Table Of ContentStewart H. Lecker
Bliss J. Chang
Editors
The Ultimate Medical
School Rotation Guide
123
The Ultimate Medical School Rotation Guide
Stewart H. Lecker • Bliss J. Chang
Editors
The Ultimate
Medical School
Rotation Guide
Editors
Stewart H. Lecker Bliss J. Chang
Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA, USA Boston, MA, USA
ISBN 978-3-030-63559-6 ISBN 978-3-030-63560-2 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63560-2
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
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V
To:
Ahn Hyee, Moon, and Bright
Preface
I remember the frustration of asking upperclassmen what resources they used
to prepare for a rotation and being given a mélange of answers that all came
back to one theme—existing board preparation resources such as First Aid,
Step Up to Medicine, and Case Files. While these are great for standardized
exams, they do not contain the depth or practical details necessary to be suc-
cessful on a rotation. You cannot, for instance, merely know that the solution
to heart failure exacerbation is “diuresis”; there is much more depth to provid-
ing great clinical care. What does it mean to “be helpful” when in the OR?
What separates the superstars from the average student is all in the details.
This work was born to finally put to rest the age-old question of “How do I
prepare for this rotation?” It is meant to be a concise, one-stop resource for you
to use for your rotations. This work brings together twenty of the most tal-
ented medical students I know, utilizing their experience and expertise to distill
down everything you need to know and do to ace your rotations. Without fluff,
it covers the most common cases you will encounter as a medical student. We
provide you with everything we knew at the end of a rotation that we wish we
had known at the beginning. There is a true power and benefit to a work like
this, written by medical students, for medical students.
With the upcoming Pass/Fail changes to USMLE Step 1 in 2022, clerkship
performance will likely be by far the most important criteria for residency
applications. In fact, the letter of recommendation from attendings you’ve
worked with is already one of the most important factors—it is the best insight
into your clinical skills and potential to be a stellar resident. Given the subjec-
tive nature of student evaluations, obtaining great evaluations is a daunting
and uncertain prospect. However, our hope is that this book can help you con-
vince even the most subjective of evaluators to provide you with the stellar
evaluations you deserve so you can pursue your dream residency and career.
All the best in your studies. May medicine benefit from your successes on
the wards.
Bliss J. Chang
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
VII
Acknowledgments
Lead Editor
Bliss J. Chang
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
Co-Editor
Stewart H. Lecker, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Director, Nephrology Fellowship Training Program
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA
Radiology Image Team
Sukjin Koh, MD
Department of Interventional Radiology
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Colette M. Glaser, MD
Department of Radiology
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Erika M. Chow, M.D., M.B.A.
Department of Radiology
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Interpersonal Skills
Authored by:
Jeffrey Herrala
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
Faculty Reviewers:
Erik Alexander, MD
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Director of Undergraduate Medical Education and the Principal Clerkship
Experience
Executive Director of the Brigham Education Institute
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA
William C. Taylor, MD
Associate Professor of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Department of Population Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Director of Medical Education, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
Boston, MA
Student Reviewers:
Allison A. Merz
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
V III Acknowledgments
Pranayraj Kondapally
University of South Alabama Medical School
Class of 2022
Adam Beckman
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2022
Priya Shah
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2022
Lin Mu
Yale School of Medicine
Class of 2020
Wellness
Authored by:
Amira Song
Harvard College
Class of 2020
Student Reviewers:
Bliss J. Chang
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
What Attendings/Residents Look For
Authored by:
Bliss J. Chang
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
Stewart H. Lecker, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Director, Nephrology Fellowship Training Program
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA
Faculty/Fellow/Resident Contributors:
Krishna Agarwal, MD
Melanie Hoenig, MD
Larissa Kruger, MD
Rahul Maheshwari, MD
Wilfredo R. Matias, MD
Edison K Miyawaki, MD
Subha Perni, MD
Celeste Royce, MD
Stephen Sozio, MD
Anonymous x3
Student Reviewers:
Curtis Bashore
University of Minnesota Medical School
Class of 2021
Jenna Fleming
University of Minnesota Medical School
Class of 2021
IX
Acknowledgments
Amanda Zhou
Yale School of Medicine
Class of 2022
Clinical Tips and Pearls
Authored by:
Bliss J. Chang
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
Student Reviewers:
Cara Lachtrupp
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2021
Lin Mu
Yale School of Medicine
Class of 2020
EMR Tips and Tricks
Authored by:
Bliss J. Chang
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
Screenshots Courtesy of:
Epic Systems Corporation
1979 Milky Way
Verona, WI 53593
Reviewed by:
Epic Systems Corporation
1979 Milky Way
Verona, WI 53593
Student Reviewers:
Daniel Michelson
University of Minnesota Medical School
Class of 2021
Amrita Singh
Yale School of Medicine
Class of 2023
Internal Medicine
Authored by:
Bliss J. Chang
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
Faculty Reviewers:
Yamini Saravanan, MD
Internal Medicine Clerkship Director, Cambridge Health Alliance Hospital
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA
X Acknowledgments
Student Reviewers:
Simon Yang
University of Minnesota Medical School
Class of 2021
Lucas Zellmer
University of Minnesota Medical School
Class of 2021
Baraa Hijaz
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2024
General Surgery
Authored by:
Selena Li
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
Faculty Reviewers:
Roy Phitayakorn, MD MHPE (Med) FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Director of Medical Student Education and Surgery Education
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
Elan Witkowski, MD
Instructor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
Student Reviewers:
Ameen Barghi
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
Danny Wang
WashU St. Louis School of Medicine
Class of 2020
Lena Trager
University of Minnesota Medical School
Class of 2022
Huma Baig
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2021
OB-GYN
Authored by:
Allison A. Merz
Harvard Medical School
Class of 2020
Faculty Reviewers:
Celeste Royce, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA
