How to succeed in clinicals?

[kdog024]

I was wondering if someone would be willing to explain how does grading during the clinical years work. For context, I will be attending DMU, which I understand is majority preceptor-based. I will also be applying for residency when step 1 becomes p/f, which seems to indicate that clinical grades will become more important.

I would also appreciate any advice regarding how to succeed when the time comes for me to start my clinical. This post will hopefully be a good resource to look back to. Apologies if I sound neurotic but I want to make sure I understand the terrain so I don't fall into any potholes along the way lol.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Hippocrates II]

If your preceptors are anything like mine, just show up on time, be pleasant, ask questions and demonstrate interest. That is the minimum you should be doing anyway, and just doing that has gotten me top marks from pretty much every rotation I've had.

 

[Roxas]

I was wondering if someone would be willing to explain how does grading during the clinical years work. For context, I will be attending DMU, which I understand is majority preceptor-based. I will also be applying for residency when step 1 becomes p/f, which seems to indicate that clinical grades will become more important.

I would also appreciate any advice regarding how to succeed when the time comes for me to start my clinical. This post will hopefully be a good resource to look back to. Apologies if I sound neurotic but I want to make sure I understand the terrain so I don't fall into any potholes along the way lol.

DMU alum here, so PM me if you have anything specific you want to discuss. As of fairly recently a little over half the class does rotations at hospitals with residencies, so it's possible you won't be entirely preceptor-based. I'd worry more about crossing that bridge when you get to it, as you have a long 2 years before then. But for now try as hard as you can to get one of the residency-affiliated rotation sites.

My best advice for students is be available, eager to learn, be humble, and don't be a douche. You'd be amazed how brazenly that last one gets ignored.

 

[Natremia]

Step 1:

1- don’t call them “clinicals”, you aren’t a damn nurse

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

-Be on time. Always. You will be shocked at how often that rule is violated.
-If a resident or attending asks you to do something then do it. As mentioned above, you'll be shocked at how brazen some people are.
-Don't be overly chatty right away.
-If you get asked if you want to do something, and you don't know how, do NOT say no. Say, "Absolutely, can you walk me through it? I've never done it before." People who say no to doing stuff don't usually get asked again.

 

[EmilKraepelin55]

Step 1:

1- don’t call them “clinicals”, you aren’t a damn nurse

Step 2: realize that such advice, as demonstrated above, is pedantic and unhelpful.

 

[Natremia]

Step 2: realize that such advice, as demonstrated above, is pedantic and unhelpful.

It’s actually not. Nursing terminology and attitude has crept into medicine for far too long

 

[kdog024]

Step 1:

1- don’t call them “clinicals”, you aren’t a damn nurse

I didn’t realize this was an issue! What are these two years supposed to be called?

 

[Kardio]

I didn’t realize this was an issue! What are these two years supposed to be called?

Clerkship

 

[Roxas]

I didn’t realize this was an issue! What are these two years supposed to be called?

Lol it really isn't. Given that the first 2 years are referred to as "pre-clinical" it would stand to reason we would call them clinicals, but we don't. Rotations or clerkships is the common vernacular.

 

[Hippocrates II]

-Don't be overly chatty right away.

This is a seriously underrated piece of advice. I've seen a few people that are way over the top chatty and chumming it up like 2 hours into the first day, and it's awkward if it isn't reciprocated (and it never is - they don't know you). I had one classmate doing this and he was eventually sternly told by an attending to stop talking and observe in front of like 15 people.

 

[HoneyBadger3]

Learning to bite your tongue is a valuable skill that's hard to learn. Attendings and residents can be extremely moody. It's a disgusting part of rotations, but if you go in expecting to be a door mat, you'll feel better when you're not treated that way. Drop every ounce of your pride. It's not worth it even if you're 100% in the right.

Staff usually have no idea how rotations work regarding schedules, lectures, responsibilities. With that in mind... avoid getting out of something by quoting the instruction of a different attending or resident unless it's a non-negotiable conflict. People have huge egos that are easily bruised. Even if you try to explain, they'll feel like you're flexing on them by going around to someone who is in a superior position.

Expect a disproportionate amount of double standards. If you were to show up at 8am and you were 2 minutes late, your attending may chew your a** out. But that same attending can tell you to meet for lecture at 12pm, be 3 hours late, and act like their presence is god's gift to your medical "education"

 

[Dantes]

Expect a disproportionate amount of double standards. If you were to show up at 8am and you were 2 minutes late, your attending may chew your a** out. But that same attending can tell you to meet for lecture at 12pm, be 3 hours late, and act like their presence is god's gift to your medical "education"

I remember getting ready to round at 6am on a weekend during surgery. Except the attending didn't even show up until 2pm because she had a salon appointment. No one bothered to tell me this, including my resident.

I'm ready for third year to be over.

 

[Osteosaur]

-Be on time. Always. You will be shocked at how often that rule is violated.
-If a resident or attending asks you to do something then do it. As mentioned above, you'll be shocked at how brazen some people are.
-Don't be overly chatty right away.
-If you get asked if you want to do something, and you don't know how, do NOT say no. Say, "Absolutely, can you walk me through it? I've never done it before." People who say no to doing stuff don't usually get asked again.

Best advice in the thread. So much of it just comes down to being pleasant and easy to work with over getting pimp questions right.

It is funny as I always hear these stories about medical students being rude/late/annoying but I don't think I've ever witnessed it. Or rather I am surprised how socially unaware someone would need to be do act that way. Is it actually common in other people's experience?

 

[Osminog]

It is funny as I always hear these stories about medical students being rude/late/annoying but I don't think I've ever witnessed it. Or rather I am surprised how socially unaware someone would need to be do act that way. Is it actually common in other people's experience?

Considering how rare it is for students to fail clerkships, it probably isn't a common thing.

 

[HoneyBadger3]

I remember getting ready to round at 6am on a weekend during surgery. Except the attending didn't even show up until 2pm because she had a salon appointment. No one bothered to tell me this, including my resident.

I'm ready for third year to be over.

Chin up! You're almost done and there's definitely a different ring when you tell people you're a MS4. I feel like they acknowledge my minimal street cred, but on the inside I'm still the scared med student that doesn't know jack....

 

[ohmanwaddup]

Considering how rare it is for students to fail clerkships, it probably isn't a common thing.

yeah its kinda wild how hard it is to fail. Like my school requires a 3 percentile or better on the COMAT to pass a rotation. I could probably not study a damn thing and still have a decent chance of hitting that.