Advice to the R1s

[Guest Buffy Pool]

..........

[Ian Wong]

One corollary to this is the "pseudo-jerk resident" syndrome.

 

This is the resident who would be a jerk to you if he/she didn't know you, but would otherwise be really nice to you if he/she considered you as a friend.

 

Try to build up your network of friends throughout the hospital. It's a lot easier to call in a consult, when you discover that the consult person is one of your friends. There's more of a sense of espirit de corps that "we're all in this together", which gives you that extra bit of motivation to go the extra mile.

 

I'm definitely guilty of being nicer on the phone to other residents who I know and like. I try to be nice to everyone who calls or visits the reading room, but it's really, really tough to be that "nice resident" who is nice to absolutely everyone, even when the work is piling up and the stress level is palpable.

 

So, try to make friends with off-service people and all the ancillary staff (RN's, RT's, OT/PT's, SW, etc) as you go through residency.

 

While you occasionally run into that resident who is a jerk all the time, most housestaff are good people who will go out of there way to help you and your patient. It just makes it even easier if you know them and are friends with them.

 

Ian