GUIDE FOR INCOMING RESIDENTS
Dominic C. Sia
3/10/10
A lot has been said about coming into the program prepared in terms of fund of knowledge and required clinical skills. But it is very important to realize that to succeed in this residency program, interpersonal skills are also an important element.
It is very important to remember that "FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST". You have to put your best foot forward constantly and consistently during your first few months of residency. Unfortunately no matter how intelligent they are, most people do not go beyond their first impressions of a person, either because they are too busy to delve deeper, or because they simply do not care enough. How people will perceive you during the first few months of residency will stick with you for a long time. Here are a few pointers of how you can present yourself in the best light, especially for the first few months from starting residency:
1. Never complain. It should take the worst circumstance for you to utter a complaint. Always keep in mind the repercussions of complaining for even the smallest thing. If you happen to have complaints about even different things two or three times, you will get the brand of being a "complainer". Always remember that you thought the best of this program when you entered it and you fought tooth and nail to get it, why then are you complaining when you just got in ?
2. Always be on time. Being late twice or three times in a row will give you the notoriety of always being late.
3. Always come appropriately dressed. Dress code for the department is shirt and tie for men and dress for women (no sleeveless, not low cut). Don’t come in jeans.
4. Don't interrupt
5. Initially, try to keep your opinion to yourself, unless you are asked. No matter what kind of training you had before you entered this program, you are considered a rookie who knows little and whose opinion does not count. Voicing and trying to enforce your opinion will just brand you as hard headed.
6. Know who the attendings are beforehand
7. In terms of patient care, follow whatever your attending tells you to do. Remember that it is the license of the attending at stake. The proper attitude should be that you are an extension of the attending’s will.
Unlike back home in our respective countries, nurses and nursing assistants here in the United States have egos that need to be stroked regularly
The residency is divided into rotations each 4 weeks apart, you rotate through the various units of the department. Some of the rotations are outside the hospital. Frequency of call schedule is varied but generally falls within every 4 days.
Don't forget to apply for PACS access, internet and library access
Avail of CIR
Avail of Metrocard
Insurance choice
MISCELLANEOUS:
How to Page
From inside the hospital: dial 6000 wait for the prompt then dial the pager number, wait for 1 beep then dial the number you want to page then press# (2 beeps will sound) or hang up the phone.
From outside the hospital: dial 718-579-6000, then follow as above
On a personal note, I believe that in today's world, and especially so in our circumstance, common courtesy has become a virtue. I also believe that maturity is the confluence of an equal measure of consideration and objectivity; and that the extent to which we are able to maintain both in the midst of the highest levels of stress is the true measure of how mature we really are.