I recently wrote about some tips on how to shine on your inpatient rotation, but there are ways that you can shine on your outpatient rotation, too. While the pace can be slower or faster in clinic depending on the office and day, there are definitely unique ways that you can be of help to your team when working in the office:
- Show up early. If clinic doesn’t start until 8:30AM, show up at 8:15AM, especially on that first day. Your preceptor will likely want to talk beforehand about how the day is going to run, and you don’t want to start off their packed patient load running late!
- Read during downtime. Just make sure you let your preceptor know you’re reading educational material on your phone, not scrolling through Instagram if you’re reading on your phone. 😉
- Make friends with the nurses. Besides generally being a really awesome group of people, nurses, techs, and other members of the medical team in the outpatient setting can really teach you a lot about the field if you take the time to ask them about what they do.
- Wear your comfy shoes. Outpatient medicine is a lot of running around from exam room to exam room, and sometimes there isn’t time or space for sitting. You’ll be able to function better as a medical student if you’re feeling comfortable, so leave those high heels at home. Oh, and bring a granola bar or two, too, in case appointments run through lunch!
- Ask how you can help. Perhaps this is just universal advice on being helpful. When in doubt, just ask!
