Medicine students have put together a list of their top tips for the first day / first week to make it easier for you to get started and settle in as soon as possible.
Placement pre-arrival checklist
Upon arrival
- Don't be afraid to ask
- The 1st day is always the worst!
- Make sure you introduce yourself.
- Have courage - it will be a busy environment.
- Find your bearings by studying the notes and the set up. This is your job.
- Don't be too ambitious - you won't cover lots in week one - just make sure you get set up.
Useful things to do when on placement
- Timetable for ward rounds, clinics and teaching as well as Consultants / Registrars and F1s
- Make a list of what you have seen that day and read up that same night.
- Clerk and examine patients - they will be grateful.
- Take along a friend when you are going to clerk a patient, especially when you are new.
- Look in the notes - at ECGs and blood results. It may take time to understand these, but it helps!
- Learn for OSCEs by going to placements.
- Break diseases into smaller aspects.
General advice
- Be forgiving with yourself - if it didn't go well today, try again tomorrow.
- Take time off - you need to stay on top of everything else and if you are on all the time, you might burn out.
- Keep enthusiastic - it will be infectious and you'll be known for being keen and people will find you when teaching opportunities arise.
- Bring a book that is relevant to the placement, so that when there is a lull, you can get on with deepening their knowledge rather than having to run off to the library.
- "Don't do iphone - just do stuff" on the ward!