Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

7 habits of highly effective interns

Sam Kant, MD
Education
August 27, 2018
93 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

I remember the fervor of my first day of internship: expecting a daunting yet exciting time lay ahead, and I was finally going to be of some use to people. (And to my parents, relatives, and neighbors: “Oh, you’re finally a doctor.”) I felt like Tom Cruise on the airstrip of Miramar racing an F-14 with Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone as he was about to join Top Gun.

However, these cinematic visuals soon came to a halt as I felt grossly unprepared for this new responsibility. I had to be adept with medical knowledge and the electronic health record (the labyrinth that never ended), assimilate a plethora of patient data, learn to communicate this effectively and make management decisions. I was the first point of care for a person: a real person. This weighed heavily on me since I imagined that I would be proficient in all these attributes when the time came.

The clocks have flash forwarded, and here I am supervising incoming interns on the 1st of July (which for the past two years has fallen on a weekend). As a frenetic day has finally come to a close and a walk along a park where the trees have acquired a new color as the sun sets, I cannot help but reflect on my initial days of internship. I am glad for all the initial lessons, but I wish I had a head start to ensure a great initiation rather than relying on serendipity.

So here goes.

1. Time management. This ties in with prioritization and the EHR. It can be easy to get lost in the avalanche of information you are subjected to. Learn to go after the critical and immediate straight away and be on the constant watch for these as your day goes by. Have a standardized method of navigating the EHR; we always have the temptation to go straight to the results tab. Try employing the following in this order: vitals, notes (including RN, PT/OT, etc.), medications/orders, and results. This helps to capture essential information and its ensuing assimilation.

2. Befriend thy nurses. The most overlooked secret to a great internship. They are the backbone of successful patient care and will be your go-to for a lot of the things you will not know in your nascent years and beyond. Be the amiable intern, and they will bail you out of most troubles that may befall you.

3. The 360 you. For this one, I’ll take a page out of Ray Dalio’s (one of the most successful hedge fund investors of all time) book: It’s important to hear everyone on the team since each person brings a diverse view to the table and this might benefit us in acquiring a position of vantage. We all like to appear capable to ourselves and others and thus, might shut out others’ opinions. Even the Scientific American has shown in the seminal article: “How Diversity Makes Us Smarter.”

4. Drown the complainer. Sometimes, nothing feels better than a good rant. As a barrage of uncertainty predominates the fledgling, we can drift into a habit of complaining, which thrives in the herd mentality of the hospital. In the postscript of Better, Atul Gawande forewarns us regarding this peril. Researchers at Stanford have shown that complaining can shrink the hippocampus. A study in JAMA suggested an antidote to this: physician discussion groups incorporating elements of reflection and shared experience consistently improved meaning and engagement at work.

5. Ask, and you shall deliver. In a bid to avoid appearing incompetent to our seniors, we forget about the timeless lesson of the apprenticeship: Asking for help is a sign of strength and integrity. Having initiative and learning to figure things out can be a great attribute, but if the spidey sense tingles, it’s alright to shine the bat sign.

6. Strike a dent in the universe. A phrase that Steve Jobs espoused. Our patients deserve work that resembles flawless art. The work is awe-inspiring to them and galvanizes our peers to deliver more.

7. The minute that matters. Technology has weaned time away from the bedside, so we should strive to maximize our time with the patients. The conversations (especially the ones laden with undivided attention) with the patients will always be the most redeeming part of your day. Use them as a rejuvenator of your daily purpose. And also, as Mark Reid emphasizes: Make sure you first have the conversation you feel like ignoring the most.

On a parting note, as time goes on, you will encounter some patients who will have the hospital as the last institution to turn to. Life may have dealt them a bad hand, but you have a chance to reshape that.

Sam Kant is a nephrologist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Addressing physician self-care means getting doctors more sleep

August 27, 2018 Kevin 0
…
Next

On vaccines: 1 pediatrician vs. 13 celebrity opinions

August 27, 2018 Kevin 4
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Addressing physician self-care means getting doctors more sleep
Next Post >
On vaccines: 1 pediatrician vs. 13 celebrity opinions

More by Sam Kant, MD

  • You can’t put metrics on purpose and resilience

    Sam Kant, MD

Related Posts

  • Continuing medical education: Why it’s important and how to make it effective

    Christine Lau, MD and Collette Williams, PhD, RN
  • Top 10 things new interns should do

    Vijay Rajput, MD
  • A letter to 2020 interns

    Wendy Peltier, MD
  • Are letters of recommendation effective or burdensome?

    Catherine Tawfik
  • New interns: Get ready to be fleeced

    Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, MD
  • Making the world a better place for new medical interns

    Fred N. Pelzman, MD

More in Education

  • The secret to success in medical school: self-awareness and courage

    Kaelor Gordon
  • Is mandating pre-medical training widening disparities in the U.S. physician workforce?

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
  • Equalizing the future of medical residencies: standardizing work hours and wages

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
  • From studying to baby kicks: Navigating motherhood in medical school

    Natalie Eichner-Seitz
  • The power of advocacy: a medical student’s journey to helping an uninsured immigrant

    Fabiola Plaza
  • From AI to love: the key to a better future in medical education

    Stevan Walkowski, DO
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • An unspoken truth about non-compete clauses in medicine

      Harry Severance, MD | Policy
    • Fostering the next (diverse) generation of clinicians

      Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Healing through love and spirituality

      John T. James, PhD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
    • The Titanic sinking: a metaphor for the impending collapse of medicine

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD & Shreekant Vasudhev, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Rescuing primary care: the role of health administrators [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Breaking down barriers: How technology is improving diabetes management in underserved communities

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • From penicillin to digital health: the impact of social media on medicine

      Homer Moutran, MD, MBA, Caline El-Khoury, PhD, and Danielle Wilson | Social media
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • How to overcome telemedicine’s biggest obstacles

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Investigational ALS Drug May Have Clinical Benefit, FDA Staff Says
  • Cases of Deadly Fungus Tripled in Past Few Years, CDC Says
  • Small Gains in Cardiorespiratory Fitness Track With Improved Longevity
  • Improved OS With Hyperfractionated RT in Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
  • GPT-4 Is Here. How Can Doctors Use Generative AI Now?

Meeting Coverage

  • Rapid Improvement in Atopic Dermatitis With Topical PDE4 Inhibitor
  • New Approaches in the Bladder-Sparing Paradigm
  • Response Rates in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Continue to Climb With New Therapies
  • Another Win for a JAK Inhibitor in Alopecia Areata
  • Biologic Switch Revs Up Response in Plaque Psoriasis
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • An unspoken truth about non-compete clauses in medicine

      Harry Severance, MD | Policy
    • Fostering the next (diverse) generation of clinicians

      Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Healing through love and spirituality

      John T. James, PhD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
    • The Titanic sinking: a metaphor for the impending collapse of medicine

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD & Shreekant Vasudhev, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Rescuing primary care: the role of health administrators [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Breaking down barriers: How technology is improving diabetes management in underserved communities

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • From penicillin to digital health: the impact of social media on medicine

      Homer Moutran, MD, MBA, Caline El-Khoury, PhD, and Danielle Wilson | Social media
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • How to overcome telemedicine’s biggest obstacles

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...