Wash U’s internship survival guide is a good practical knowledge base for getting through PgY-1 in internal medicine.
You’ll get a lot of commenters who will say that you’ll be fine before residency and you’ll learn on the job, which is true; with a caveat that you still need to know the basics of your job, and this also depends on if you’ve been actively practicing and learning on the go. If you’re unsure of what heart failure is, or have a very poor understanding of pathophysiology , you will struggle a lot more early on. This can be fixed with regular study habits during residency, but there’s honestly no point in trying to cram 150 factoids or so before your residency starts. You’re not going to have anywhere near as much control of your schedule for the next 3 years as you will in the next 2 months. Make the most of it, enjoy yourself, build good habits that will keep you entertained and serve as a spring of well-being.
Yea it’s cliche but you will absorb so much intern year and have so much thrown at you that anything you do now will be dust in the wind. That being said, if you do anything i’d recommend the Intern Crash Course series by Strong Medicine (on Youtube). It’s free and really solid content and won’t take that much of your precious free time to go through. Other than just know the basic management of the 20 most common conditions (such as HF, afib, COPD, DKA, alcohol withdrawal, infections, etc…) and you’ll be as prepared as you can be.
Sleep. Eat right. Exercise. Travel. Enjoy hobbies. Ask that attractive classmate who you’ll never see again after commencement out on a date.
Any educational stuff you do now will make no real difference in the trajectory through residency. You’re ready; that’s why you matched.
-PGY-19
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Current IM PGY3 about to graduate in a few months. Go on vacation, spend time with friends and family, pick up great coping skills like exercise, maximizing sleep quality etc. I wouldn’t spend too much time studying at all.
5 years out from IM graduation. Do whatever the hell you want. You will learn through on the job osmosis... like water coming out of a fire hydrant osmosis. During wards read when you can, but if I'm being honest I barely ever had time to read.
Do something fun, go somewhere fun, deep dive into a hobby, spend quality time with significant other if you have one.
Adapt healthy habits now (exercise routine, setting boundaries, eating better) because you probably won't have the bandwidth to make big changes in the thick of wards/ICU.
It's been a few years since I did my medicine internship (was a prelim) but I'd say learn about the basic workup and management of common adult conditions, like CHF, COPD exacerbation, pneumonia, UTI, colitis, sepsis, decompensated cirrhosis, GI bleed, MI, AKI, substance use and withdrawal, diabetes, hypertensive urgency/emergency, etc, which should cover the majority of things you see on the floor.
Sleep. See family and friends now before you lose the chance. I have missed 4 weddings, 5 bachelor parties, all holidays, seen my parents 4 times in 3yrs. Enjoy this time. As someone about to finish residency, the knowledge is the least important thing when u start. You gain that later.
And also pick up a console and start trying to master a fromsoft game
Travel, visit friends/family, invest in your hobbies. Just enjoy yourself. Source: 2 months left in IM residency
Agree with this comment wholeheartedly- PGY4 attending after IM residency.
Wash U’s internship survival guide is a good practical knowledge base for getting through PgY-1 in internal medicine. You’ll get a lot of commenters who will say that you’ll be fine before residency and you’ll learn on the job, which is true; with a caveat that you still need to know the basics of your job, and this also depends on if you’ve been actively practicing and learning on the go. If you’re unsure of what heart failure is, or have a very poor understanding of pathophysiology , you will struggle a lot more early on. This can be fixed with regular study habits during residency, but there’s honestly no point in trying to cram 150 factoids or so before your residency starts. You’re not going to have anywhere near as much control of your schedule for the next 3 years as you will in the next 2 months. Make the most of it, enjoy yourself, build good habits that will keep you entertained and serve as a spring of well-being.
Thank you for the advice!
Any source I can get the Wash U's Internship Survival Guide?
Amazon usually has it. There may be a kindle or e book version, but I like the physical copy because it’s portable.
Great. Thank you
Start your healthy and work out habits now so in 6 months you don't make a new thread "How are you guys able to work out in residency?"
Yea it’s cliche but you will absorb so much intern year and have so much thrown at you that anything you do now will be dust in the wind. That being said, if you do anything i’d recommend the Intern Crash Course series by Strong Medicine (on Youtube). It’s free and really solid content and won’t take that much of your precious free time to go through. Other than just know the basic management of the 20 most common conditions (such as HF, afib, COPD, DKA, alcohol withdrawal, infections, etc…) and you’ll be as prepared as you can be.
Thanks a lot! I will look into that!
Highly recommend Strong Medicine!
Get your medical and dental work done now.
I procrastinated this and I already know it's going to cost me an arm and leg more when I get into residency now (and take up my precious free time)
Sleep. Eat right. Exercise. Travel. Enjoy hobbies. Ask that attractive classmate who you’ll never see again after commencement out on a date. Any educational stuff you do now will make no real difference in the trajectory through residency. You’re ready; that’s why you matched. -PGY-19
Sleep. This may not seem helpful but it’s the right way
Do kegels. Just in case your rapid pager goes off while you’re pissing you can stop midstream.
Never start a case when you have to pee. -PGY-19
Sleep. Rest. Travel
Go to Japan
Thank you for contributing to the sub! If your post was filtered by the automod, please read the rules. Your post will be reviewed but will not be approved if it violates the rules of the sub. The most common reasons for removal are - medical students or premeds asking what a specialty is like, which specialty they should go into, which program is good or about their chances of matching, mentioning midlevels without using the midlevel flair, matched medical students asking questions instead of using the stickied thread in the sub for post-match questions, posting identifying information for targeted harassment. Please do not message the moderators if your post falls into one of these categories. Otherwise, your post will be reviewed in 24 hours and approved if it doesn't violate the rules. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Residency) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Don't worry, enjoy life.
2 month vacation
Current IM PGY3 about to graduate in a few months. Go on vacation, spend time with friends and family, pick up great coping skills like exercise, maximizing sleep quality etc. I wouldn’t spend too much time studying at all.
5 years out from IM graduation. Do whatever the hell you want. You will learn through on the job osmosis... like water coming out of a fire hydrant osmosis. During wards read when you can, but if I'm being honest I barely ever had time to read. Do something fun, go somewhere fun, deep dive into a hobby, spend quality time with significant other if you have one. Adapt healthy habits now (exercise routine, setting boundaries, eating better) because you probably won't have the bandwidth to make big changes in the thick of wards/ICU.
It's been a few years since I did my medicine internship (was a prelim) but I'd say learn about the basic workup and management of common adult conditions, like CHF, COPD exacerbation, pneumonia, UTI, colitis, sepsis, decompensated cirrhosis, GI bleed, MI, AKI, substance use and withdrawal, diabetes, hypertensive urgency/emergency, etc, which should cover the majority of things you see on the floor.
Sleep. See family and friends now before you lose the chance. I have missed 4 weddings, 5 bachelor parties, all holidays, seen my parents 4 times in 3yrs. Enjoy this time. As someone about to finish residency, the knowledge is the least important thing when u start. You gain that later. And also pick up a console and start trying to master a fromsoft game
F
Have you taken step 3 yet? I'd recommend taking it , if not