Tag Archives: clerkships

How to prepare for surgical cases as a medical student

Joseph X. Robin, MD
Joseph X. Robin, MD
Joseph X. Robin, MD
Latest posts by Joseph X. Robin, MD (see all)

Like most students in medical school, I was excited to leave the classroom behind when I started clinical rotations. While being in the hospital is certainly more exciting than the library, this new setting requires a shift in learning style. The clear framework of the classroom-based pre-clinical curriculum (syllabi, lectures, PowerPoints, book chapters, labs, etc)Continue reading “How to prepare for surgical cases as a medical student”

Using The R.I.M.E. Model

Trey Richardson, MD
Latest posts by Trey Richardson, MD (see all)

Early in my training one of my mentors introduced me to the R.I.M.E. model for setting clinical goals as a medical trainee. This model was developed by Dr. Louis Pangaro, MD, Chairman of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University and is used across the world to help students learn and grow. R.I.M.E stands for: Reporter,Continue reading “Using The R.I.M.E. Model”

How to Make the Most of Rounds When Not Presenting

Alan Gambril, MD
Alan Gambril, MD
Alan Gambril, MD
Latest posts by Alan Gambril, MD (see all)

Rounding is the most important part of the day for the medical team. This is when in-depth discussions occur and daily plans of action are decided. As a medical student on clinical rotations in the hospital, your day revolves around morning rounds. For most rotations, a large part of your evaluation is based on performanceContinue reading “How to Make the Most of Rounds When Not Presenting”

How to Get Honors

Alan Gambril, MD
Alan Gambril, MD
Alan Gambril, MD
Latest posts by Alan Gambril, MD (see all)

Honors is a mysterious designation that means something different to each institution and each evaluator. There is no single, fail-proof way to guarantee one gets clinical honors. It is always going to come down to a certain level of subjectivity. But there are a number of elements every medical student can employ to maximize hisContinue reading “How to Get Honors”

How to Handle Being Paired with a Lazy Medical Student on Rotation

Jack T. Wilson, MD
Jack T. Wilson, MD
Jack T. Wilson, MD
Latest posts by Jack T. Wilson, MD (see all)

Being paired with a lazy medical student on a rotation can be a frustrating situation, especially if you are on a sub-internship in the field you desire to go into. No matter how bad he or she is, do not let it get to you. While it is upsetting and may create more work forContinue reading “How to Handle Being Paired with a Lazy Medical Student on Rotation”

How a Thoughtful Patient History Helps Build a Differential

Trey Richardson, MD
Latest posts by Trey Richardson, MD (see all)

One of the ways you will be evaluated on your internal medicine clerkship is by your ability to develop a differential diagnosis. In this post, we will focus on how a thoughtful patient history can help you formulate a differential diagnosis and ultimately guide your diagnostic and treatment plan.  There is a saying, “A problemContinue reading “How a Thoughtful Patient History Helps Build a Differential”

How to perform well on an acting internship

Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA
Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA
Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA
Latest posts by Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA (see all)

An acting internship represents a unique opportunity and challenge for medical students. The acting internship is a nice transition from clerkships to intern year adding volume and responsibility to your workload. Acting internships are important for your residency applications as letters of recommendation often stem from these experiences. You want to perform well and demonstrateContinue reading “How to perform well on an acting internship”

How to do well on virtual away rotations

Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA
Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA
Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA
Latest posts by Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA (see all)

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a new era of virtual away rotations for fourth year medical students applying this year. Virtual away rotations present a challenge on numerous levels as they have not been universally adapted by residency programs, and some medical schools are not acknowledging virtual away rotations as course credit. Despite theseContinue reading “How to do well on virtual away rotations”

Next Level Operating Room Tips

Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA
Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA
Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA
Latest posts by Carter J. Boyd, MD, MBA (see all)

Once you know the basics of how to look comfortable and be helpful in the operating room, it is time to push the envelope. Particularly for students interested in surgical fields, any opportunity to impress an attending or resident should be capitalized on. Once you feel comfortable with the basics, try to incorporate these residentContinue reading “Next Level Operating Room Tips”

Why Did You Not Make Honors on a Clerkship?

Alan Gambril, MD
Alan Gambril, MD
Alan Gambril, MD
Latest posts by Alan Gambril, MD (see all)

“Why did you not make honors on your [fill in the blank] clerkship?” Believe it or not, this was an actual question I got on an interview. I was caught completely off guard. Thankfully, I gave an answer that worked to my benefit. I want to help you prepare an answer to this question thatContinue reading “Why Did You Not Make Honors on a Clerkship?”