Question for current residents- to slack or not to slack?

[optimus_prime]

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For current residents and interns: How important is it to "finish strong" in your 4th year of med school in terms of preparing you for intern year and beyond? I frontloaded my 4th year schedule with a couple of ICU months, AI, etc and I made my second half of the year very light (rads, pharm class, heme, 2 off months).

I have one more "hard" rotation on cardiology consults and I am debating switching it to something with less of a time committment, but I feel guilty with how light my second half will be. So, what would you do? Continue to slack away? -or- try and learnd something during match month?

 

[CANES2006]

I'm not a resident or intern just a 4th year like you. I choose to slack because: a) I'm burned out and b) I'll never have a chance again in my life to slack off like I do right now. I'm sure when I'm knee dip into intern year next year and exhausted I would kick myself for not taking advantage of this time when I could have. They'll be plenty of time to learn in intern year because I will have no choice. 😀

 

[ExtraCrispy]

Modified slack. 🙂 I'm doing an ICU rotation now, but after this month I have a supremely light schedule. My reasoning is not only to rest up and enjoy the time before intern year, but also to READ - there are so many times during big rotations when I realize how much more I need to be reading, but I simply don't have time. If I've felt that now and as a 3rd year, it's going to be magnified ten fold during internship, so I'd like to get some basic review in before I start.

 

[CameronFrye]

My friends who are already in residencies all gave me the same advice: don't do jack during your 4th year. Anything you could learn during 4th year, you'll probably learn your first 2 weeks of residency anyway.

 

[sweetfynesse]

SLACK 😎

you know way more than you think you know. its like cramming for a standardized test--why? it doesnt matter! you've finished 4 yrs of med school, you're already prepared for internship. have fun, enjoy your life bc depending on what residency you're doing, this is the last real break you'll get...

fynesse
graduating em resident

 

[matakanan]

Slack, Slack, Slack away
gently down the stream
merrily, merrily, merrily
just to blow off some steam
(&while ur at it)smoke, smoke, smoke some weed
just to drown in a hazy dream

 

[NinerNiner999]

Slack as much as you can - your world will change in July 1. If you REALLY want to do something useful, find out when you can take setp 3 and study for it now - some places let you take it during your intern year. The sooner you get that behind you, the easier your life will become (not that its hard anyways...).

 

[Blade28]

I also front-loaded my fourth year, with the away rotations, sub-Is and SICU rotation in the first half...then rads, "research," cosmetic plastics, etc. in the second half. Trust me, you'll be burned out, plus exhausted from interviewing. Just relax.

 

[Hercules]

I front-loaded my 4th year last year and have absolutely no regrets. I finished my last hard rotation in October and finished rotations as a whole at the end of February. I had a blast with my friends many of whom were scattered in the match, and got in the best shape of my life. There's no way I'd trade that for an extra ICU rotation or something crazy like that. Enjoy your time off.

 

[monkey7247]

Slack Attack, Motherf*cker!!!

 

[mackie]

Just in case the previous replies didn't convince you . . .

SLACK, SLACK, and SLACK AGAIN! Don't work any harder than you have to during your last few month of 4th year. You will not regret it (I repeat: You will not regret it.), it is your last chance for real break with minimal responsibility . . . and no one will care what you do during those months anyway.

 

[daisygirl]

. . . and no one will care what you do during those months anyway.

Unless you are on a neurology service 😡 . I'm having an excruciatingly painful month.

Please, I beg all of those who can, slack off. I'm trying to live vicariously through all those who are fortunate 🙁

 

[glorytaker]

Does anyone else fear that slacking off these last few months will show rust come the beginning of internship? I keep on having this fear that a 3rd year will outshine me because they're more fresh into it than I am.

On a similar note, does anyone else feel like they aren't ready for internship and that they don't know a thing and they're going to get yelled at every minute of the day?

 

[zinjanthropus]

Slack, Slack, Slack away
gently down the stream
merrily, merrily, merrily
just to blow off some steam
(&while ur at it)smoke, smoke, smoke some weed
just to drown in a hazy dream

i'm all about slacking, but this is not appropriate

 

[JKP]

😴 😱
as if it's a choice?! i ran out of gas in october...

 

[matakanan]

i'm all about slacking, but this is not appropriate

and slackin during ur rotations is? what is appropriate...its too subjective a term... too judgemental...
Everybody mellow out on some weed ... (personally would'nt smoke it, rather eat it.. BHANG COOKIES..HOOYAH !! 😀 )

 

[fourthyearmed]

Does anyone else fear that slacking off these last few months will show rust come the beginning of internship? I keep on having this fear that a 3rd year will outshine me because they're more fresh into it than I am.

On a similar note, does anyone else feel like they aren't ready for internship and that they don't know a thing and they're going to get yelled at every minute of the day?

No matter how hard you work 4th year you will be outshined at some point by a 3rd year who just read all about some obscure disease they teach you about in med school but that you never actually see in real life. The great thing about intern year and med students is that when a question is asked, you can just sit back and not answer because the med students always get first crack at the attendings questions in rounds!

