How to shine/excel/get LOR in Neurology Observership ?

[cyneuron]

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Hi there,

So I need some really serious help here.

By extreme luck (and little bit of hard work), I landed myself an opportunity of Observership in General Neurology (on Floor) at a University teaching hospital.

Now I want to make best use of this Observeship and targeting to get at least 2 LOR in about 6 weeks.

So, here is my situation -

1. Attending changes after 2 weeks. So I just have 2 weeks to impress each attending (I am going even on Sat and Sun).

2. Since I am Observer, I can't work up cases. So till now, I have been able to listen to pre-rounds case discussions of team (Attending, Chief resident, PGY3 & 2 residents, medical students) and then attend the round with team (everything totals to about 5-6 hours). I try to pitch in whenever possible, like asking some question I felt was left out of discussion or answering 1-2 questions I get (med students get most) and sometime adding to case discussion.
But I am also taking care not to cross line and interrupt in clinical work of residents and medical students rotations by speaking too much.

(I don't attend resident's case workups and staffing (after rounds). Reason being that I am also studying for Step 3 and also, I think it won't benefit me anyway directly towards my primary goal of getting a LOR.)

After few days I am feeling that I am really not coming to notice of Attending after doing all above.

Could you guys (specially Attendings, Chief and senior residents or people who did Observership previously) please guide me as to how may I generate additional opportunities and optimize above described situation so that I may be able to impress each Attending in 2 weeks duration, and thus later be able to ask for a (good) LOR ?

Thanks a million in advance.

 

[95439]

Hi there,

So I need some really serious help here.

By extreme luck (and little bit of hard work), I landed myself an opportunity of Observership in General Neurology (on Floor) at a University teaching hospital.

Now I want to make best use of this Observeship and targeting to get at least 2 LOR in about 6 weeks.

So, here is my situation -

1. Attending changes after 2 weeks. So I just have 2 weeks to impress each attending (I am going even on Sat and Sun).

2. Since I am Observer, I can't work up cases. So till now, I have been able to listen to pre-rounds case discussions of team (Attending, Chief resident, PGY3 & 2 residents, medical students) and then attend the round with team (everything totals to about 5-6 hours). I try to pitch in whenever possible, like asking some question I felt was left out of discussion or answering 1-2 questions I get (med students get most) and sometime adding to case discussion.
But I am also taking care not to cross line and interrupt in clinical work of residents and medical students rotations by speaking too much.

(I don't attend resident's case workups and staffing (after rounds). Reason being that I am also studying for Step 3 and also, I think it won't benefit me anyway directly towards my primary goal of getting a LOR.)

After few days I am feeling that I am really not coming to notice of Attending after doing all above.

Could you guys (specially Attendings, Chief and senior residents or people who did Observership previously) please guide me as to how may I generate additional opportunities and optimize above described situation so that I may be able to impress each Attending in 2 weeks duration, and thus later be able to ask for a (good) LOR ?

Thanks a million in advance.

I've got a few students with me now - *look interested*, ask questions when relevant, show your knowledge when you have the appropriate opportunity, and definitely express your interest to the attending at the first opportunity! Don't be coy, tell them you love Neuro, want to go into it, and that you're interested in their hospital. If you can look up the attending online, and they have any papers - read them or at least know the major findings, and talk with them about it at an opportune time. No way to tell you when the 'right time' is to do these things, you'll have to use your common sense for that.

 

[Mattchiavelli]

See if you can find a good journal article relevant to a patient the team is following and share it with the group to review on their own time. I know sometimes people advise giving a brief talk, but depending on the team dynamic that might be more of a negative if people don't want to take the time for a mini lecture. This way you look like you are engaged and thinking about things outside of being in the hospital while not demanding people's time.

 

[cyneuron]

See if you can find a good journal article relevant to a patient the team is following and share it with the group to review on their own time.

Thanks. Hadn't thought that one.

I know sometimes people advise giving a brief talk, but depending on the team dynamic that might be more of a negative if people don't want to take the time for a mini lecture.

Same thing here. Chief resident asked me to present topics briefly. But it just doesn't happen next day. Time flies by in all the round activities and I am never able to figure out as to when to ask for my presentation.

 

[cyneuron]

Thanks bblue.