team politics

[tcar18]

so just starting 3rd year and I am trying to feel out my place on the team. I'll paint the situation.

Enter patient room with intern, discussing the condition. On occasion I find something or remember to check for something that the intern doesn't or maybe I read something pertinent and whisper to my intern. My approach is, if I keep my intern looking good and knowing everything when grilled by the senior or attending then things will work out well in the end.

Well, so far its working, she is always on her game. But the down side is, I never seem to get any of the credit and I don' t think the attending knows my name. I would be fine with this accept... who's writing my eval? Because will i have done all of this for nothing and then get a crappy eval?

Meanwhile the dick that rotates with me loves to show up his intern and/or shout out the answer when his intern is getting grilled. Obviously not cool, but if he comes out ahead of me in the end I'll have to push him down the stairs and that won't work out for anyone.

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[Bitsy3221]

I would keep doing what you are doing and don't worry.

When you (the students) are not around, we (the interns and residents) talk about you. We intensely dislike it when you show us up to each other, regardless of how good or how smart you are. We have all been interns, and when a med stud helps us out, we will let the senior residents know. I am at a fairly large program, and even we know who the "good" med students are, even when they never rotated on our service.

 

[maxheadroom]

Keep doing what you're doing and keep your mouth shut.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Ditto.

The residents and attendings are not fooled by students like the one on your team. I remember when I was in your position, albeit as a 4th year, paired with a gunslinger on Plastics who would try and one up me every chance he got. I was pleasant, feigned confusion when he would scrub on my cases, never complained and got my work done. When it came time, I got a great evaluation coupled with several comments, along the way, and in person, about the other student and how sorry they were about what a tool he was. When I returned to interview, they even mentioned it again and how it did not go unnoticed...granted they were a little indiscrete about it, but they hated the guy, even though he was one of their own and I was just the little visiting audition elective gal.

Moral of the story: do what you're doing, it will be appreciated and noticed. And no one will blame you if you push that guy down the stairs. We might even buy you a piece of cake.

 

[tcar18]

thanks for the advice.
I'll stay the course.... and will probably push him down the stairs anyway (I think we are pretty much stuck together for the year).

 

[ESU_MD]

I agree- keep your mouth shut and always do the right thing which is respect the hiearchy and make your seniors look good.


The way evaluations work- the attending/clerkship director etc calls your intern and asks- hey do you remember so and so med student? what grade should I give him/her?

all that nonsense about core competency grading is fake in real life.

you are doing the right thing.

unfortunatley, gunners are just a part of the environment and you eventually get used to ignoring them, and laughing at how pathetic they are

 

[twood]

so just starting 3rd year and I am trying to feel out my place on the team. I'll paint the situation.

Enter patient room with intern, discussing the condition. On occasion I find something or remember to check for something that the intern doesn't or maybe I read something pertinent and whisper to my intern. My approach is, if I keep my intern looking good and knowing everything when grilled by the senior or attending then things will work out well in the end.

Well, so far its working, she is always on her game. But the down side is, I never seem to get any of the credit and I don' t think the attending knows my name. I would be fine with this accept... who's writing my eval? Because will i have done all of this for nothing and then get a crappy eval?

Meanwhile the dick that rotates with me loves to show up his intern and/or shout out the answer when his intern is getting grilled. Obviously not cool, but if he comes out ahead of me in the end I'll have to push him down the stairs and that won't work out for anyone.

Keep up the good work -- you unfortunately might have a sr resident/attending this year that WANTS that type of competition between the students and junior residents. Regardless, you'll be much more productive by making friends with residents, nurses, and fellow students than by making enemies.
Don't be weak or a pushover, though...it's worth standing up for yourself if he tries to make YOU look bad directly.