How to do well 3rd year?

[_T_]

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So I keep hearing about how impt it is to do well 3rd year.. any suggestions on things I should be doing (besides kissing doctor's asses haha)..

I recall some upperclassmen suggesting the pretest books and stuff.. and kinda doing it alongside with your rotation..

What do u all think?

 

[radiodoc99]

Really its about being punctual, reading and helping everyone. Just stay positive and read as much as you can and help everyone. Know your patients well

 

[nlax30]

As far as study materials go.... there are a TON of different series out there, find one you enjoy and go with that... Case Files, Blueprints, Step Up to Medicine, First Aid, etc...

A lot of folks get a subscription UWorld or another online question bank, helps with Step II and shelf exams.

And then on rotations, just be a team player. Attitude is probably one of the biggest things that can make or break you. Definitely don't need to be a kiss ass, but be on time, don't complain, know everything about the patients you're assigned to, offer to help if you currently have nothing to do, read about your patients during down time, be prepared for rounds, help your intern/resident by looking things up for him/her, if you find a good article or relevant piece of info about a patient you are working up then make copies and share it with the team, etc... mostly common sense stuff I hope.

Don't try to show up your fellow classmates, it shows. If on rounds your attending is pimping your classmate and they stumble with an answer don't jump in with your answer. Don't complain about hours to your intern when they're on track to have a 90hr week.... etc...

 

[Colbert]

As far as study materials go.... there are a TON of different series out there, find one you enjoy and go with that... Case Files, Blueprints, Step Up to Medicine, First Aid, etc...

A lot of folks get a subscription UWorld or another online question bank, helps with Step II and shelf exams.

And then on rotations, just be a team player. Attitude is probably one of the biggest things that can make or break you. Definitely don't need to be a kiss ass, but be on time, don't complain, know everything about the patients you're assigned to, offer to help if you currently have nothing to do, read about your patients during down time, be prepared for rounds, help your intern/resident by looking things up for him/her, if you find a good article or relevant piece of info about a patient you are working up then make copies and share it with the team, etc... mostly common sense stuff I hope.

Don't try to show up your fellow classmates, it shows. If on rounds your attending is pimping your classmate and they stumble with an answer don't jump in with your answer. Don't complain about hours to your intern when they're on track to have a 90hr week.... etc...

This post pretty much hits the nail on the head. Be responsible. That means being on time (there is little tolerance for tardiness), being prepared, and knowing what is happening for your patients. Let me put it this way. I just finished my surgery rotation. My resident was looking after 8 patients and there were 2 students assigned to him, so we each had 4 patients a piece. Who do you think got the better grade, the person who had seen the patients, checked the incision for any signs of infection, inquired about bowel movements, and written their notes by the time rounds start or the student who just wrote down the labs off the computer? It's much more about working hard than kissing ass.

 

[radiodoc99]

Many times med students spend third year trying to get a feel for the field they want to go into based on their experiences during the rotations. This year also prepares most students for the COMLEX and USMLE board exams. As a medical student you will constantly make decisions and each decision will shape your future. Key is to be on time, read and help.

 

[mTOR]

SDN kills me sometimes.


All jobs have some facet of them that sucks that responsible individuals can anticipate and decide accordingly. However, for me and many of my colleagues, third year was TRULY the year where we had to continuously ask ourselves "wait, I signed up for THIS???". It's NOT normal for people to volunteer assisting with crap they TRULY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE to help with, in situations they have NO INTEREST in being in. Some call it ass kissing, some call it being a "team player" -- depending on how much you tolerated the process or enjoyed the rotation (Hell, I was a "team player" on my medicine rotation, but had to straight toss salad on surgery! ). A central tenet of succeeding in third year operates on the expectation to pretend every rotation is a job you signed up to do. The FASTER you get it in your mind that you're an indentured servant to the superiors on your team (i.e., "team player"), the easier the transition will be. You get out what you put in. Hopefully, the clerkships at your school actively advocates for students and tries to minimize the amount scut (i.e., menial and educationally meaningless activities on patients that aren't yours); otherwise, you will not only have to find a way to maintain an affable demeanor while being scutted to death, but also somehow find a way to meet educational objectives and shelf studying with the remaining time -- assuming you're trying to Honor that rotation.