How to be a good Path resident.

[jeff2005]

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It's been mentioned before that we are not expected to know much, so what is expected of us? What do the PD's value most?

 

[yaah]

Lots of stuff, much of which is not necessarily based on knowledge (at least initially) but more on organization.

I think organization is the most important - especially for surg path. Being able to keep track of your cases so attendings and fellows know where to go when they have questions. As well, being prepared so that you don't get surprised or caught off guard when you are asked about a case, or a patient's history, etc. It takes a lot of preparation but it is worth it.

Another thing is just being easy going. Don't act as though your **** doesn't stink or you know everything. But on the converse, you don't want to act stupid either. The best residents are ones who will probably make occasional mistakes, but learn from them and don't make them again. And be willing to learn about stuff - prepare for conferences, lectures, signouts, etc.

Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help - nearly everyone would much rather prefer that something gets done correctly as opposed to expeditiously, if they are in conflict.

 

[deschutes]

...being prepared so that you don't get surprised or caught off guard when you are asked about a case, or a patient's history, etc.

Scary. 😀

 

[b&ierstiefel]

hmm...i wonder if it's like the michigan system:

get 70% of the diagnoses correct = Pass
get 86% of the diagnoses correct = High Pass
get 94% of the diagnoses correct = Honors
get 100% of the diagnoses correct = pat on the back and a cookie

seriously though, i am quite apprehensive about my first surg path month. i try not to think about it at this point.

 

[deschutes]

seriously though, i am quite apprehensive about my first surg path month. i try not to think about it at this point.

I remember the MUSC head of dept... "yeah, sometimes specimens get poured down the sink... this things happen, it's all right."

😱 😳

 

[Mrbojangles]

I think we all can correlate our paperwork with our slides. So we're at least good for the first week 😉.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I think we all can correlate our paperwork with our slides. So we're at least good for the first week 😉.

graduated responsibility?

 

[Mrbojangles]

I think I can sign out a case of cholecystitis 😉.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I think I can sign out a case of cholecystitis 😉.

oh yeah?

prove it

 

[Mrbojangles]

Rokitansky Aschoff sinuses! And maybe cholesterolosis. Now if there was questionable adenocarcinoma you wouldn't want me to sign it out.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Rokitansky Aschoff sinuses! And maybe cholesterolosis. Now if there was questionable adenocarcinoma you wouldn't want me to sign it out.

ooh whipping out the names ey? but don't rokitansky aschoff sinuses predispose simply to stone formation...cholecystitis would be a downstream event...bah **** it i'll give it to ya. and plus, i had to look that up so i cheated.

 

[Mrbojangles]

I have no idea. At first I thought it was Rokitansky Asherman sinuses but then checked it before hand to make sure I didn't get the name wrong lol.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I have no idea. At first I thought it was Rokitansky Asherman sinuses but then checked it before hand to make sure I didn't get the name wrong lol.

ok bojangles, let's try this again.

what is this?

 

[beary]

ooohhhh.... so pretty.

I 😍 pathology!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

cmon bojangles, we don't have forever

oh btw, don't try right clicking the image to see if the name of the disease entity is in the file name. i renamed the file "poo" and i will not accept "poo" for an answer

 

[beary]

oh btw, don't try right clicking the image to see if the name of the disease entity is in the file name. i renamed the file "poo" and i will not accept "poo" for an answer

poo is not so pretty.

 

[Mrbojangles]

Oh man you're trying to pimp me and we haven't even started residency! I'll say cholecystitis. The area of hypercellularity on the right looks benign but what do I know 🙂.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Oh man you're trying to pimp me and we haven't even started residency! I'll say cholecystitis.

i wasn't pimping. i was trying to make you look good. cholecystitis is the right answer. you are the ****ing pimp! 👍

 

[Mrbojangles]

Rokitansky Aschoff sinuses are herniations of the epithelium into the muscularis externa due to increased intraluminal pressure. Even from the run of the mill samples you can learn something 😉.

