Starting Intern year, any advice?

Breezer

Best way to keep track is to fill in your timesheet every day. Did I do this? Not once. But I should have.

I'd agree with pretty much everything that's been said above. I'd also suggest getting your own copy of the BNF, preferably on a smartphone if you have one. Saved me hours of frustration hunting down hospital copies which inevitably go missing.

If you have a co-intern, communicate with each other. It sounds obvious but it's so important. Same for your SHO/Reg.

Don't refer to yourself as "Doctor X" when talking to other staff members. It makes you sound like a knob. Do let patients know you're a doctor though, as they deal with so many different people and can easily assume you're a student or some other staff member. Personally I hate putting "Dr" in front of my name so I go with "Hi I'm *First Name*, I'm one of the doctors."

And your first call will be hell. Your second will probably also be hell. You'll feel completely out of your depth, will most likely get no sleep and will want to kill yourself by about 3am. Hang in there, it gets better

locum-motion

How was the first week?

Another tip; learn the requirements for what must appear on a Controlled Drug prescription, and use them.
Otherwise, sooner or later, you'll get a pharmacist ringing you up and saying 'Write it out again, get it into the post by 5:30 and the patient can have their medicine tomorrow.*"
Just by the way, not only is it an offence for a pharmacist to dispense an incorrectly written prescription, it is also an offence for a doctor to issue one.**

*: or "in three days time", if you do it on a Friday.

**: This post was prompted by a prescription one of my colleagues was dealing with today: I was assuming "first week on the job, haven't been taught yet". Then I had a look; it was a Consultant!

drzhivago

Rick Dagless wrote: »

Hey there, shall soon be starting intern year and would welcome any tips, career advice or such from all those with experience of the Irish health system...

Much obliged

www.lifeinthefastlane.com

HAs a book purpose written for interns on call, very useful

locum-motion

Hi, Dr. Dagless,

I saw your name popping up in another thread and I remembered this one.

So, you're now approaching the end of your intern year; What's next for you? And how has intern year been?

L-M.

Rick Dagless

First of all, thanks for all the tips! Being organised is half the battle!

It's been an interesting year, long and tiresome at times but ultimately rewarding. The system has its flaws and hopefully the speed of change regarding efficiency etc will accelerate but despite all my misgivings and even through the long 30hr + shifts, it's worth it!