Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Advice for newbies

Went to a conference today at my old stomping grounds. My interns are graduating!

I guess that means I'm old.

Here's some advice, hard-earned by me but free for you:

1.Be nice. This directly leads to
2. Your nurse makes or breaks you. I have been fortunate in this respect. Michelle, then Kim, then Jen have rocked.
3. The learning curve the first year of attendingship is steeper than internship.
4. Go to a coding/billing conference.
5. Don't go on a spending spree right away. I know, that first check is burning a hole in your pocket but trust me. Shovel money into savings.
6. Bring in a treat to the L&D nurses the first week you work. Remember, they have your back!
7. Get an MP3 player so YOUR music is playing in the OR. Even if everyone else hates it. ;)
8. Meet and greet the IM, FP, and peds docs.
9. Download some games onto your phone. Useful for whiling away time before a delivery.
10. Take some time off before starting.
11. Do NOT, under any circumstances, be a princess.
12. Yelling frequently means people ignore your yelling. Save it for the important stuff. I want people to KNOW when I'm pissed...and how to fix it.
13. Look at your billings monthly.
14. Be quiet the first few months as you figure out the politics of the hospital.
15. If L&D is swamped and nurses don't get lunch, spring for pizza delivery.
16. Treat your office staff humanely and they will reciprocate.
17. Learn which patients never, never get double-booked.

Did I miss any?

1 comment:

dr. whoo? said...

I love this. Great rules to live by. I have got to get working on a new OR playlist... :)