What questions should I be asking?

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Girlneuro

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I did morning round shadowing today and noticed that the attending and a few of the residents kept saying if you have any questions feel free to ask. In a polite way responded with ok I will. It also seemed that the attending was getting frustrated after one of the patients commented with how quiet I was. I could not think of any questions to ask. So what questions should I be going in with tomorow to ask the attending?

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I would refrain from asking questions in front a patient. But maybe when you step out of the room, ask for clarification on any acronyms, abbreviations, diagnoses, treatment decisions, future plans--anything you don't know. I can almost certainly guarantee that you don't know everything going on during rounds.

Not asking questions throughout the whole day can be construed as being disrespectful, since you don't even care enough to be curious and engaged with people who are allowing you to shadow for your enjoyment.
 
I like it when my trainees ask about my reasoning -- how I reached a certain conclusion or decided on a given course of action. When done appropriately (i.e., in a way that's inquisitive and non-challenging), it conveys respect by showing they want to learn to think like I think. Questions like, "Could you please review local anesthetic pharmacology with me?" are also nice since they're an invitation to engage in a conversation rather than simply lecture.
 
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I always kept notes about patients I saw and would try to do a bit of research after I shadowed. As a pre-med there isn't a whole lot you'll be expected to know, but you'll start to see trends in critical thinking and patient management. The next time you're rounding, you can ask questions about the similarities or differences in the management of cases. "Dr. X, I noticed that some of the pts that have hypertension were on either HCTZ, Lasix or lisinopril. I looked up the MOAs and noticed they were different. What were the indications for the difference in prescribing?"
 
It sounds odd a patient asked why you were being so quiet... were you just staring at them?

I think actively listening, and appearing engaged, is more than enough for a pre-med and questions will undoubtedly arise.

A few patients when I was shadowing appeared to want to talk to me instead of the doctor in which case I found inquisitive looking and nodding satisfactory.
 
I would be floored if the attending were actually frustrated that you were quiet around patients. That's when pre-meds are most likely to put their feet right in their mouths ("oh wow I heard about lupus on House and I can't believe you actually have it!")

People love to talk about themselves, especially to a captive audience. Ask him/her things that are relevant to you. Try to get a feel for what he/she is like as a person, where they see themselves in 20 years, what they think the future of the profession will be. These are all things that you can't just find on an internet search and, unlike a lot of medical knowledge, they're actually relevant to your current station in life and easy to talk about.
 
It sounds odd a patient asked why you were being so quiet... were you just staring at them?

I think actively listening, and appearing engaged, is more than enough for a pre-med and questions will undoubtedly arise.

A few patients when I was shadowing appeared to want to talk to me instead of the doctor in which case I found inquisitive looking and nodding satisfactory.


The patient didnt ask why I was quiet, when the atending introduced the team and then came around to me the patient goes I remember her shes really quiet. But if I was to jimp in during the first rounds and speak anything other than hello I would have been asked to leave and not come back. We are told to not interact and bassically be invisible so thats what I was doing is all
 
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