What does everyone carry in their coats for rotations. I just picked up the little Maxwells pocket guide and Mass General medicine handbook.
What to carry in your coat
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Depended on the rotation...
Always had:
-Stethoscope (except on psych)
-Maxwells
-Couple of pens
-Penlight
-A mini spiral bound notebook to jot down whatever residents/attendings tell me to read up on/present/etc. Also good for patient stickers if you have to log patients.
-pocket-packs of advil/pseudophed/any other meds I commonly use
-A cliff bar (never a bad idea to have food on you. Meals can be unpredictable, esp when on the wards)
I'd usually have a book in my pocket. Casefiles or something. Pocket Medicine was very helpful on IM.
Things I carried but rarely used so probably could have dispensed with:
-Reflex hammer (most docs just whacked the tendons with their fingers or stethoscopes)
-calipers (unless on cardio)
Really, though. It's best to travel light if you can. Don't carry anything unless you KNOW you will use it. A heavy coat will leave you with a sore neck/shoulders by the end of the day. Especially if you start putting books in the pockets.
Always had:
-Stethoscope (except on psych)
-Maxwells
-Couple of pens
-Penlight
-A mini spiral bound notebook to jot down whatever residents/attendings tell me to read up on/present/etc. Also good for patient stickers if you have to log patients.
-pocket-packs of advil/pseudophed/any other meds I commonly use
-A cliff bar (never a bad idea to have food on you. Meals can be unpredictable, esp when on the wards)
I'd usually have a book in my pocket. Casefiles or something. Pocket Medicine was very helpful on IM.
Things I carried but rarely used so probably could have dispensed with:
-Reflex hammer (most docs just whacked the tendons with their fingers or stethoscopes)
-calipers (unless on cardio)
Really, though. It's best to travel light if you can. Don't carry anything unless you KNOW you will use it. A heavy coat will leave you with a sore neck/shoulders by the end of the day. Especially if you start putting books in the pockets.
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Books:
Maxwell's, Tarascon's Pharmacopoeia, Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, Mass General Guide (only on FM/Medicine)
Equipment:
Multiple pens, pen light, stethoscope, roll of 2 inch silk tape, a few alcohol wipes, Reflex hammer (neuro only), tuning fork (neuro only)
Other:
Some kind of energy bar, something to read (print a review article for a core topic in your current rotation and get a new one when you finish it)
That's pretty much the perfect white coat. The stuff you need, none of the stuff you don't.
Maxwell's, Tarascon's Pharmacopoeia, Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, Mass General Guide (only on FM/Medicine)
Equipment:
Multiple pens, pen light, stethoscope, roll of 2 inch silk tape, a few alcohol wipes, Reflex hammer (neuro only), tuning fork (neuro only)
Other:
Some kind of energy bar, something to read (print a review article for a core topic in your current rotation and get a new one when you finish it)
That's pretty much the perfect white coat. The stuff you need, none of the stuff you don't.
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Similar thread exists:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=230493
It has a lot of useful posts.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=230493
It has a lot of useful posts.
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Most hospitals have a EMR these days, but if yours does not carrying a few extra blank order sheets can always help out the team.
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A black pen, A colored pen, A penlight
Steth
"White Coat Clipboard" with pt list for the team (which I write my to-do list all over), something I printed to read and my own personal patient tracking sheets for "my" patients
Iphone with references, calendar/reminders etc
Lip gloss, A little tin with some advil etc in it, gum/mints, a snack
Instead of a book I usually reserve one of the bigger pockets for a travel mug with something caffeinated in it or a bottle of water.
On surg I pretty much ditched all of the above (including the white coat) except: pen, penlight, list, iphone, snack/gum
Steth
"White Coat Clipboard" with pt list for the team (which I write my to-do list all over), something I printed to read and my own personal patient tracking sheets for "my" patients
Iphone with references, calendar/reminders etc
Lip gloss, A little tin with some advil etc in it, gum/mints, a snack
Instead of a book I usually reserve one of the bigger pockets for a travel mug with something caffeinated in it or a bottle of water.
On surg I pretty much ditched all of the above (including the white coat) except: pen, penlight, list, iphone, snack/gum
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those little portable tampons are also never a bad call 🙂
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Lighter is better for the most part, but it's also an opportunity to come off great on rounds when you have a key item in your pocket. Example, for a urology rotation, student should always have a couple 10cc syringes and a foley leg strap in his pocket. I would definitely add a pharmacoepia or epocrates to that list as absolutely essential.
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