Everyone there was very
friendly and helped me get to know the hospital since I'd only done Ob/Gyn
there before. Obviously, bring your coat and stethoscope...stuff like
that. It was also helpful to have a reference book or two during the
rotation (I used the Washington Manual and the Current Diagnosis &
Treatment blue book). It's very laid back -- no reason to be nervous.
How was the driving and parking?
No problem at all. I parked on
the upper level of the visitor's garage at the corner of the hospital, and
it was free as long as I signed in at the guard's station every day.
How bad were the on call hours?
It depends. There were 3 fourth
years on the rotation when I did it, so it averaged out to be about every
4-5 nights, but we pretty much arranged it around our own schedules. Call
is overnight, but there weren't too many times that I got less than 5-6
hours sleep (I often got much more than that!).
What were your weekday hours?
Basically 7-4:30 or 5. We had
check-out rounds in the morning from the resident who was on call
overnight. Then you had about an hour or more to write all your notes
before official rounds at 9 AM. Rounds were usually over by 12. The rest
of the day was spent working on your patients or picking up new ones, if
there were any. Then check-out rounds at 4. There was usually some time
to read in the afternoon.
What were your weekend hours?
One weekend morning each week,
unless you were on call or post call.
What should we know about the attendings and residents?
I
thought that everyone there was very friendly and helpful. With my group
of residents, I was treated more like a third year than a "junior intern",
but that was okay. They were all very approachable. I never felt like I
was being pimped or picked on.
Did you learn any new procedures or skills?
No -- there weren't
too many patients in the hospital at the time I did the rotation. I think
that if you were on the service at a busier time, there would be a lot
more things going on.
What books were useful for the shelf exam?
No shelf exam for
this one!
How was your shelf exam?
NO EXAM
Did you have enough time to study for it?
What pearls of wisdom should an incoming student ABSOLUTELY know?
There is no free food at Deaconess any more, so BE PREPARED! Also,
it's sometimes more comfortable to sleep in the resident's lounge
overnight than in the call room (just a personal opinion).
How would you rate the stress level?
mellow
Are you now more or less interested in this specialty as a career?
More
Any other comments?
I would definitely recommend this to anyone
interested in Family Medicine. If you want a busy service, I wouldn't
take it at the beginning of your 4th year; I would wait a few months.
