Surviving: Tips of Internship
By Dr. Pete Lim, Senior Medical Registrar, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney
Originally published in The Intern and Resident Guide 2008 by AMSA
Internship is a bit like the TV show Survivor. Here are the ten golden rules of internship to help you not get voted off the island...
RULE #1: Don’t shit where you sleep. Don’t leave things like admissions and med charts for the overtime shift intern to do, because one day it will be you. Don’t call in sick unless you have a GCS of 3 either, because one day when you are on sick relief, someone will call in sick and you will have to go in.
RULE #2: Load the boat. If you have a patient who is looking unwell and looks like they are going down, make sure you load the boat. Ask anyone and everyone for help, because you don’t want to be the only one on a sinking ship. Remember that as an intern, the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.
RULE #3: There is no such thing as an urgent cannula (unless there is 3L of blood on the ground...). Internship is about prioritising. It is a busy job and no doubt you will be paged and asked to do a lot of things, often at the same time. Be organised. Also, remember that a patient won’t die if you take 10 minutes to have a bathroom break (most of the time).
RULE #4: One good turn deserves three others. If you are getting a consult for your team, or asking for help, make sure you have worked the patient up thoroughly. If you ask for one consult, a registrar will probably ask you three (or more) questions about your patient or the work up. It’s onlu common courtesy that you have that information sorted.
RULE #5: Don’t sleep with the enemy. This includes nurses, allied health... It can often be difficult, but remember what your role is and draw strict boundaries as to what you should and shouldn’t be doing.
RULE #6: Sleep with the enemy. This includes nurses, allied health... Medicine is a team effort and you won’t be able to survive without the help of the other members of the team. Nurses and allied health staff are valuable members of that team, and not only will it pay off to get along with them to get the work done, but it makes the many hours at hospital more enjoyable.
RULE #7: The consultant is always right (in front of the patient anyway...). Remember that consultants are responsible for patients overall and remember that you are working on their behalf. So be professional in your work and in your behaviour. And most importantly, don’t ever lie to impress a consultant or registrar – you will always, always, always be caught out.
RULE #8: The most important form is your time sheet. You’ve lived through your vow of poverty that is med school. Don’t ever forget to put your time sheet in. It’s the most important but of paperwork that you will fill out each fortnight.
RULE #9: Don’t turn around, or you’ll be stabbed in the chest instead. You will no doubt be aware that medicine is a very small community and if you are unprofessional or lazy, it will be common knowledge before the end of the week. Your colleagues are just that – colleagues so don’t badmouth them behind their backs.
RULE #10: Never drink alone. We’re all in the trenches together. Support your fellow interns and junior doctors. You will have a lot more fun and have a better working year if you work as a team.
And finally, remember that if you’re not enjoying internship, you’re probably not doing it right. Good luck, enjoy and try not to kill anyone.
By Dr. Pete Lim, Senior Medical Registrar, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney
Originally published in The Intern and Resident Guide 2008 by AMSA
Internship is a bit like the TV show Survivor. Here are the ten golden rules of internship to help you not get voted off the island...
RULE #1: Don’t shit where you sleep. Don’t leave things like admissions and med charts for the overtime shift intern to do, because one day it will be you. Don’t call in sick unless you have a GCS of 3 either, because one day when you are on sick relief, someone will call in sick and you will have to go in.
RULE #2: Load the boat. If you have a patient who is looking unwell and looks like they are going down, make sure you load the boat. Ask anyone and everyone for help, because you don’t want to be the only one on a sinking ship. Remember that as an intern, the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.
RULE #3: There is no such thing as an urgent cannula (unless there is 3L of blood on the ground...). Internship is about prioritising. It is a busy job and no doubt you will be paged and asked to do a lot of things, often at the same time. Be organised. Also, remember that a patient won’t die if you take 10 minutes to have a bathroom break (most of the time).
RULE #4: One good turn deserves three others. If you are getting a consult for your team, or asking for help, make sure you have worked the patient up thoroughly. If you ask for one consult, a registrar will probably ask you three (or more) questions about your patient or the work up. It’s onlu common courtesy that you have that information sorted.
RULE #5: Don’t sleep with the enemy. This includes nurses, allied health... It can often be difficult, but remember what your role is and draw strict boundaries as to what you should and shouldn’t be doing.
RULE #6: Sleep with the enemy. This includes nurses, allied health... Medicine is a team effort and you won’t be able to survive without the help of the other members of the team. Nurses and allied health staff are valuable members of that team, and not only will it pay off to get along with them to get the work done, but it makes the many hours at hospital more enjoyable.
RULE #7: The consultant is always right (in front of the patient anyway...). Remember that consultants are responsible for patients overall and remember that you are working on their behalf. So be professional in your work and in your behaviour. And most importantly, don’t ever lie to impress a consultant or registrar – you will always, always, always be caught out.
RULE #8: The most important form is your time sheet. You’ve lived through your vow of poverty that is med school. Don’t ever forget to put your time sheet in. It’s the most important but of paperwork that you will fill out each fortnight.
RULE #9: Don’t turn around, or you’ll be stabbed in the chest instead. You will no doubt be aware that medicine is a very small community and if you are unprofessional or lazy, it will be common knowledge before the end of the week. Your colleagues are just that – colleagues so don’t badmouth them behind their backs.
RULE #10: Never drink alone. We’re all in the trenches together. Support your fellow interns and junior doctors. You will have a lot more fun and have a better working year if you work as a team.
And finally, remember that if you’re not enjoying internship, you’re probably not doing it right. Good luck, enjoy and try not to kill anyone.
