About the Book Preface Table of Contents Sample Mistake What others are saying...

PREFACE

Every year in the United States, there are approximately 20,000 students who rotate through the Internal Medicine Clerkship. Many of these students find the clerkship to be an overwhelming experience. Few rotations require students to learn so much in so little time. Adding to the stress is the uncertainty that accompanies the start of the clerkship. Students are often unsure of how to admit, work-up, present, and perform write-ups on patients that are assigned to them. In addition, students recognize that clinical clerkship evaluations are important in the residency application process. These concerns, which weigh heavily on the minds of students everywhere, create an environment in which mistakes can easily be made. These are the errors that prevent students from securing the best possible evaluation. For some students, the consequences of repeating these mistakes can be longer lasting. In fact, they can haunt students well after medical school graduation, preventing them from reaching their full potential as physicians.

Until recently, books about clinical clerkships, including the Internal Medicine rotation, have focused entirely on educating students on what they should do. What is often left out is any discussion about the things that students should not do. With that being said, it should come as no surprise to anyone that students make the same mistakes year after year. Since students can gain valuable insight by learning about their predecessors' mistakes, we offer you this new book titled the Internal Medicine Clerkship: 150 Biggest Mistakes and How To Avoid Them.

This book not only introduces you to these mistakes but also shows you how to avoid them. Avoiding these pitfalls is crucial for rotation success. Once you are familiar with these errors, you can do everything in your power to avoid them, thereby placing yourself in a position to excel during the clerkship. Even if you happen to make these mistakes, this book will show you how to recover from them quickly and help you prevent them from happening again.

Readers who are familiar with the book, 101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make and How To Avoid Them, may wonder what the difference is between these two books. This new book essentially picks up where the other left off. Whereas the 101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make and How To Avoid Them offers recommendations, tips, and suggestions that are generally applicable to all rotations, the Internal Medicine Clerkship: 150 Biggest Mistakes and How To Avoid Them offers advice specific to the Internal Medicine Clerkship.

The detailed information that is provided in this book will help students effectively preround, shine during work rounds, deliver polished oral case presentations, develop thorough write-ups, create well-written daily progress notes, and impress the attending physician during rounds. These are the keys to securing the best possible evaluation, strong letters of recommendation, favorable Dean's letter comments, and building the foundation for a successful career as a physician. We wish you the best during the Internal Medicine clerkship and hope that this book becomes your companion, providing you with the tools needed to tackle the challenges of this rotation.

- Samir Desai, MD
- Phillip Ramos, MD
- William Lee, MD
- Vaishalee Padgaonkar, MD
- Abhay Bilolikar, MD