 

[beary]

Geez.... I have a lot to learn. 😱

 

[b&ierstiefel]

You know, I learned something today.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Geez.... I have a lot to learn. 😱

if it makes you feel better, i don't know **** and i start residency in 3 months.

 

[beary]

I have not learned anything all day.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I have not learned anything all day.

well now we have been educated by DrBojangles, FRCPath.

 

[beary]

if it makes you feel better, i don't know **** and i start residency in 3 months.

You are all about making me feel better today! 👍

 

[beary]

well now we have been educated by DrBojangles, FRCPath.

That's true. I guess I learned a little about cholecystitis.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

That's true. I guess I learned a little about cholecystitis.

you bet!

 

[Mrbojangles]

I had to look up Rosai for that.

So beary now you will know what to say during your surgery clerkship when one of those surgeons ask you what kind of histologic features you will see with cholecystitis 😉.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I had to look up Rosai for that.

So beary now you will know what to say during your surgery clerkship when one of those surgeons ask you what kind of histologic features you will see with cholecystitis 😉.

and don't say "poo" 😉 they will laugh at you, not with you.

 

[beary]

So beary now you will know what to say when one of those surgeons ask you what kind of histologic features you will see with cholecystitis 😉.

Yes! I will think of Mrbojangles' wisdom!

See, SDN time really is study time!

 

[beary]

and don't say "poo" 😉 they will laugh at you, not with you.

I have a hunch that I am going to want to say things a lot worse than "poo" during my surgery clerkship.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Yes! I will think of Mrbojangles' wisdom!

See, SDN time really is study time!

You know, I have been pondering this random point just now. People who do well on the SAT verbal section or MCAT verbal section tend to have read a lot as kids. Me, on the other hand, I never read a g'damn thing. I never read novels during high school. I barely stomached reading cliff notes. I never read the newspaper. I just hated reading back then. Hence, my verbal scores sucked some serious ass.

Kids nowadays are finding that verbal sections on these standardized exams are easier. Average scores are climbing compared to when we were kids. I think this is concordant with the advent of the internet as a media for reading and seeking knowledge and information. So the internet is a good thing.

I wish I had internet when I was a kid. I would have read stuff then.

 

[Mrbojangles]

I actually did right click on the picture and look under properties. When it was titled poo I screamed "Damn you Andy!" 😉.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I actually did right click on the picture and look under properties. When it was titled poo I screamed "Damn you Andy!" 😉.

I knew that you knew that I knew that you would right click it.

Thank God for photobucket

 

[beary]

So the internet is a good thing.

I wish I had internet when I was a kid. I would have read stuff then.

The internet is the bomb. I seriously cannot imagine living without it anymore. How would we keep in touch with people without email?

My niece is 2 and knows how to look up and play Elmo games on the internet. I'm serious. (They're on a favorites bar, but still!)

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I have a hunch that I am going to want to say things a lot worse than "poo" during my surgery clerkship.

I actually thought surgery was kinda cool. And the thought process is very directed and to the point. You will like that.

And those four lined SOAP notes are teh r0x0rz! 👍

S: no c/o
O: AF, VSS
A: LGFD
P: Abx, IVF, pain relief, d/c home tomorrow.

Beautiful!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

The internet is the bomb. I seriously cannot imagine living without it anymore. How would we keep in touch with people without email?

Exactly! And not only do we have emaill, we have AIM, ICQ, mIRC, MSN, etc etc etc. As Cartman would say, "Kickass!"

My niece is 2 and knows how to look up and play Elmo games on the internet. I'm serious. (They're on a favorites bar, but still!)

My niece was the same way a few years ago (at 3 years of age). I guess your niece is smarter than my niece. 😉

 

[Mrbojangles]

I used to read alot as a kid. But during med school I hardly read for entertainment. In fact I don't . That almost makes me sound like George Bush when he says he doesn't read the newspaper.

