Care about your rotations and your patients! No matter the specialty.
Ask questions! Don't be afraid of asking a "dumb" question. It is better to ask and find out than to not know in the future! Your residents and attendings want to show off their knowledge and will love that you are interested.
Keep a small notebook in your white coat pocket. Use this notebook to prepare your notes for rounds, but also to jot down important tidbits of knowledge you gain throughout your rotation. Try to learn something from every patient, and write it down so that you remember and can look back to it in the future. Also, use it to write down notes learned during impromptu lessons given by residents or attendings.
Be happy, enthusiastic, on-time, and helpful. Getting flattering evaluations is extremely important third year, as your grade is mainly determined by these. It is difficult, don't get me wrong, to be "on" all the time and constantly feel like you're being evaluated (because you are). Just try your best. Ask questions, look interested, do what is asked of you, and try to help out as much as possible.
Don't be afraid to advocate for yourself, though. If you're just staring at a resident writing notes or putting in orders, odds are they want to get rid of you as much as you want to get rid of them. Ask, "Is there anything I can do to help you?" and they will usually realize that they are wasting your time and release you to go home or to go study. It is also okay to just straight up ask if you can go study. Keep a review book handy so that you can study without looking like you're reading ESPN on your phone.
Write a reflection after each clerkship. Write down what you liked and didn't like about the specialty to help you choose what you want to go into. Take advantage of time with attendings to ask them what they like and don't like about their career. Also, write down meaningful and memorable experiences with patients for use in your personal statement or interviews.
Always be thinking about letters of recommendation. Keep your eye out for rotations which allow you to spend a lot of time with the same attending. Make sure that attending sees your interactions with patients, hears your presentations, and sees your medical decision making. Ask them for a letter of recommendation at the end of the clerkship when they still remember you and your face. It is okay if you don't know yet which specialty you are going into. Best to ask just in case so that you have options at the end of the year and can upload whichever letters you think will be the most flattering.
Buy yourself some quality pens. I recommend these Jetstream Uniball 0.38 pens as the best pens for third year. Always keep a "bad" pen with you though just in case an attending or patient needs a pen and "forgets" to give it back to you.
Buy Pocket Medicine by Marc Sabatine and keep it with you at all times! This is one of my best pieces of advice for third years. Have this book with you at all times, especially during your internal medicine rotation. Look up diseases before you go to evaluate a patient so that you know what signs and symptoms to keep in mind. Read about workup and management so that you know what to recommend during rounds. Your residents will love having you nearby reading this book and recommending key points to them! Note: Buy the newest edition that is spiral bound. The old binders will be broken by the time you finish your third year. I promise it is worth the money!!
Smile! This is your chance to get exposure to things you may never see again in your career - for instance, the delivery of a baby or a check-up for a three year old. Try your best to remain enthusiastic!
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