Let’s talk Residency Interviews!

So you’ve submitted your application already! And now, you have an interview coming up, and you have NO IDEA how to prepare for it. What do you do? Well, there are a few things you CAN DO…, and then there are things you SHOULD DO.  YOU CAN: Give off the impression of the perfect candidate – well-rehearsed and composed. YOU SHOULD: Be true to who you are, with the added piece of self-control, tact, and a hint of preparation. Practice commonly asked questions, but not in a way that will lead you to answer robotically. Be natural. HOW DO YOU DO THAT? By being honest! If you genuinely believe in what you are saying, regardless of the way you are saying it, it will come out naturally. When I say practice the questions, it doesn’t mean MEMORIZE an answer. It means to write down what you would like to say to ORGANIZE your thoughts into a cohesive message AND THEN… say it in different ways out loud. I do NOT recommend that you sound like a robot and well-rehearsed. WHY NOT? It won’t show off your personality. You’ve been offered an interview.. It means they like you on paper. But the interview is for you to show them who you are as a person, that you will integrate into their community, mesh well with the current residents and share in their values and future aspirations.   YOU CAN: Be very assertive by asking a lot of questions and taking out a list of 50 to show how well prepared and interested you are. YOU SHOULD: Have about ten questions that you genuinely NEED to know the answer to, to help you decide ranking when it comes to that time. I call these: The 10 Y’s The ten reasons why you should choose them as your top choice. It can be just 5.the number is up to you. But make sure they are things that will TRULY help you decide how to rank a program. These MUST BE make or break questions for you, so that if their answer is unsatisfying… you will likely not rank them very high on your list. What should they NOT be? Don’t ask questions that are already answered on their website. BUT… use what they write on their website to ask to follow up or more detailed questions. Questions that are important SPECIFICALLY TO YOU.  YOU CAN: Ask the same question in multiple different ways to the same person so that you have more to ask. YOU SHOULD: Ask the same questions in the same way or different ways to multiple people, and admit you have asked others the same question. Ask the program director, ask the supporting faculty, ask each of the residents, the interns, the second years, the third years, etc. It is okay NOT to have a million questions. This way, you will have an answer to the same question by many different people. It gives you the FULL PICTURE ANSWER. If the director and all the residents and the faculty all answer in similar ways or ways that support each other, then you know its real! YOU CAN: Be very quiet and observant and answer in short yes and no answers, especially if you tend to be a shy person. YOU SHOULD: Stay true to yourself and not pretend to be outgoing, obviously, BUT you should make an effort to GET TO KNOW the people you may one day work with. Imagine you are interviewing, and one of the current residents there doesn’t say a word to you (likely because they’re shy too). Would you think they’re just shy? Would you believe they don’t like you? Would you believe you won’t get along?…. you get the idea. Imagine yourself on the other side of the table and then try to show who you indeed are. Chances are you’re shy because it’s a stressful situation and you’re nervous. DON’T LET THE NERVES GET IN THE WAY OF LANDING YOUR DREAM JOB. YOU CAN: Be VERY assertive… answer questions before they’re fully asked. YOU SHOULD: Stay true to who you are…with some slow-motion action. If you know what they’re about to ask you, that’s great! You’ve anticipated a question, and it will work in your favor. BUT, you NEED TO LET THEM ASK IT. YOU CAN: Talk a lot and fast and not let anyone else put a word in. YOU SHOULD: Be true to who you are. Are you sensing a pattern here? Lo BUT make sure you also show interest in the people around you. They might one day be people you will spend more time with than with your own family. Getting to know their hobbies, what they like, where they’re from is just as important as showing them all those things about you. This is like a date! How long will you date someone who only talks about themselves? Communication is a 2-way street. I am very happy for all of you! Proud of all of you! If you still have not received an interview, I’ve been there! So I understand the stress and fear. Start sending emails to the programs you’ve submitted applications to. Express interest in interviewing there, even if you’ve already racked up a bunch of interviews. If the programs you truly want have not offered you one yet, email them! It is the time, so be diligent! Put in as much effort. The season is not over until it’s over, and you can still get interviews as late as January and maybe early February. ESPECIALLY IF THERE ARE CANCELLATIONS! Some people cancel! Spots become available! So if a program says, You already sent out all the interview invitations we have available, Do not be afraid to ask for consideration if they have any cancellations. Share: More Posts NewsLetter Recent Articles Discover More Articles