 

[beary]

I actually thought surgery was kinda cool. And the thought process is very directed and to the point. You will like that.

And those four lined SOAP notes are teh r0x0rz! 👍

S: no c/o
O: AF, VSS
A: LGFD
P: Abx, IVF, pain relief, d/c home tomorrow.

Beautiful!

I think I will like the thought process. Honestly what I am worried the most about med school is physical endurance - like standing in the OR for hours with no sleep, nothing to drink, etc.. I know it will be cool, but I seriously cannot just stand there that long.

I like the soap note being only four lines but do not remember what many of those things mean. 🙂 Ahh, I will remember soon enough!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I know it will be cool, but I seriously cannot just stand there that long.

No. Being a med student clinical clerk is not cool. Repeat after me. Med school is not cool.

I like the soap note being only four lines but do not remember what many of those things mean. 🙂 Ahh, I will remember soon enough!

technicalities...plus, people at different institutions may use different abbreviations. so forget i said anything.

 

[beary]

I used to read alot as a kid. But during med school I hardly read for entertainment. In fact I don't . That almost makes me sound like George Bush when he says he doesn't read the newspaper.

I still read some every night before I fall asleep. I get through a book every few weeks. Though I almost never get an actual newspaper anymore with all the news sites on the internet.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I used to read alot as a kid. But during med school I hardly read for entertainment. In fact I don't . That almost makes me sound like George Bush when he says he doesn't read the newspaper.

were you one of those kids who scored 1600 on the SAT and your parents bragged to all the other parents? i scored a 1290 and my parents didn't say **** to the other parents

George Bush can read?

 

[beary]

No. Being a med student clinical clerk is not cool. Repeat after me. Med school is not cool.

Med school is not cool.

Not 😎

Not at all.

 

[beary]

were you one of those kids who scored 1600 on the SAT and your parents bragged to all the other parents? i scored a 1290 and my parents didn't say **** to the other parents

I have absolutely no recollection of what I got on the SAT. Know it wasn't anywhere near a 1600 though.

 

[Mrbojangles]

No I got a 1470. I think my sister got a 1560 or 1570. I got a 700 on verbal which was surprising because I have always been bad with reading comprehension but I geuss i made up for it with memorizing words.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

No I got a 1470. I think my sister got a 1560 or 1570. I got a 700 on verbal which was surprising because I have always been bad with reading comprehension but I geuss i made up for it with memorizing words.

ooo...1470...look at the big brains on bojangles here!

i remember calculating the maximum score i could get (based on practice test grading scales) if i got all the vocab based items right (i.e., antonyms, analogies, sentence completion) and if i answered none of the reading comp questions. that number was 580. that plan backfired of course since i got a 530 on the verbal.

 

[beary]

i remember calculating the maximum score i could get (based on practice test grading scales) if i got all the vocab based items right (i.e., antonyms, analogies, sentence completion) and if i answered none of the reading comp questions. that number was 580. that plan backfired of course since i got a 530 on the verbal.

You must have done well on the math section with doing all these fancy calculations

 

[b&ierstiefel]

You must have done well on the math section with doing all these fancy calculations

i must admit...math was a strong point back in my youth.

i wish i had scored way better on the verbal though. then my parents would brag to the other asian parents and i would feel special. all my parents could brag about was my musical skillz. and that don't mean **** in asia cuz all asians are good in music.

 

[Mrbojangles]

Well my parents had me and my sister study for the SAT very early on. I want to say since the 8th grade but that may have been PSAT preparation. They had the idea that the SATs were equivalent to the entrance exams they had in Korea .

 

[beary]

i wish i had scored way better on the verbal though. then my parents would brag to the other asian parents and i would feel special. all my parents could brag about was my musical skillz. and that don't mean **** in asia cuz all asians are good in music.

I am picturing beautiful melodies floating down all Asian streets.

I think your parents can brag to all the other parents now that you are Dr. Dr. Milonakis heading to Harvard.