"more than asked" vs. "assigned"

[Back34]

---

Members do not see this ad.

We're evaluated on "work ethic" during our rotations. "Does more than what is assigned" is the highest grade achievable, while "does what assigned" is the average grade. This may be a stupid question, but what exactly is "doing more than what is assigned?" I'm on outpatient pediatrics and can't quite figure out how to go "above and beyond." Any suggestions?

 

[mpp]

Find a good review article on some clinical decision that was made that shows that either the right or wrong decision was made and mention it to the team...

Bring in some coffee and bagels in the morning...

Offer to give a short talk on some new/important/controversial topic...

 

[electra]

Think about "what is assigned."
Show up every day. (duh). On time would be nice. Dressed properly is good. With the correct equipment (you laugh, but I worked with another student who showed up on medicine without a stethoscope). Be polite to the patients and the nurses. Ect.

Think about "more than asked."
Consider...when it is 5pm and everybody on the service is tired...and there's three new admits coming in, volunteer to stay and take a history.
Take it upon yourself to make three patients on the ward "yours" and talk with them (or with the parents if it is a peds patient).
If you are allowed to write notes and you have written on these three patients, and then it's 2pm and the notes still aren't done, volunteer to go and write notes on two other patients.

Assigned is people knowing you showed up.
More than asked is people knowing you helped out.

Acting like you're interested (not phony "oh, I've always wanted to be a whatever) but "show why you chose to be a pediatrician/surgeon/pathologist" is appreciated.