Watch Words: Advice for Third-Year Medical Students
Last week, I mentioned keeping a diary during your rotations. But what exactly should you be keeping track of in your Diary?
Three things to watch for now, ensuring that you'll have less clock-watching to do as deadlines approach.
Originally posted at Accepted.com
Last
week, I mentioned keeping a diary during your rotations. But what exactly
should you be keeping track of in your Diary? Here are three things you can
watch for that will get you in great shape for later:
- Watch your attendings. What did your attending do today that struck you? This
can be anything, from observing how they reacted to a patient's nonverbal
cues or defused an upset family member's anger to noting how they
communicated relevant information to other health professionals. Describe
the details so you can recall them later. If what you saw today differed
from what you've seen in other rotations, think about whether it's due to
the specialty or just this individual's style. And make critical judgments
– did anything you saw about this physician or today's tasks make you
think about the kind of doctor you want to be?
- Watch your patients. Observe how patients and their family members respond
– do they ever surprise you? Which cases really piqued your interest? You
may already be keeping a case log; if so, that will help supply the
medical side when you want to write about specific patients. But your
personal statement will be richer when seasoned with personal details that
aren't recorded in case logs.
- Watch yourself. Since what you write is private, use this space
courageously. What did you do well? What did you do not so well? What were
the things that interested you and what bored you silly? Not only can this
help you to critically evaluate your educational progress, but it can also
give you some insights into your future. What is pushing you towards
certain specialties and away from others? How are your actions today
helping you to envision the kind of doctor that you hope to be?
Three things to watch for now, ensuring that you'll have less clock-watching to do as deadlines approach.
Originally posted at Accepted.com