how do you prepare for internship?

[phillyfornia]

i am a fourth year medical student who is about to begin an internship at a pretty tough medicine program. i was wondering what you guys thought was the best way to prepare for internship. it seems like so long since i've done any real work and i feel like i know NOTHING at all right now. i've heard of some people reading the first few sections of harrison's and some others doing resident-level MKSAP questions to prepare for internship. what do you guys/gals suggest? any help would be greatly appreciated.

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[DeLaughterDO]

Sleep.

As much as possible. Preferably for at least 24 hours straight, several days out of a week.

You won't get the chance again.

 

[hawaiigirl]

yeah, i've asked interns for this advice before, and all their answers involve sleeping and not reading because nothing will prepare you... i guess i should take their advice.

 

[jennyboo]

Don't do anything that involves reading or spending money on pocket manuals for internship.

Regarding money for pocket manuals -- save the $30 to treat yourself to something.

 

[hawaiigirl]

so without the pocket manual... what do you do at 3:30am on your first call night when you don't know anything and disaster strikes?!

 

[EtOHWithdrawal]

so without the pocket manual... what do you do at 3:30am on your first call night when you don't know anything and disaster strikes?!

Tell the nurse to call your resident, and then go back to sleep...

 

[jennyboo]

so without the pocket manual... what do you do at 3:30am on your first call night when you don't know anything and disaster strikes?!

Haha... I posted that a couple weeks ago. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=4876483#post4876483 But you just spend the first few nights asking your resident.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Tell the nurse to call your resident, and then go back to sleep...

yeah, right....that'll go over REAL well (with the resident).

 

[drtx]

The key to doing well in residency...I'll give you an example of the same clinical scenario handled by different interns with the same pocket manual.
A patient with chest pain..

Good intern: Gets to the bedside, asks for vitals, EKG, labs..after quickly (just a few minutes) assessing the pt. and calls resident while this is ongoing. Ask for help b/c you shouldn't be alone early on.

Bad intern: Picks up the phone IMMEDIATELY without getting anything going and calls the resident panicky while thumbing through one of those manuals.

Great intern: does #1 but also asks the pt for cardiac history and gets cardiologist phone number.
​

 

[Winged Scapula]

Bad intern: Picks up the phone IMMEDIATELY without getting anything going and calls the resident panicky while thumbing through one of those manuals.
​

Badder intern: calls Chief from the call room without seeing patient or having any data other than what the nurse said over the phone. I made that mistake ONCE.

 

[DeLaughterDO]

Badder intern: calls Chief from the call room without seeing patient or having any data other than what the nurse said over the phone. I made that mistake ONCE.

I'm sure that went over like a ton of bricks...

oopsie!

I think everyone makes at least one stupid mistake in their intern year. Heck, I probably make one a week... it's almost expected we will routinely have to remove our own foot from our mouth and our resident's foot from our a$$.

That's why it is called hell - I mean internship.

jd