From the Publisher
Every year, there are students who consistently perform at a high level during their third year of medical school. What enables these students to succeed? What limits the success of their colleagues? Is there something that sets these top performers apart from the rest?
This book was written with the express intent of answering these questions. Compiled from discussions with hundreds of faculty, residents, and students, along with extensive review of the scientific literature on the subject of medical education, you will find this book to be an invaluable resource.
Inside, find the answers to the following questions -
*Residents and attending physicians use different criteria to evaluate students. What criteria do they value more highly?
*What type of student do attending physicians enjoy?
*A study looking at "difficult" students, from the standpoint of attending physicians, found that the shy, or nonassertive student, was one of three major problem types. What are the other major problem types?
*The literature has shown that students are rarely observed performing a history and physical. That being the case, how do attending physicians evaluate a student's ability to perform this task?
*The clinical evaluation of students during rotations is far from perfect. Evaluators can be affected by a variety of factors, some of which may lead to ratings that are lower than the student deserves. What are these factors and what can you, as a student, do to increase the chances that you are evaluated fairly?
*Students are not able to do their best work until they become comfortable in their new rotation. What can you do to become more comfortable sooner rather than later?
*Personality factors have been shown in several studies to impact a student's evaluation. in one study, an important identifiable personality factor was identified that impacted evaluations. What was this factor?
*Conflict is a major issue for students in the clinical years. One study found that conflict situations were common, occurring on average every other day. What is the best way to handle conflict?
*Letters of recommendation are a key component of the residency application. When should you ask faculty members for a letter?
Featuring discussion of these issues and more, this book will provide you with essential insights and tools into mastering clinical rotation.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
From the Author
Making the leap from the basic sciences to the clinical years of medical school is difficult for medical students. Although exciting, it can also be challenging, frustrating, and anxiety-provoking.
For most students, the third year of medical school is their first time out of the lecture hall. It's like starting a new job. And along with this new job are longer hours, lightning-quick pace, and new work responsibilities. Adding to the stress is the fact that third year clerkship grades carry the most weight when it comes time for residency programs to rank their applicants.
These are the issues that weighed heavily on my mind when I was starting my third year. Now as an attending physician who works closely with third year students, I see them struggling with the same concerns.
In an effort to address these concerns, I have written this book. The purpose of this book is to empower you, the third year medical student. This book will place you in a position to have a successful experience, no matter what rotation or clerkship you are on. It achieves its goal by discussing the biggest mistakes students make. Once you are aware of these mistakes, you can do everything in your power to avoid them, thereby becoming the savvy student that is poised for clerkship success.
