ICU month or not??

[jb2]

I am a fourth year who has to do a sub-I either in the MICU month or the general medicine ward. I will be doing a prelim medicine year next year before I start residency. I have heard some people say not to do the ICU month because it is a lot of work and you should be taking it easy during the fourth year and you'll learn it during intern year anyway. I have heard others say that you learn a lot and that it helps during intern year. Opinions highly appreciated.

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[Midwest Medic]

If you want to slack during your fourth year, then don't do it. If you want to work hard, but learn a ton, then do it. I did one and I learned a ton that helped me from the first day of my internship. You should get to do a ton of procedures (I placed about 20-30 lines, 10+ tubes, a few chest tubes.....) but you also have to work hard to get to do these things. I usually put in 12-16 hours a day for 6 days a week. It was a tough month, but my most rewarding too...

 

[gwen]

i didn't do an icu month as a 4th year and did just fine as an intern. we do 2 months of icu our first year. my theory is that you're going to do all this stuff as an intern, so just enjoy 4th year. granted, experience helps with lines, etc...but when will you ever get the experience of free time and little to no responsibility EVER again? if you are at least a semi-competent med student, you will do alright without an ICU month behind you. if you feel very weak, then maybe you should get that experience in the bag. but generally, my friends agree that working harder than you have to is just not worth it as a senior.