A Letter to Myself, Future Resident, on Dealing with Myself, Current Medical Student

Remember how much you once hated shadowing? Well, it still stinks. Try to let students interview the patient first, present to you, and remind them that it’s okay if they don’t have the correct assessment and plan as long as they try to put one out there. Of course, to even have the opportunity to provide an assessment and plan, the student has to interview the patient first. It’s pretty much a requirement. Remember, independent thinking starts with independent doing.

Now, this doesn’t mean make medical students do dumb tasks like retrieving coffee. It means, give them useful tasks that simultaneously help you out with your workload. Have them communicate updates to patients and their families. Let them have a first stab at writing the H and P. Encourage them to take responsibility over the patients assigned to them. Giving medical students some semblance of structure and accountability makes their little hearts soar. Whatever you do, just don’t ignore them. Few things in the world are sadder than a medical student scorned.

Remember how awful it was when you had nothing to do, and you were trapped in the hospital because your resident hadn’t given you the “okay” to leave at the end of the day? Often, medical students express their desire to go home with the age-old question, “Is there anything else I can help you with?” You know you asked this question MANY times. When your students ask you this, and there truly is nothing for them to do, set them free. In fact, if there’s nothing for them to do, be proactive and release them before they even ask you the question. This goes back to the idea of acknowledging the presence of a student on your team. Medical students have certain limitations because they are, well, medical students. If the work left for the day can only be done by a resident, be merciful on the student, and send them away from the hospital to study, eat, sleep, see friends and family, etc. While you may have longer hours as a resident, students have the additional obligation of studying for Shelf Exams and other such delights outside of their time at the hospital. Remember when that was you? Let them do this studying (and/or life living) on their own at home in the peace of a location that is not the hospital.

It’s happened to you. It’s happened to all of us. Those times when an attending asks a question that you know and then poof… the answer flits away from your head, only to return after you have stared blank-faced at the attending for several seconds. Thoughts are racing through your head. So much is happening up there, and yet, only an “uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….” has departed from your lips. Smile at them when this happens, and remind them that it’s “okay” if they don’t know the answer today. Encourage them to learn it for tomorrow, and give them more than just a single chance to succeed.

The best residents you encountered during medical school were the ones that went above and beyond in their effort to teach you. They asked you what you wanted to get out of the rotation and tailored their teaching to your interests. Those residents were the ones that stuck out, and for all the best reasons. They were sincere, passionate educators. You can be like them too. You just need to make it a priority to take each student’s education seriously. Don’t buy into the excuse that a student needs to be on your service for a month before you’ll incorporate them into the team. Don’t buy into the excuse that you’re too busy to educate medical students. Don’t buy into cynicism in general. Embrace each new student on your service regardless of how long they’ll be with you, and do your best to teach the heck out of your specialty. All you need is a day to make an impact.