How to deal with bad teaching resident

[ThaMiLay]

Hi,

I'm IM PGY-1 and this is first few days at the ward after spending a month at the clinic. My teaching resident which is a 3rd year is totally not doing his job such as showing me the paper work or answer any medical procedure that I may have. He is nowhere to be found when I have questions so basically, this is my first day or and 2 at the ward and he just left me with patients.

Anybody who have experience and advice on how to deal with the situation. So far, I have been doing overtime in the evening and try to learn from other 3rd yr residents.

Thanks in advance.

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[roja]

Hi,

I'm IM PGY-1 and this is first few days at the ward after spending a month at the clinic. My teaching resident which is a 3rd year is totally not doing his job such as showing me the paper work or answer any medical procedure that I may have. He is nowhere to be found when I have questions so basically, this is my first day or and 2 at the ward and he just left me with patients.

Anybody who have experience and advice on how to deal with the situation. So far, I have been doing overtime in the evening and try to learn from other 3rd yr residents.

Thanks in advance.

Unfortunately, sometimes this happens. I would try and sit him down adn talk to him. If this isn't helping, then it is time to bump it up to your chief residents.

Explain to them what is going on. And ask your fellow resident/interns to help out as well.

 

[Doctor Grim]

Unfortunately, sometimes this happens. I would try and sit him down adn talk to him. If this isn't helping, then it is time to bump it up to your chief residents.

Explain to them what is going on. And ask your fellow resident/interns to help out as well.

I agree! You should definitely express your concerns about learning and what your expectations are to your upper levels. If it doesn't work, then you can go to the chief resident and then you PD.

I remember I ran into similar situations as an intern during my first mo. when I did wards. I was on call and was left in the ER all by myself admitting patients and my upper level was sitting in the clinic typing her clinic notes. I was also told that "you can page me anytime you need help, but that only shows a sign of weakness" WTF?? She was also one of our chief residents so I had to speak to my PD about it and it was taken care of right away.

 

[SLUser11]

Hi,

I'm IM PGY-1 and this is first few days at the ward after spending a month at the clinic. My teaching resident which is a 3rd year is totally not doing his job such as showing me the paper work or answer any medical procedure that I may have. He is nowhere to be found when I have questions so basically, this is my first day or and 2 at the ward and he just left me with patients.

Anybody who have experience and advice on how to deal with the situation. So far, I have been doing overtime in the evening and try to learn from other 3rd yr residents.

Thanks in advance.

1. Some residents are just poor teachers.

2. Some residents do not have a dedication to teaching, and are trying to just "get through" residency so they can go into practice.

3. Some residents that are fresh upper-levels are still adjusting to the role of teacher, especially if they spent their junior resident year(s) struggling to learn/get by. This is a common problem that I see, especially at the beginning of the year........

===That being said, not all residents are going to be great, and suggestions to go to the chief and then the program director seem a little overboard, just for a lack of hand-holding. There's no reason to fry your co-resident that you just met and known nothing about.


===I suggest that you just deal with it, and if there is a complete lack of teamwork or the resident isn't pulling their share of the workload, THEN you go to the chief resident.

 

[Doowai]

Steal a piece of expensive electrical diagnostic equipment, put it in their car, call security from a pay phone and say you saw them steal it.



Just kidding

Do they seem hostile , busy or unsure of themselves (thats 3 choices). Depending on their attitude which is probably linked to their lack of teaching, the level of your action would vary.


I had no teaching senior. I had a hostile attending. I had a large patient load (some times 15 in-patients a day). But all that being said it was a great gig. I had 2 really good attendings too. I resigned. But really it was because of one thing - I just could not tolerate being away from my family. I could not miss my son's senior year in high school (my senior year was really jacked up because of friends going to prison, dying, etc) and I could not move my family to the state where residency was.

I know you are not thinking of quitting but really its not all that tough - admitting patients is a simple H&P and them some lab work. In patient care is simply progressing existing care forward with some slight tweaks usually.

It was a great gig. I loved my other jobs, I have written here many times about how much I loved teaching (which I am going to go do in a few minutes), and I really liked chiropractic (although it got extremely boring after 16 years - let me guess, you have a back ache) - but I really loved medicine. I hope I get to do it again.

What I am really saying is this : consider why they are not teaching. How hard is it to find paperwork or ask a nurse where it is? A moment of feeling awkward and then you never have to ask again. And in-patient care has so many hands on that its hard to screw up - plus human bodies are pretty tough.

 

[Doowai]

p

 

[dragonfly99]

Suck it up. Try and learn from the other residents. The only thing he really needs to man up on is if you have to do a procedure...then he really DOES need to be helping you.
You can't make a bad teaching resident into a good one. You'll just piss him off and perhaps get yourself into trouble if you complain.
You should call him if you have specific major management questions about a patient, or if you need help to do a procedure like a paracentesis.