How to survive the ICU

ICU was my 1stblock as an intern!  As someone who had been OUT of the hospital setting for almost three years… You can say I was oh, I don’t know. TERRIFIED! I may have done an ICU/CCU elective when I was in my 4thyear.. which I recommend so that you get an idea of what it is like before you’re there yourself… BUT it was a long time ago…. And I was NERVOUS. So, naturally, as all of you reading this, I Googled how to prepare. But, now that I have finished my 1st month of residency in ICU. I can now give you guys a few tips for survival and succeed! Introduce yourself IMMEDIATELY to all the nurses: Let them know you’re the new intern. Tell them your name. Shake their hand. Let them know that you KNOW you’re in their territory and that you will need their help. They have the experience to be able to guide you. Do not think yourself above them just because you’re “the doctor.”                                                                      We are all tadpoles still. Check Potassium, Magnesium, and Phosphorous on ALL your patients. Every day! By far, the thing you will do most in ICU is replacing these electrolytes. ICU patients have a lot of electrolyte imbalances. They are likely intubated, NPO, or getting TPN or Tube Feeds. So make sure you know their levels and replace them if needed.  If you return one, RECHECK IT in a few hours. HINT: You can give them PO if they have a feeding tube. PO is better absorbed, so it replaces levels better. But IV is also acceptable. FYI: When given a choice… choose potassium chloride. You’re welcome. PS: Different doctors and different facilities prefer different ways of replacing.. learn their ways. 3. Make sure you have labs ordered in the AM. Check that every patient has labs ordered for the following morning. Often you are trending things, especially in the ICU. I always made sure I had a CBC, CMP/BMP.  If the patient has pancreatitis or is very ill, I would get the CMP because it includes the LFTs. The BMP does not! Patients in the ICU can quickly deteriorate and go into multi-organ failure. You won’t catch liver failure unless you’ve got those LFTs. Find out who the nurses are for your patients and ask them how your patient did overnight. Ask about overnight events! To know your patient, you need to know how they’re doing and how their night went. So ask about it. The nurses record everything! If the patient tried to pull out their tube, if they went into DTs and had to get Ativan, how much Ativan. Suppose they were put on pressors or taken off pressors. If their BPs and HRs have been stable. ASK! And KNOW! It will be your job to fill in the attendance. Introduce yourself to the patient and their family as a resident on the team taking care of their family members. Be prepared to answer questions, and IT “S OKAY TO SAY YOU DON’T KNOW but will find out. Create your checklist every morning Make sure you create a checklist every morning of all the things you need to do for each patient to make sure you don’t forget. Create symbols that mean TO DO and others to indicate PENDING. Honestly… I’d check out OnlineMedEd.Com and use code OME18. They have an excellent way to help you use symbols to your advantage, so you don’t have to use so many words for things. Helps with time management. Example: AM labs Replace electrolytes and recheck Consult GI, or Cards or Neuro or whoever else CXR or other Imaging Progress Note! Progress Note! Progress Note! Discharge summary History and Physical This will help you keep track of things you’ve done and the items you have yet to do. ORGANIZATION is the key to TIME MANAGEMENT. 7. Get there early! You won’t know how many patients you will have. So get there early; that way, you will have enough time to review everyone’s chart, see the patients, and prepare your plan of care by the time you have to round with your attending. I started out getting there at 7 am. once I knew how long it took me to get through my to-do list and see the patients and prep the note and create a plan… I was able to get there later and still be ready for rounds with time to spare. Read about your patient’s conditions and conventional treatments to help you make a plan. – Getting there early was a great way to give yourself time to read up on a patient’s lab results or physical exam finding that you weren’t sure what to do with. UpToDate was my go-to. I would read up on it and find usual treatment options for it and even a diagnosis for it. I would add all of it to my assessment and plan. The AP of the SOAP…. Yep. SOAP notes. If you don’t remember what it is or how to write one… check out OnlineMedEd.Com. Use code OME18. Get acquainted, lol. 9. Look at everything at the patient’s bedside. Read everything that is hanging the bedside. It will be fluids, tube feeds, medications, titrations, antibiotics, etc. etc. Know what your patient is on, how much, how often, and for how long. Document it all. Confirm that they should still be on those things and if they shouldn’t because the previous note said to stop it, ask the nurses about it. Chances are maybe it wasn’t discharged in the system, or they were told verbally to give it. DOCUMENT everything. Ask for help when you need it! You won’t always know what to do, especially if your attending isn’t next to you, and neither is your upper level. So ask