Preparing for clinicals

[Healer777]

Hey,

I just finished step I on Thursday, and I have at least a month before I can start my clinical rotations (Caribbean schools and their scheduling, gotta love it lol).

Does anyone have any advice on what I should be doing with this time? I want to be as prepared for clinicals as possible so that I can take good care of patients and make a good impression.

My mom is a veterinarian and I asked her if she could teach me how to suture. She said that she could, but she is concerned that they might teach me a different method during my surgery rotation and I will actually be behind rather than ahead. I think I will try to learn anyway.

I've thought about getting first aid for step II and reading through it.

Does anyone have any other ideas or advice? Anything you wish you had done before being thrown into the hospitals and clinics?

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[TypeADissection]

There's a company that gives away free suture boards to practice hand ties to medical students. I can't remember which one for the life of me at the moment though. Knowing I wanted to do surgery, I got in early before the backlog happened. There's tons of videos on YouTube on the basics of two-hand and one-hand ties along with various instruments ties (horizontal/vertical mattress). That's a good place to start. In regards to step 2 I used step up to medicine and first aid for step one. Did a bajillion practice questions. That's basically it. Cheers.

 

[Low Flow]

Hey,

I just finished step I on Thursday, and I have at least a month before I can start my clinical rotations (Caribbean schools and their scheduling, gotta love it lol).

Does anyone have any advice on what I should be doing with this time? I want to be as prepared for clinicals as possible so that I can take good care of patients and make a good impression.

My mom is a veterinarian and I asked her if she could teach me how to suture. She said that she could, but she is concerned that they might teach me a different method during my surgery rotation and I will actually be behind rather than ahead. I think I will try to learn anyway.

I've thought about getting first aid for step II and reading through it.

Does anyone have any other ideas or advice? Anything you wish you had done before being thrown into the hospitals and clinics?

I wouldn't worry about practicing your suturing technique until right before your surgery rotation. Look online for tutorials and start out with instrument tie, then work your way to two-handed and one-handed ties. After you have the tying part down, look for tutorials on different techniques, starting with simple interrupted, mattress, and particularly subcuticular (most commonly used on my surg rotation [closing port holes, c-section incisions, etc.]).

As for studying, it probably won't be beneficial to buy FA for step 2 (as mentioned, it's not nearly as useful as it was for step 1). I wouldn't even bother buying it. You won't know where your knowledge gaps are until you get to the clinics and realize how the goal posts have moved in terms of what you're expected to know. The only thing I could see being helpful is watching some of the OnlineMedEd videos corresponding to whatever rotation you have first. Don't go around shotgunning these videos... You want to really absorb them and apply them actively to whatever rotation you're on at the time, then rapid review them at the end of the year when studying for step 2. Other than that, enjoy your time off and do something interesting.