I’m a student again.
I don’t know the lingo or the acronyms.
I don’t know which computers I can use (apparently not the ones with the scanners).
I don’t know where the bathrooms are or when I can pee or eat.
I’m rounding with attendings that I don’t know, so I have no clue what they want.
Here’s the good news: I’m learning. I’m getting exposure to things I’d never normally see. You need a challenge to grow. You don’t get new experience by doing what you’ve always done. That’s one of the reasons I’m in multi-specialty surgery. I get lots of “new” cases and new docs. I’m always learning and growing.
Being in unfamiliar territory is exhausting. Your brain is working like a climber attempting a difficult pitch. It takes all of your concentration. It takes everything; you’ve got just to keep up.
That mental strain is almost impossible to maintain. The good news is that it gets easier. Once you learn the route, you know where the handholds are. You know where your feet go and where you can rest along the way.
It’s the same thing in school. Although they keep throwing new things at you, you start to figure it out over time.
I know where the bathrooms are now. I know about when we finish every day. I know which patients to see. I know where to find the labs in the computer (most of them).
Key terms give you the same feeling when you’re learning medicine or taking tests. When you learn them, they work like bombproof handholds. You can grab them and hold on. You can use them to rest for a second.
If you’re just starting to study a new topic, you can use key terms as a starting point and then attach details around them.
If you’re in the middle of an exam, key terms give you a much-needed mental break and a little confidence boost.
I’m quickly learning the flow of the day in the ICU. There are ways to learn faster. There are ways to get better at things you’ve been struggling with.
The Final Step was designed with that in mind. It’s made up of just over 1,200 quick questions to help you memorize the most important information for medicine and the PANCE.
Start to feel more comfortable. Click below and get your copy before your next exam:
Brian Wallace