What other responsibilities does this person have? Is he just busy? Is he just stressed out?
Also keep in mind 2nd year residents = not as good at teaching as 3rd year or above, b/c this is his first experience in managing an intern also.

 

[Decepticon]

confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront confront+ add some self-disclosure +don't do mind reading/assume intent + be descriptive + go 4 it!

 

[Decepticon]

You can't make a bad teaching resident into a good one. You'll just piss him off and perhaps get yourself into trouble if you complain..

Perhaps you can make him less bad.

".. dear resident. can you spare me 2min? There has been a few occations when I would have needed assistance. I understand that you have other obligations then to guide me through every minor procedure. I might find myself in the same position in a few years. But sometimes, I still need some words of confirmation to make me feel less insecure and be a better doc. Is there any way I can get the basics I need, without weighing you down?"

 

[buckley]

My experience with seniors is not so great either(but not horrible), but I bet they'r under a lot of pressure too---they really expect me to know things. I don't think going to the PD will help nor is it really a matter for them. I would bet if I did that (and I have absolutely zero plans--did not even cross my mind) it would only earn me more irk, which I certainly have no need for. As for confrontation, I'm thinking it would be pretty useless too. I don't know I could be wrong as people do seem more forward here. I do recall asking my senior to teach me how and I saw a look of were-so-busy so I just said it could be for another time. Of course the other time did not come. I choose to "survive" and pray the learning curve is really steep. Im asking for help with the nearest range person I can find. Sure, I get frustrated a lot of times...but hell, I just gotta figure it out. It would be nice to have a guide...

To the R2s and R3s out there, wish you could also remember what it was like to be an intern. I bet you weren't born knowing how to titrate heparin or what benzodiazepine dose to use for DTs. ANd even better, I bet there was a time when you didn't know how to order particular tests too.

 

[Winged Scapula]

SLUser is right on, IMHO.

Outside of some people don't enjoy or aren't cut out to be teachers, is to remember that the new seniors were junior residents yesterday and probably have not adjusted to their new role.

They are used to going about getting the job done, without paying attention to the educational needs to others. People DO forget what it was like to not know anything or how to do something. For example, putting in a bladder catheter is easy for me, but after watching a 3rd year medical student struggle with it, I was reminded that I too, was there once.

I suggest talking to this senior and expressing some desire for help. Depending on the response you get, my advice about your next step varies...but honestly going to the PD or Chief resident is probably only likely to earn you some disrespect, if not outward hate, from the other residents. Residents are supposed to cohesive teams united against "the man" - whether that be the PD, other faculty or sometimes a mean Chief or fellow. Turn against your brethren and you will reap what you sow.

 

[8744]

2. Some residents do not have a dedication to teaching, and are trying to just "get through" residency so they can go into practice.

Mea culpa.

 

[3dtp]

SLUser is right on, IMHO.

Outside of some people don't enjoy or aren't cut out to be teachers, is to remember that the new seniors were junior residents yesterday and probably have not adjusted to their new role.

They are used to going about getting the job done, without paying attention to the educational needs to others. People DO forget what it was like to not know anything or how to do something. For example, putting in a bladder catheter is easy for me, but after watching a 3rd year medical student struggle with it, I was reminded that I too, was there once.

I suggest talking to this senior and expressing some desire for help. Depending on the response you get, my advice about your next step varies...but honestly going to the PD or Chief resident is probably only likely to earn you some disrespect, if not outward hate, from the other residents. Residents are supposed to cohesive teams united against "the man" - whether that be the PD, other faculty or sometimes a mean Chief or fellow. Turn against your brethren and you will reap what you sow.

Unfortunately, this advice is right on the mark. Do not underestimate the power of ostracism and ill will, even if your concerns are completely valid or even understated. At my PGY1 institution, we had a senior resident who was widely recognized as abusive, occasionally to the point of violence. A hapless intern took the matter up with the attending and the PD, who was good friends with the senior and had a life of hell for his remaining years in the program.

In the present political environment of residency, it is important to remember: Cooperate and Graduate. Do the best you can, if the senior is truely a donkey, others will know it and will respond to your quiet calls for help, but unless there is something extreme going on, keep your head low, your wits about you. When you have finished residency, remember this and work to change and improve the system.

 

[ThaMiLay]

Thanks for all of your time and suggestion.

I have concluded to just tolerate and ask other resident for questions. What surprises me is, this person laziness lead to having no respect for patient care; also many other residents seem to know about his attitude but nobody seem to do anything about it.