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250 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make And How to Avoid Them
Every year there are medical students that excel in their clinical clerkships while many others remain average performers. What is it that sets apart these top performers from their colleagues? In this book, formerly known as the 101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make and How to Avoid Them, Dr. Samir Desai identifies the mistakes that prevent students from reaching their full potential. These are the very mistakes that the top performers avoid.
232 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 31, 2012
I got this book after a resident I worked with recommended it as a good read for students entering their clerkship year. The book is written for students in U.S. programs. I am in Canada, so I found some of the specific points mentioned to not be relevant, but otherwise it was geared at an appropriate level for me.
My general impression of the book is that it states a lot of things that shouldn't need to be stated. Things like - show up on time, don't badmouth people you work with, work hard, etc. I was surprised that the authors felt that so many of these basics needed to be mentioned explicitly. A lot of them could fall under the category of general professionalism, and would be appropriate for any job.
Some of the points they made were helpful in that they prompted me to think about situations in advance and identify ways to address concerns before they became problems. Other points gave specific tips on how to e.g. prepare for presenting patients, giving presentations, and organizing your day.
Other points they made were simply unhelpful - the advice really amounted to "don't make mistakes", and "make sure you know the answers to questions you are asked". That does not in any way help prepare me for wards. Most med students, entering 3rd year, don't need a motivational talk to remind them to study - we are acutely aware of how little we know and how far we need to come. What we need is help navigating the system of rotations, evaluations, and exams enough to not just survive it but learn the skills and information we need to be able to do our jobs.
The book also cites studies that have examined things like: factors that influence preceptors' evaluations of students, most important personal qualities ranked in evaluations, and statistics about residency admissions. I think the authors included this in an effort to make some of the sections more evidence-based and provide standardized advice. Personally, I'm not sure this works - while it may be possible to get general trends of e.g. what qualities preceptors evaluate highly, there is so much variation among preceptors that choosing a strategy based on what a book tells you rather than on your experiences with that individual would be a poor choice. Secondly, and more importantly in my mind, I think using studies like this in the wrong way encourages a formulaic, robotic approach to clinical work rather than on developing the attitudes and skills that will help you not only pass your rotations but prepare you for work in the profession.
Overall, I would say that the book has some helpful points, but they are mixed in with some that are time-wasters and some that may make you focus unnecessarily on details that don't matter much. It's worth a read, but should be taken with a hypertension-inducing-sized grain of salt. ;)
My general impression of the book is that it states a lot of things that shouldn't need to be stated. Things like - show up on time, don't badmouth people you work with, work hard, etc. I was surprised that the authors felt that so many of these basics needed to be mentioned explicitly. A lot of them could fall under the category of general professionalism, and would be appropriate for any job.
Some of the points they made were helpful in that they prompted me to think about situations in advance and identify ways to address concerns before they became problems. Other points gave specific tips on how to e.g. prepare for presenting patients, giving presentations, and organizing your day.
Other points they made were simply unhelpful - the advice really amounted to "don't make mistakes", and "make sure you know the answers to questions you are asked". That does not in any way help prepare me for wards. Most med students, entering 3rd year, don't need a motivational talk to remind them to study - we are acutely aware of how little we know and how far we need to come. What we need is help navigating the system of rotations, evaluations, and exams enough to not just survive it but learn the skills and information we need to be able to do our jobs.
The book also cites studies that have examined things like: factors that influence preceptors' evaluations of students, most important personal qualities ranked in evaluations, and statistics about residency admissions. I think the authors included this in an effort to make some of the sections more evidence-based and provide standardized advice. Personally, I'm not sure this works - while it may be possible to get general trends of e.g. what qualities preceptors evaluate highly, there is so much variation among preceptors that choosing a strategy based on what a book tells you rather than on your experiences with that individual would be a poor choice. Secondly, and more importantly in my mind, I think using studies like this in the wrong way encourages a formulaic, robotic approach to clinical work rather than on developing the attitudes and skills that will help you not only pass your rotations but prepare you for work in the profession.
Overall, I would say that the book has some helpful points, but they are mixed in with some that are time-wasters and some that may make you focus unnecessarily on details that don't matter much. It's worth a read, but should be taken with a hypertension-inducing-sized grain of salt. ;)
May 27, 2019
Good things to watch out for on the wards.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews