Starting residency, advice anyone?

[hurricanemd]

I'll be starting my residency in a week and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for us incoming interns. I'm really looking forward to getting training underway and meeting my fellow residents. I have been enjoying the last few months since rotations ended and now I feel like I should be doing something productive to prepare.

Any helpful hints for us newbies? Thanks in advance!

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[WallowaWanderer]

Nothing beats the first day . . . just got home from mine. MICU, my senior resident post call. Just me and 7 sick patients. Hope yours is better.

 

[southerndoc]

Respect the nurses. Nothing will make residency harder than pissing off a bunch of nurses. Trust me, I've seen it happen to a few residents before. Having nurses that like you will do wonders for making the department flow smoothly, for your patients to be well cared for, and for your evaluations if your program uses 360 degree evaluations.

I have learned many invaluable things from the nurses in my residency.

 

[NSAIDAllergy]

Leave any inclination of "I'm the doctor; just do what I ordered." at the door. We're a team.

 

[GeneralVeers]

Make sure you find out where the doctor's lounge is located, as well as any other hidden caches of free food, coffee or TV.

 

[Jeff698]

1. The pain will get better. Intern year doesn't last forever.
2. Nurses are your friends or worst enemies. You're choice.
3. You've learned a ton of information. Not much of it is helpful, yet.
4. You aren't expected to know anything.
5. You'll never learn everything.
6. You can learn something from anyone. Try.
7. All of those painful off-service months really do have some yield.
8. Have fun. Try at least.

Good luck!

Take care,
Jeff

 

[kungfufishing]

Be as transparent as you can about what you really know and dont know. Try to avoid making the same mistake twice.

 

[dlung]

Simplify your life--Use automatic bill pay for your bills, peapod or safeway.com for groceries, and the beer of the month club.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Don't get too down on yourself if you make a mistake. you learn more from your mistakes anyway. but, admit to your mistake. and don't make the same one twice.

enjoy the ride. get fired up and excited. you've been working towards this moment for way too long. now its here. soak it up.

don't freak out when you're overwhelmed. just expect it to happen, and keep pushing forward. it gets better as you get better. once you get comfortable with something, keep pushing your boundaries so you continue to improve.

this is just about the coolest job there is. you're going to see some incredible stuff. some hilarious stuff. some incredibly sad and disturbing things. you're doing something that is way too hard for most people to do. take pride in it.

and i echo those who said find the free food. i pretty much chose my program because they had a pop machine in the resident lounge with free cans of pop

eat when you can. sleep when you can. leave when you can.

good luck to all the newbies.

 

[WallowaWanderer]

Get comfortable shoes.

 

[nymbarra]

Great advice, guys!

There is a sticky on this in the general residency forum, too:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=384805

 

[Mighty Mouse]

bump

this is a great thread...thought the peeps out there would have more to say. thought we'd give it another go

 

[Greenbbs]

definitely agree on finding the hidden stashes of food. at my joint, we have a nighttime (1130p-2a) meal service in the caf, but on sat and sun, things are severely limited.

we get our bottles of pop from our EMS room, where there's always a fully stocked fridge for the docs and EMS...but if you check some of the areas you might not think about for food (at our place, the surgery lounge always has rice krispy treats, cookies, chips, etc, but I learned that the Orthopedics and Peds floors have ice cream in the freezer).

 

[DeLaughterDO]

run away while you still can

just kidding.

Just realize you don't know everything. Ask for help early and often. Try not to make any stupid mistakes.

You aren't expected to know anything. You aren't expected to move the meat, don't even try.

Read a little every day.

 

[gutonc]

Starting residency, advice anyone?

Law school.

 

[MasterintuBater]

1. Don't step on Superman's Cape
2. Don't piss into the wind
3. Don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger
4. Don't mess around with .....your nurses. Professionally, or personally.


Also........lose the 'tude and be a sponge.