How often should I be asking questions during clerkships? What general types are acceptable?

[XxSynapsexX]

I am having a hard time understanding when to ask and not ask questions. I always hear that to do well you have to be enthusiastic ask a lot of questions and be this social likable guy but ever since I started rotations it does not seem like that is what attending want.

A couple of friends said its better to just keep quiet and work hard and do what is asked and speak only when spoken to. I know some of you will shoot me down for this but every time I do ask questions it feels like I am pissing off my attending.


What is your guys take? How often would you generally be asking questions or speaking up on rounds?

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[Moose A Moose]

To hell with it- ask a question when you need an answer. They're there to teach during rounds.

 

[ortnakas]

Ask questions when you need an answer or are actually curious about something.

Don't ask questions just for the sake of asking questions.

 

[operaman]

If your question could be answered by typing it into google and clicking on one of the top 10 results, don't waste everyone's time by asking it.

Asking good questions requires a certain level of understanding. You'll notice your residents asking these sorts of questions - things about clinical thinking and decision making, that attending's personal take on something controversial within that field, etc. Broadly speaking, good questions tend to be those that draw on years of clinical experience to answer rather than things that could easily be found in a book or a paper.

 

[Uafl112]

I just started 3rd year so I don't know too much about this either. However, I can say that my ER attending loved it when I looked up something on the spot cause I didn't know it. Don't ask questions for the sake of asking them; ask questions on topics because you're generally curious. You're not here to make someone happy and just get a good grade; we're here to get an education and become competent physicians in a couple of years.

The best way to impress your attending Imo is to show initiative and always participate without being told to do something. For example, if a patient needed a DRE, I didn't need to be told to get ready; I already had the gloved finger, lube, and stool guiac ready to go. Also, keep up with your readings so you can get some of those pimping questions right (ER doc loved it when I knew the answer to her questions).

Overall, just be engaged and ask questions appropriately. To my understanding, doctors know when you're asking questions to suck up to them.

 

[TypeADissection]

If your question could be answered by typing it into google and clicking on one of the top 10 results, don't waste everyone's time by asking it.

Asking good questions requires a certain level of understanding. You'll notice your residents asking these sorts of questions - things about clinical thinking and decision making, that attending's personal take on something controversial within that field, etc. Broadly speaking, good questions tend to be those that draw on years of clinical experience to answer rather than things that could easily be found in a book or a paper.

This is a really key point that I think is worth repeating. Don't want to give specific details, but there once was a med student taking call overnight who asked questions such as: What is warfarin? What's an INR?

Don't do that. Seriously. I'll answer any question you ask. I'll even draw you diagrams and I'm a terrible artist. But don't do that.