 

[glorytaker]

No matter how hard you work 4th year you will be outshined at some point by a 3rd year who just read all about some obscure disease they teach you about in med school but that you never actually see in real life. The great thing about intern year and med students is that when a question is asked, you can just sit back and not answer because the med students always get first crack at the attendings questions in rounds!

Hmm... the ICU doc I was with asked questions to everyone in gen in an open setting (as in it was fair game for the residents and the students and whoever knew should just answer). And come to think of it, usually one of the students will get it before a resident does.

 

[Loopo Henle]

Does anyone else fear that slacking off these last few months will show rust come the beginning of internship? I keep on having this fear that a 3rd year will outshine me because they're more fresh into it than I am.

On a similar note, does anyone else feel like they aren't ready for internship and that they don't know a thing and they're going to get yelled at every minute of the day?

I personally don't care if they look smarter than me. They probably are but I have already matched there. My gunner days will officially end March 16th!

 

[MM9]

I personally don't care if they look smarter than me. They probably are but I have already matched there. My gunner days will officially end March 16th!

In the beginning of my internship I was in the newborn nursery and one day the 3rd year students had to give their 5 minute "read everyone a section of Blueprints" presentations. It's the attending, 2 other residents, and 3 other students. Things are going fine, we're all just staring blankly into space wondering where everything went wrong in our lives, while they ramble and ramble. The last student starts his talk and just when it seems like we’ll soon be free, he starts to pimp our, and when I say our I mean the residents, a$$es off. It wasn't like he'd ask general open ended questions either, or even quickly answer his own question in the flow of the presentation, he'd look me straight in the eyes and say, "where does (random enzyme) enter into (random pathway)". He'd then wait for the answer....and wait, and wait. This went of for about 30 minutes. All of us, the attending included, couldn't believe what was happening. Apparently, he'd done the "Problem Based Learning" pathway (also known as the "learn how to ask 'good' questions and show everyone up during your rotations" pathway) and didn't see the big deal. I told him that he was lucky his first rotation was pediatrics; if he'd had surgery first he might have been killed.

 

[Loopo Henle]

In the beginning of my internship I was in the newborn nursery and one day the 3rd year students had to give their 5 minute "read everyone a section of Blueprints" presentations. It's the attending, 2 other residents, and 3 other students. Things are going fine, we're all just staring blankly into space wondering where everything went wrong in our lives, while they ramble and ramble. The last student starts his talk and just when it seems like we’ll soon be free, he starts to pimp our, and when I say our I mean the residents, a$$es off. It wasn't like he'd ask general open ended questions either, or even quickly answer his own question in the flow of the presentation, he'd look me straight in the eyes and say, "where does (random enzyme) enter into (random pathway)". He'd then wait for the answer....and wait, and wait. This went of for about 30 minutes. All of us, the attending included, couldn't believe what was happening. Apparently, he'd done the "Problem Based Learning" pathway (also known as the "learn how to ask 'good' questions and show everyone up during your rotations" pathway) and didn't see the big deal. I told him that he was lucky his first rotation was pediatrics; if he'd had surgery first he might have been killed.

Holy Cripes!!!! That is hilarious That med student had some serious cojones. I tell you what, it is amazing how far brains can go with a complete and utter lack of common sense.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

The only thing worth less than a third year on the first day of a rotation is a fourth year on the last day of a rotation.

Slack away, we're used to it!

 

[Koko]

While I'm done with most of my hard core blocks, I figured I'd try and do some reading before internship since I feel like my medical IQ is dropping with every minute that passes. That idea got an unexpected boost when a PD mentioned that their program would start giving an assessment test to incoming interns to individualize their education during the intern year! 😱

 

[glorytaker]

While I'm done with most of my hard core blocks, I figured I'd try and do some reading before internship since I feel like my medical IQ is dropping with every minute that passes. That idea got an unexpected boost when a PD mentioned that their program would start giving an assessment test to incoming interns to individualize their education during the intern year! 😱

OMG, I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels their medical knowledge is just going down the drain as the days go on. I totally fear I won't know a thing come first day of internship. In fact, I'm going through SOAP notes and I'm like, "I have no idea what to do with this patient!!!" Anyone else just blank out the last 4 months of med school like that?

 

[Blade28]

The first few months of internship will be tough no matter how much you cram. Not worth it, IMHO. Just relax, go on trips, hang out with friends. You'll never have as much free time (until retirement, anyway).

 

[Poety]

The only thing worth less than a third year on the first day of a rotation is a fourth year on the last day of a rotation.

Slack away, we're used to it!

😛

 

[JKP]

Poety's a MAN! 😱

 

[Poety]

Poety's a MAN! 😱

and all along you thought I was a female?

 

[penguins]

Did you give the baby growth enhancement drugs?
I miss the baby... bring back the baby!