Specifics on Doing Well in Clerkships

[tbo]

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Alright, so we always hear MS3 is important to show what you can do clinically and it provides context to your MS1/MS2/Board exams. When everyone says 'do well in your clerkships', do they mean you must get Honors? Or is it more specific to your clinical eval (text) and/or clinical eval score (if your school provides it). My overall grade (H/HP/P) has been hampered simply by the shelf exams. Do residency directors look that far into the clerkship evaluation?

 

[michigangirl]

Do well means, yes, honor your clerkships-- ideally. So if you get high pass in all your rotations, that is just average-- the saving grace there is if your letters of recommendations from working with specific faculty are fantastic. So if you high pass peds, you must have a very strong letter from a peds person. I had the same issue. I actually high passed pediatrics, because I sucked it up on the shelf exam. But I had three incredible letters from my med school's programs peds residency director and a PICU attending. Then I did an away rotation at my dream institution. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have necessarily matched at my dream program with the high pass, even with the great letters, without that "extra" connection.

Now, in terms of matching at "average" stat programs, high pass is fine-- please don't take from this that a high pass or even a pass means that you won't match in peds. But for the most competitive programs, these clerkship scores do make a difference, unless you have something extra to bring to the table.

 

[babel]

Agree with michigangirl. I was told by my dean that for the most competitive peds programs you should ideally have at least 2 H's from the basic clerkships. But all HP's won't necessarily rule you out anywhere, if backed up by some really strong letters.

 

[Bitsy]

*Smile and don't complain (save that for outside the hospital with your friends)
*Look interested and ask questions! The emphasis is that they are thoughtful questions. Do not constantly barrage your intern with questions to things that you can easily look up on your own.
*Be helpful! If you're playing games on your phone and your intern is running around, see if there is anything you can do to help. I try really hard to make sure the medical students are learning and not to "scut them out," but every once in a while, I greatly appreciate them running something to the chart if I am swamped.
*If you are not sure about something, ask before telling patient about xyz. I will never yell at medical students for double checking something they have a question about. There is nothing worse than medical students who cause their intern lots of extra work by telling patients wrong information. I had a medical student tell my patient's parents that they could go home that day (without any indication from myself or the attending that that was the plan) when in all actuality, they were going to be there are least a few more days on IV antibiotics. Needless to say they weren't happy when I had to go back and tell the parents that the medical student was misinformed. Parents can get really fixated on the discharge date. I was subsequently not happy either I had to spend an extra 30 minutes cleaning up said mess
*Enjoy your rotation!

 

[tbo]

... unless you have something extra to bring to the table.

Out of curiosity, what does 'something extra to the table' include?

 

[michigangirl]

Out of curiosity, what does 'something extra to the table' include?

it means if you don't do well in your clerkship, you have something to make up for it, i.e. an away rotation at a specific institution that you ROCK and get amazing letters from internal folks, or great research with first author articles, etc.

 

[BigRedBeta]

*If you are not sure about something, ask before telling patient about xyz. !

This is a HUGE, HUGE point - and not just on Peds.

I've seen students, now at 2 different institutions, where this has severely affected their opportunity to match into their chosen specialty at their home institution. It definitely would be some thing that would result in an extreme reprimand from me, and I probably wouldn't be very nice about it.

 

[Bitsy]

One more thing that I have seen medical students trip up on. Be a team player! This is very important when selecting residents. As a medical student (and throughout your career even as you go up the totem pole), do NOT interrupt a resident explaining something to a patient or interrupt a resident presenting during rounds. If you feel the resident is wrong about something, ask them nicely after rounds or at another time...Why did you do abc? Unless it is an issue of patient safety, do NOT try to "show up" the resident. I think many medical students are eager to show off their knowledge and can forget basic good manners. Generally, residents love to let medical students have first stab at questions or show their stuff, but don't take this to the extreme thinking it will make you look good. Don't try to show your stuff by arguing or questioning a resident (except in the case of patient safety), because you will only end up looking like a jerk. Also, don't try to show up other medical students or turn the rotation into a competition amongst your classmates. We (residents) notice and it doesn't promote team work whatsoever. Just work hard and be yourself and your knowledge will show through without having to go down to that level.