Have you finished your goal-setting for the new year? If not, this time of the year is the perfect to set new goals, that’ll bring you ahead. Just as in any other part of your life, you should set goals for your medical career. Here is how I set goals for the new year. Life […]
Here is what I do most of the day: 1. Aquire data. (history, examination, discuss patient with nurses, ultrasound, laboratory values and so on). 2. Discuss the data with the boss. 3. Do what the boss and I agreed on in step 2. (Do more examination, initiate treatment, stop treatment, get other consults and so […]
The most important principle in medicine is pretty simple: “Primum non nocere.” : First of all: Do no harm. People, who go to the hospital and are worse afterwards many times were treated by doctors who don’t follow this piece of advice. Afterwards the patients generally seek legal advice. So remembering this principle is really helpful. But how do […]
We have an intern on our ICU, who will be a physician in a few months. She asked me what can I do to lose my fear? “Fear of what?” I asked. “Fear of having my first day at work. Here during my internship I follow you around, I watch, sometimes I put in needles. But […]
Sleep deprivation is one of the main sources of errors. But many times after a night shift, you’ll have to show up the same day in the hospital for another night shift. That is why after a night shift we should start replenishing our energy levels right away. Ultimately there is only one way to recover […]
A couple of days ago an 86-year-old patient was admitted to us during my night shift: Glasgow coma scale 5, pH of 7.1 CO2 of 110 mmHg. Even though this seemed like a clear indication for intubation, because of his medical history we were hesitant to intubate him right away and decided to give non invasive […]
Few fields demand such a high degree of energy, concentration and emotional stability in order to do a great job, as medicine. Listening attentively, suturing a vessel, implanting a catheter- those are all tasks that require energy, focus and concentration. Whether you do a good job in your internship will greatly depend on what […]
There are many ways to Rome, but in my experience there are three major keys to a successful medical career. Here they are: Find out what your boss wants – and overdeliver. This Jack Welch quotation is by far the most important key and is right for every field – but certainly for medicine. Every boss […]
Whether our patients are content with our work greatly depends on their expectation prior to the treatment. While we should always do our best to deliver high quality work, modulating -and many times lowering- their expectations can further maximize your patient’s satisfaction ratings. Here are 4 ways how you can do that. The following questions indicate that […]
Presenting cases is one of the most important skills in medicine. Mastering this skill will greatly improve your work as a doctor and enhance your career. When you give good presentations, your attending will know you understood the patient trust your judgement and give you more responsibilities. Doctors, who know how to present a patient will […]