How to organize during intern year

[Apply Pressure]

Hey all- I'm a 4th year med student still reeling off the excitement of the match. YEAH!

In any case, I want to be prepared and well organized for intern year. What are some strategies you can suggest to make sure that all my patient information is available, organized, and ready for the day? I've always had a problem with this as a med student-- from keeping notes on a new admission to following up the results of a test on a particular patient.. everything seems like it just ends up on loose paper hanging out of my white coat pocket.

Thanks.

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[Reddpoint]

Hey all- I'm a 4th year med student still reeling off the excitement of the match. YEAH!

In any case, I want to be prepared and well organized for intern year. What are some strategies you can suggest to make sure that all my patient information is available, organized, and ready for the day? I've always had a problem with this as a med student-- from keeping notes on a new admission to following up the results of a test on a particular patient.. everything seems like it just ends up on loose paper hanging out of my white coat pocket.

Thanks.

At the beginning having a binder to put copies of HPs and progress notes helps alot. As the year moves along you will just be able to keep alot of the details in your head. Finally you will have a scut list with check boxes so you know what to do all day.

 

[Caerus]

I am all about to-do lists. I always carry a small notepad in my pocket and write down anything I need to take care of. I got into this habit as an ER Tech, before I went to med school. I knew that when I wrote it on my notepad it would get done. Memory is faulty. Knowing that you have a list on a notepad to turn to is a huge load of your mind.

Another trick I use is to take a blank piece of paper and write down every one of my patients in a column at the left margin. Next to the names I write down the bare basics about each patient and the important issues. Then I fold the paper over 1/3 of the way so that the other side touches the names. (I have no idea if we are imagining the same thing right now . Anyway, I would use the space on the folded part next to the names to write down things I need to check on for each patient. I also write in any new information that comes in about the patient. It takes me about 5 minutes each morning to make a fresh list, but it really helps me out throughout the day.

(As a side note, I am about to start my residency in June, so we'll see how well these strategies pay off in residency.)

 

[liveinsea]

I am all about to-do lists. I always carry a small notepad in my pocket and write down anything I need to take care of. I got into this habit as an ER Tech, before I went to med school. I knew that when I wrote it on my notepad it would get done. Memory is faulty. Knowing that you have a list on a notepad to turn to is a huge load of your mind.

Another trick I use is to take a blank piece of paper and write down every one of my patients in a column at the left margin. Next to the names I write down the bare basics about each patient and the important issues. Then I fold the paper over 1/3 of the way so that the other side touches the names. (I have no idea if we are imagining the same thing right now . Anyway, I would use the space on the folded part next to the names to write down things I need to check on for each patient. I also write in any new information that comes in about the patient. It takes me about 5 minutes each morning to make a fresh list, but it really helps me out throughout the day.

(As a side note, I am about to start my residency in June, so we'll see how well these strategies pay off in residency.)

You can do this part pretty much on the sign-out sheet generated by a software. 1. Making check box every morning and get everything done through out the day. 2. run the patient list with your senior resident in the monring before rounds, right after rounds to get the priority list, and early in the afternoon to see anything you have difficulty to finish on time. your resident will always be your back up. 3. for every new admission, go through the internal medicine red book first.

 

[obiwan]

those are all good ideas....

 

[futuredoctor10]

At the beginning having a binder to put copies of HPs and progress notes helps alot. As the year moves along you will just be able to keep alot of the details in your head. Finally you will have a scut list with check boxes so you know what to do all day.

What do you mean by binder? (I ask because there is not much room to place a binder in a white coat)

 

[VentdependenT]

What do you mean by binder? (I ask because there is not much room to place a binder in a white coat)

Trapper Keeper bro. Im partial to the Transformers one myself.
although the A-Team and Knight Rider Keepers are a close 2nd and 3rd respectively. Bonus for built in calculator.

 

[survivordo]

Checkboxes. Even if you think "there's noway I will forget to do that" put a box down! It will help you keep track of what has been done.

Get a good pen! Pilot G2 0.5mm is pretty versatile for writing small and writing progress notes. Write down any pertinent info you think you will need to know about the patient. As the year progresses you will find you need to write down less.

There are scutsheets out there that can be helpful www.medfools.com/downloads/ but if your program keeps any kind of list I think they will be more hassle than its worth.

Survivor DO

 

[NewYorkDoctors]

the MedFools scutsheets seem to be pretty useful. As a student, I was never given enough responsibilities to use everything in them... but I figure those will be good? Two sided.. first sid ehas the full H&P and initial assessment...

second side has the daily labs, to do list, etc...


Sound good?

 

[coffeebeanjenn]

What do you mean by binder? (I ask because there is not much room to place a binder in a white coat)

I have a White Coat Clipboard that I like. It's metal and it folds to fit in your pocket. The outside has a bunch of info I never really used except the ruler, which is actually kind of useful to have handy. They're made out of metal, and if you cram it full of a ton of paper it can start to feel heavy. As a sub-I, I would have a couple blank copies of scut sheets from medfools in there, and I was ready to go. NB I haven't started intern year yet, so who knows if I'll keep using it.

 

[jerseytrash]

the MedFools scutsheets seem to be pretty useful. As a student, I was never given enough responsibilities to use everything in them... but I figure those will be good? Two sided.. first sid ehas the full H&P and initial assessment...

second side has the daily labs, to do list, etc...


Sound good?

I used them as an AI in my fourth year initially but my program usually had signouts pre-designed so it used to be more annoying to use than to just jot down info on the signout.