storage clipboards are super dorky. The only people I've seen use them are new med students. They eventually figure out it is annoying to carry around...

the only people who can get away with carrying a bag are neurologists. I haven't seen any other specialty do it. You just don't need that much stuff... it also looks super incredibly lame.

 

[siliso]

On rotations where there is a team room or someplace you spend your downtime, I've always carried a backpack with books, iPad, papers, food and beverage. In my pockets are my debit card or some cash, phone, pager, pen, and notebook or rounds reports. Other items as dictated by rotation (reflex hammer for neuro, or whatever), stethoscope around the neck or in a pocket.

On surgery, there is no team room or central location to put stuff and have it accessible, so I travel light. Pocket items only. There's a kindle textbook and pretest app on my phone for downtime, and there's not much call for medical equipment, not even the stethoscope.

Have never found much use for the pocket handbooks. Uptodate etc on the phone does the job.

 

[Mass Effect]

storage clipboards are super dorky. The only people I've seen use them are new med students. They eventually figure out it is annoying to carry around...

I've had three attendings who carried them and I've seen several NPs and PAs with them as well, some sleeker than others. I never thought anything about it.

 

[Siggy]

storage clipboards are super dorky. The only people I've seen use them are new med students. They eventually figure out it is annoying to carry around...

You can take my clipcase from my cold dead hands. They're infinitely better than the white coat clipboards. Easier to use, easier to store blank documents in. Easier to write on. Great to use as a tray to carry food to the cafeteria (my hospital never seems to have clean trays available). It just takes a bit getting use to making sure to pick it up when you put it down.

 

[duckie99]

I've had three attendings who carried them and I've seen several NPs and PAs with them as well, some sleeker than others. I never thought anything about it.

well it is lame. trust me.

You can take my clipcase from my cold dead hands. They're infinitely better than the white coat clipboards. Easier to use, easier to store blank documents in. Easier to write on. Great to use as a tray to carry food to the cafeteria (my hospital never seems to have clean trays available). It just takes a bit getting use to making sure to pick it up when you put it down.

I don't understand how you find any clipboard helpful. All you need is a couple sheets of paper (max) for each patient folded lengthwise in your coat pocket. As a resident all you really need is the signout sheet. Clipboards are just too much. And that medical clipboard with all the extra info on it really isn't necessary either once you know the normal values and what not.

 

[Siggy]

I don't understand how you find any clipboard helpful. All you need is a couple sheets of paper (max) for each patient folded lengthwise in your coat pocket. As a resident all you really need is the signout sheet. Clipboards are just too much. And that medical clipboard with all the extra info on it really isn't necessary either once you know the normal values and what not.

I want to say one word to you, just one word: Plastics.


It's nice to be able to fill out H&Ps as you gather information. Also at my hospital for IM we end up normally snake our way through 4 floors with 3 units each and end up rounding away from the main nursing station. As such it's helpful to keep things like consult sheets, extra order forms (it's not rare for there to be no extra ones in the chart), antibiotic order sheets, PT referral forms, and a couple other forms that aren't in the chart available in case things are needed during rounds. This is in addition to random cheat sheets that gets picked up over the course of rotations, copies of your progress notes (to refer to when presenting), team list (the hospital runs off of excel sheets for tracking patients), and an extra set or two of admit orders and admission H&Ps.


Also it's not nearly as lame as the people who sling their stethoscopes. Holsters for the win! Don't get me started on the people who don't think they need an undershirt with scrubs. No one wants to see chest hair.

 

[duckie99]

Also it's not nearly as lame as the people who sling their stethoscopes. Holsters for the win! Don't get me started on the people who don't think they need an undershirt with scrubs. No one wants to see chest hair.

lol dude stethoscope holsters are lame too! I've only noticed EM people wearing them since they're too cool for white coats... Man I just wear mine around my neck while I'm going from room to room seeing patients and what not, but will pocket it when rounding and not actively using it.

And I guess I see how a clipboard in your situation may be useful but at my locations all that stuff is done in the EMR so all we really need to carry around is a sheet of paper to help us present the patient and keep track of the list.

Agree with the undershirt and scrubs for the most part. I give an exception to attractive females...

 

[evilbooyaa]

I don't know any surgeons with hair that long. He looks like he just got pulled off the set for the stock pothead photo. His hat is covering his eyebrows. Roll that thing up, good Lord. He's wearing a disposable stethoscope around his neck, and he's not wearing an undershirt. The mask he's got has the little elastic straps going around his ears, rather than tying behind his head. And no eye protection.

STOCK PHOTO FAIL. He looks like a student shadowing someone else, with a pretend stethoscope on for good measure.

👍 Well played, sir. The only comment I will make is that I see quite a few surgeons running around without undershirts on. What better way to stimulate the OR nurses than flash the puffs of chest hair?

Also - let me say that if you really need a folding clipboard, you either are in a situation like Siggy, where you have to carry around blank hospital stationary around (rather than just going to the nurses station on whichever floor and getting a copy) or you're a fresh MS4/Intern on medicine with an awful lot of patients. I would never use it, but I don't necessarily care if people have one folded up in their white coat.

 

[45408]

I did actually carry a clipboard on my sub-I, because I did have a lot of patients, and I was writing tons of stuff down. It wasn't a special folding one though - it was just a $2 clipboard from Target. It really kept me organized. I wouldn't care if a student had one, as long as it didn't look like they were writing down their observations of the team.

 

[pipe dream]

well it is lame. trust me.



I don't understand how you find any clipboard helpful. All you need is a couple sheets of paper (max) for each patient folded lengthwise in your coat pocket. As a resident all you really need is the signout sheet. Clipboards are just too much. And that medical clipboard with all the extra info on it really isn't necessary either once you know the normal values and what not.

It's the "trust me " that makes it art. The height of arrogance and immaturity is thinking that just because you don't like something, anyone who does is lame. Not everyone subscribes to your way of doing things, oh superior one. If you have trouble understanding that, I'll make it easier: you are lame. Trust me.

 

[PTPoeny]

I also see more people carrying bags or storage clipboards when they aren't wearing a white coat. It is ridiculously hard to find women's clothing with normal pockets so even just a few pieces of paper, signout, a cellphone, a credit card and some extra pens require thought. Wearing a dress it can be hard to figure out where to even clip the pager. A storage clipboard fixes all of this.

 

[MrDocMD]

well it is lame. trust me.

I don't understand how you find any clipboard helpful. All you need is a couple sheets of paper (max) for each patient folded lengthwise in your coat pocket. As a resident all you really need is the signout sheet. Clipboards are just too much. And that medical clipboard with all the extra info on it really isn't necessary either once you know the normal values and what not.

Maybe you should wait until you're a resident before telling posters what they'll need as a resident. Even a superstar 4th-year is still just a superstar 4th-year.