Tips to Prepare for Clinical Year
So you finished all of your basic science classes, which probably is one of the most grueling and tiresome years of your lives. Now you get to take all of that hard earned knowledge and put it into practice. Clinical year is an exciting time. It’s a time where you get a chance to explore your interests, and your dislikes. However, while you are no longer spending an un-godly amount of time in the classroom, you are still faced with some challenges. It’s a time where you have to balance “working” 40+ hours a week while still finding time to study for your national board exams, among your other daily responsibilities. It’s also a time where you have to be ADAPTABLE, when your schedule is constantly changing with patient appointments.
With all of this in mind, it is imperative to find what works for you to manage your time. It’s easy to blow off studying for your national boards or lab practicals when you get home from a long day in the clinic and just want to relax. In some ways, clinical year takes more discipline when it comes to studying.
Below are some of my top tips to balancing clinical year and your daily task.
1. Familiarize yourself with the quarter requirements.
This will help you get into the mindset to start your new quarter in clinic. While also making you aware of those topics you should pay special attention.
2. Plan out your study schedule!
I would sit down and schedule out the topics I would study each day. So for example, I’d maybe jot down 4-5 topics to review each day when I would get home from my patient appointments up until the week before. When I would do an in-depth overview of all topics. This helped me stay focus while having attainable goals to stick to. Trust me, it is easy to put off studying.
3. Download your arsenal of phone applications to use during clinic.
Some of my personal favorites:
Merck Manual – requires subscription
Notability - this helps with the lab manuals if your forgot one of the 1,000 ortho tests.
Square Appointments - helps the patients and you remember appointments.
4. Buy comfortable shoes!
I mean not to state the obvious, but uncomfortable footwear can seriously ruin your day. Especially while adjusting multiple patients through the day. This is also not the time to test out your new Danskos to come to find out how terrible you feel in them. If you know you are going to be on your feet a lot, go for your tried and true footwear. I wore comfortable Coach and Micheal Kors loafers.
5. Don’t bring excess baggage.
Ladies, this is not the time to bring your favorite tote. You won’t always have a place to put it. Fit the necessities in your blue coat and leave everything else in your car. I recommend bring your AirPods so you're not forced to listen to the clinic music while charting.
6. Prepare to stay late and come early.
Forget about that Orange Theory Fitness class you signed up for. Be prepared for schedule changes.
7. Don’t forget to have fun!
This is a time to learn when you don’t actually have any “real” responsibilities. So enjoy, have fun, and take it all in because you won’t have this opportunity again once you graduate. Make sure to take a lot of pictures to remember the infamous grind time.
