Whenever you start an internship you should introduce yourself to everyone, who’s working there. But some people will be absent, busy, or just not interested you. So you have to identify the most important ones. There are three people you absolutely must introduce yourself to.
To me it feels like the medical knowledge I need to treat my patients doubles every month. Keeping all of the important information in your head is impossible.
You need resources and tools that help you to stay on top of all the information. Here I introduce my favorite tool: Uptodate. And I mention three reasons why you should test it right away.
One of the first things I do at every internship, rotation or whatever is optimize my workflow. To do great work you need a good workspace and a workflow that assists you in delivering high quality work.
All day long I hear doctors complaining about the circumstances they have to work under because the computer doesn’t work and it is all so complicated.
But whining doesn’t help and actually it’s not that difficult to tune up your workflow, just start with these three tips.
I am not about to whine about how busy we are and how much work there is to do. Being busy at work is a given, I get it. Residency programs are tough. But what we really have to talk about is this: What is a doctor’s job and what not?
Whether you feel good about yourself as a doctor will not be related to the amount of money you make or to whether you are good at heart valve operation, colonoscopies or even kidney biopsies.
Starting a rotation at your dream institution and you really want a job there? A residency position? A fellowship spot? There is one way to that: Hustle. Work like you have never worked before. Work your butt off. Here is how:
Medical education is expensive. Many graduates don’t only receive a diploma after finishing their studies but also a student loan bill of $ 200.000!
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
― Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
During the first years of my career I tried to save every second. One main strategy was to prepare a quick answer while the patient was still talking. As soon as I thought I knew what the patient was trying to tell me, I’d interrupt him and either tell him what to do with his problem, or prescribe something and leave.
But listening to a patient is more than solving his problem. It gives him respect and the feeling that he matters.
If we can believe the movies and the TV shows the great doctors are always right.
Have you finished your goal-setting for the new year? If not, this time of the year is the perfect to set new goals, that’ll bring you ahead. Just as in any other part of your life, you should set goals for your medical career. Here is how I set goals for the new year.
