How to Survive (and Thrive!) During Your Residency Rotation

By: MedSchoolCoach

Your residency rotation is arguably one of the most important – and difficult – things you’ll undertake in the pursuit of your chosen medical profession. It’s a unique experience that few people will ever understand. It’s the way that physicians ultimately connect their classroom learning to practical real world applications.

As you prepare for your residency rotation, you’re probably gathering a lot of documentation and chatting with others in the same boat. However, what are the “unwritten” rules of your residency? It’s essential to do a good job – but how do you know if you’re measuring up? You need to make a great early impression – but how can you set yourself apart?

After years of working with medical students and healthcare professionals, we’ve gathered some key advice that can help you have your best residency rotation experience.

Tips for Before Residency Rotation

You should be thinking about your rotation long before you step foot into the facility. As with most important endeavors, preparation is key to doing well. Use the resources available to set yourself up for success. A week or two before your residency begins, run through the following checklist and make sure you’ve reviewed these items.

Clerkship rotation study guides – You can obtain a small and easy to carry one, or download a version for your smartphone.

Research resources covering rotation material – Begin with simple online searches, with the caveat that the information you find may not have the same quality or validity as official textbooks. For example, Tintinalli’s ER Textbook is a terrific resource, but quite dense and probably more helpful for looking at specific areas where you need more information. You can also download audio books or listen to podcasts, or simply ask Siri or Alexa about certain topics (for example, just ask “Hey Siri, what are medications for acute coronary syndrome?”).

Talk to other residents. One of your best resources is residents who’ve just finished your particular rotation. Ask them if they have time to sit down and discuss their experience and answer any questions you might have.

Know the logistics! Small details can be anxiety-inducing if you haven’t sorted them out beforehand. Find out:
1. Where to park
2. Where to report on day one
3. Who to report to
4. What time to report (and then plan to arrive a little early)
5. How overnight calls are handled
6. When and where you eat
7. Bathroom locations
8. What is considered appropriate attire

Tips for During Residency Rotation

It’s a cliche, but a true one: you only get one chance to make a great first impression. Fortunately, there are certain things you can do from day one to be viewed more favorably:

Introduce yourself and ask what you can do to be helpful. You don’t need to go through your whole CV, but share a bit about your experience and then ask what you can do to make the department’s workload lighter.

Focus on making things easier for people. That includes patients, residents, interns – ideally everyone you come across during your rotation. Humility is your best friend here. Remember that you’re not above grabbing lunch for someone who’s slammed. Grab a fresh cup of water for a patient. Small, everyday tasks can make a big difference. There’s not much downtime in a residency rotation, but when you have a few minutes, just look around and see what you can do to help.

Prepare as you did for residency applications. Chances are you took a diligent and thoughtful approach to your applications. Think of each day during your residency rotation the same way. Prepare for the next week or the next task or the next procedure in the same way. Read up on specific procedures if you’ll be scrubbing in. Research potential complications so that you can participate in dialogue.

Think ahead and be proactive. In almost any job (not just in the healthcare field), the ability to understand what needs to be done before anyone asks you is a highly valuable trait. Are there things that you know you need to do each morning? Make sure to jump in and do them upon arrival. However, it’s important to stay within the scope of your duties. Trying to go “above and beyond,” past the appropriate level of your role, won’t help anyone and could even be dangerous.

Make sure you don’t get in the way. This is advice that gets mentioned frequently. It sounds so simple, but can be incredibly important. There are bound to be moments where you’ll be excited and exhilarated to be a part of new procedures or emergency situations, but there are people in the room who absolutely need to get their tasks completed quickly for the best patient outcomes. Make sure not to impede them in any way and don’t prioritize your “view” over seeing what you can do to help in a practical way (taking notes, retrieving supplies, etc).

Bring a positive attitude. It’s not always easy to remain energetic, but try. Doing so will set you apart in the eyes of other staff. In many cases, enthusiasm is infectious, and can even elevate the mood of those around you. Be kind and respectful to every part of the team – nurses, techs, unit coordinators, etc. Now is a great time to make a great attitude a universal quality that you display throughout your career.

Be the last one to leave for the day. Don’t leave if there is still work to do. Before you go, ask if anything else needs to be done. Make sure to clarify when to come back the next day, and ask if there’s anything special you need to do to prepare for that day’s activities.

Your residency rotation will be stressful, but it’s also a highly rewarding one. Being prepared and handling yourself in a professional and helpful manner will take you far. If you’re getting ready to apply to residency, expert residency match consulting can help you get into the program of your dreams.

This is sponsored post by MedSchoolCoach. Learn more about what they can do for you below!

MedSchoolCoach:

MedSchoolCoach was founded in 2007 with a simple premise: physicians should help future physicians. Since that time, we’ve helped more than 12,000 students get into and through medical school.

Our advisors are actual physicians with admissions committee experience. Our tutors go through the most rigorous selection process in the industry. MedschoolCoach focuses on just one thing: building future physicians!