Follow instructions. Don't overthink it, don't try to clarify and imagine you are being asked to do something difficult and grand. The instructions are just as easy as they seem, so just do it. Dont' ask too many questions, just do it. And always be on time.
Be helpful. Your team works hard, you do not. Make yourself useful and help out. Any little thing you can do is tremendously helpful. If you're standing there feeling helpless and awkward, you probably are, so just follow along with what others are doing. Always ask if there is anything you can help with. If you can't, just get coffee: your residents can always use more coffee.
Be efficient. If you're taking too long to complete a task, you are being useless, which directly contradicts the above rule. Hurry up, no one will care about your careful detailed family history, when you're presenting a man who had cut his finger and is at risk for bleeding to death while you take your sweet time.
Pretend to care. You dont' actually need to care, you just have to pretend that you do. Unfortunately, you have to rotate through many different specialties, even the ones you have no interest in joining. If blood grosses you out and you're stuck in GenSurg, but you'd rather spend your day rounding in mental masturbation looking for a neuro lesion like 'where is waldo?", pick up the suction and follow the instruments. Your help will be noted. Alternatively, if old people and infants gross you out, and you'd rather be digging out someone's butt abscess, look alert and pretend that children are the best, ever.
There is such thing as a stupid question. If you begin your sentence with 'this might be a stupid question', it probably is. fight the urge to ask that question. think before you speak, and really, fight it hard.
Stop looking for zebras. Yes, you have spent many hours reading books and learning from them. but common things are common, so if you are facing a sweaty pale breathless overweight man, relax. He probably does not have a pheochromocytoma, he is probably just hot.
Listen. When listening to your patient, listen to what they say. Refer to the previous rule, pull your head out of your ass and remember, before you recall the entire pathophysiology chapter on whatever organ system you think is involved, just listen to what is being said. chances are, that will be more useful.
Mind personal space. Your own, your patients', and those you work with. Get out of their personal space, and for the love of god, get your head out of the surgical field.
Don't be awkward. This one can actually be tricky to accomplish. Sometimes, it can be hard to tell whether you are or not. best not to rely on your friends, as they can be mistaken, thinking you are not awkward. absolutely, do not ask your mother. she has no idea. if you have any doubt in your mind that you might be, just a little, you probably are. dont be. just dont.
Respect the hierarchy. Medicine is highly hierarchical: there is order to be respected. never assume you know who people are, always introduce yourself first so others can offer their names and position. don't be fooled by age or camaraderie. ortho bros and small female peds all look the same. when in doubt, residents always look messier.
Hopefully, you will find these tips helpful. Do not fret, you will survice your rotations, just like so many before you. and remember, they can already smell the fear, so if you need to cry, you do so in the privacy of your own home, or car.
