Thread title sums it up. I'm currently working to review old material but when I shadow sometimes, I get asked a question from an attending and they let me off easy because they know I only just finished MS1. But I still feel embarassed. I am much more familiar with a lot of the terminology and etc but I still feel I can't make a diagnosis and etc.
Just wanted to see how other rising MS2's felt and if older medical students could chime in. Is this normal? Am I slacking? Regardless of what people say, I am definitely going to work my hardest to review my old material as I want to know as much medicine as possible but I'm curious on how other people are feeling with regards to their competency after completing MS1.
so, to sum i up:
1. doesnt matter how far you are in training (M3? M4? intern?) you still wont feel like you know everything, and even - you'll probably feel like you know NOTHING half of the time (i have a "i am dumb as a board" feeling most of the time.hhahah). And its ok.
2. whoever asks you a question KNOWS you probably feel this way. Ill tell you a secret (this is what a few attendings told me, so maybe not true for all attendings and residents) - most of the time they are not asking you to get the right answer out of you, even though sometimes that might be the case. They are asking you a question to focus you on a certain aspect or to communicate that aspect to you. think of this as a beam of light that points "LOOK HERE, KNOW THIS".
and probably most importantly (Read this slowly and SEVERAL TIMES)
3. a good doctor is not a doctor who knows everything. It is a doctor who knows what their weaknesses are, is honest about them, and knows where to looks for information they need.
as far as making diagnosis - as a raising M2 you are not supposed to be good at making diagnosis yet. Thats the level of second part of M2, when you are done with all the systems. During M2 they will teach you how to make differential diagnosis, how to prioritize them, etc. M3 is for learning how to weed out commo stuff vs "zebras" and how all that knowledge translates into reality. M4 - no idea, will tell you next year
🙂
SOOOO: trust the process. Take it one step at a time. be proud of what you do know, and of what you do not know. tell them - i do not know, but if i was to guess... blah blah blah. And thats fine!!! and write down what you dont know to research it later.
