Thursday, July 01, 2004
TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE..
Some advice for new physicians just starting out. Some is more pertinent to surgical residents. Remember free advice is worth what you paid for it, or priceless. I report, you decide:
Sew well, cut well, get well.
If in doubt, put in a drain.
If in doubt, use retention sutures.
It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
You can't go wrong by getting out of bed.
Turn the PEEP down before sticking for a central line.
Honesty is the coin of the realm NEVER, EVER LIE
Make sure you read. With the new workhour limits your in-hospital education time is reduced. You need to read outside of the hospital. Every day.
If storms are ahead, load the boat.
Eat when you can, sleep when you can, and go to the bathroom when you can.
If it is not written in the chart, it did not happen.
"No truer friend, no worse enemy" applies not only to the Marine Corps but to the nursing staff as well. Treat nurses, respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, scrub techs, and all hospital personnel with respect. They can hurt you worse.
Better is the enemy of good.
Never prep yourself out of a good operation.
For the most part, all of the good operations have been invented, but there is always room for variations on a theme.
Never be the first, or the last, to perform a procedure, or prescribe a treatment.
The only thing more dangerous than an intern with a new pen is a resident with a new paper.
They can beat you down, but they can't stop the clock. |
Some advice for new physicians just starting out. Some is more pertinent to surgical residents. Remember free advice is worth what you paid for it, or priceless. I report, you decide:
Sew well, cut well, get well.
If in doubt, put in a drain.
If in doubt, use retention sutures.
It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
You can't go wrong by getting out of bed.
Turn the PEEP down before sticking for a central line.
Honesty is the coin of the realm NEVER, EVER LIE
Make sure you read. With the new workhour limits your in-hospital education time is reduced. You need to read outside of the hospital. Every day.
If storms are ahead, load the boat.
Eat when you can, sleep when you can, and go to the bathroom when you can.
If it is not written in the chart, it did not happen.
"No truer friend, no worse enemy" applies not only to the Marine Corps but to the nursing staff as well. Treat nurses, respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, scrub techs, and all hospital personnel with respect. They can hurt you worse.
Better is the enemy of good.
Never prep yourself out of a good operation.
For the most part, all of the good operations have been invented, but there is always room for variations on a theme.
Never be the first, or the last, to perform a procedure, or prescribe a treatment.
The only thing more dangerous than an intern with a new pen is a resident with a new paper.
They can beat you down, but they can't stop the clock. |
