Sub-I in July?

[bbpiano1]

I'm debating whether to do my Sub-I in July (when the interns are new). Is this a good thing because more teaching goes on when the interns are still green? Or is it a bad since the interns really don't know what they're doing so early in the year?

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[SouthernSurgeon]

I'm debating whether to do my Sub-I in July (when the interns are new). Is this a good thing because more teaching goes on when the interns are still green? Or is it a bad since the interns really don't know what they're doing so early in the year?

I think the downside is that while there may be a lot of teaching going on, not much of it is going to be directed at you (the student). The attendings and upper levels will be much more concerned with the new interns. You might pick up a bit by osmosis, but you aren't going to be the focus of much attention.

Additionally, if you are doing any procedure based fields, you might not get to do as much during your sub-I as you would otherwise, since the interns actually need to get their numbers up and get some experience.

But on the other hand, if you are in an away rotation dependent field like ortho, it is good to get your home institution sub-I out of the way early so that you know what you're doing when it comes time to do your aways.

I will be picking my sub-I based on the actual rotation more than the month - ideally I think I'd like to do it a month or two later, but if it meant getting the rotation I want I'd certainly do it in July.

 

[smq123]

I'm debating whether to do my Sub-I in July (when the interns are new). Is this a good thing because more teaching goes on when the interns are still green? Or is it a bad since the interns really don't know what they're doing so early in the year?

It's usually bad, because the interns don't know what they're doing that early in the year.

It's even harder when the intern went to a totally different place for med school. Ironically, in that case, YOU may be doing the teaching - since, unlike the intern, you'll actually know where the supply closet is, how to log into the EMR, etc. Plus, the interns won't know what you need to be taught - in my July sub-I, the intern offered to teach me how to write prescriptions. Which is a nice offer and all, but I've been writing prescriptions since the beginning of MS3.

What sub-I were you thinking of doing?

But on the other hand, if you are in an away rotation dependent field like ortho, it is good to get your home institution sub-I out of the way early so that you know what you're doing when it comes time to do your aways.

It's a tough decision to make, though.

When you're dealing with a very bad, clueless intern, you can make the intern look VERY bad - because you, being more acclimated to the hospital, can sometimes run circles around the intern. That can create some bad feelings between you and that intern, making it uncomfortable for you come interview day.

If you're lucky, and have a halfway decent intern, you can make the intern look like a superstar, which helps.

It's kind of dependent on luck, unfortunately.

 

[bbpiano1]

Planning on doing a medicine sub-i and I see your point about me having to teach the intern. Hopefully, I can get spot in the early fall once the interns have been broken in but before interview season.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Planning on doing a medicine sub-i and I see your point about me having to teach the intern. Hopefully, I can get spot in the early fall once the interns have been broken in but before interview season.

That's usually the way it works. People at my school going into a say ortho use July for a 'soft' class like 'Review of Anatomy' or surgery simlab. This allows them to take Step II and preps them (or gives them time to prep themselves) to shine for upcoming aways/sub-Is in August and beyond.

 

[NPR]

Whatever you do, don't save it for March.

My working hours are 7-7. Q4 long call although thankfully, that only goes until 8PM (1 hour longer than usual anyway)

And count on weekend call too.

Horrific in March.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

My working hours are 7-7. Q4 long call although thankfully, that only goes until 8PM

That may be rough for March of fourth year...but I would kill for that on march of third year. I'm running about 4:30-8 on my current service, plus full overnight call

 

[NPR]

That may be rough for March of fourth year...but I would kill for that on march of third year. I'm running about 4:30-8 on my current service, plus full overnight call

Ugh. I'll stop my belly aching then. I'm planning taking plenty of days off to equilibrate this injustice.

We're talking pre-Match absence, Match absence, post-Match absence, and residual post-weekend-post-Match absence.

Out of curiousity, are you on a surgical rotation? I'm on medicine and I find 7-7 to be absolutely insane. (Especially since I literally take a nap from 1-5PM)

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Ugh. I'll stop my belly aching then. I'm planning taking plenty of days off to equilibrate this injustice.

We're talking pre-Match absence, Match absence, post-Match absence, and residual post-weekend-post-Match absence.

Out of curiousity, are you on a surgical rotation? I'm on medicine and I find 7-7 to be absolutely insane. (Especially since I literally take a nap from 1-5PM)

Yeah - with an exceptionally busy service and an attending that almost always rounds at the end of the day regardless of when the last case gets out.

 

[NPR]

Yeah - with an exceptionally busy service and an attending that almost always rounds at the end of the day regardless of when the last case gets out.

That's exactly what I'm suffering through!

We don't do morning rounds so I'm not sure why we are there by 7AM.

We get all our work done so we're left to twiddle our thumbs all afternoon.

And then the attending wonders why the entire team from senior resident to case management (who rounds with us) is grumpy and doesn't want to hear any more teaching at 7PM.