Just showing up... BS.
You need a survival kit.
Always have something edible in your pocket, even if it's just a little thing of peanut butter you swiped from the supply area or a packet of sugar. You can learn to eat almost right in front of someone without them ever knowing if you have something bite sized you can swallow whole and you learn some magic sleight of hand technique. Correct that no one should see you eat ever except for another resident, and keep it to the call room if you can't pull off the magic trick. But don't eat anything particularly appealing (ie go to the cafeteria for a nice hot plate) unless you've asked others what they wanted you to bring back for them. If it's something from home or you had on you, keep it simple to minimize jealousy, or else bring enough to share. Feeding fellow residents makes life 20% better. In general, you will see what the culture of eating is at your program. Just because the attending is eating does not mean you can. Follow an upper's lead.
If you can, have in the workroom/locker/bag/coat pocket:
On your person:
Multiple caffeine sources, some that need no prep, pills or the shot bottles, or maybe tea or instant coffee if you can spoil yourself with a cup and tap water
APAP or NSAID
Breath mints (all docs seem to have coffee halitosis breath, I prefer to not be one of them despite the lattes I guzzle)
If your specialty has a white coat field bible, like PocketMedicine
Any other pocket reference for whatever essential topic you feel the most insecure about in your knowledge base (be it EKG, abx, whatever)
I always have the Sanford guide to abx, unless you feel really confident about abx stuff (even then, this book is likely better. The only thing better than it is the hospital/local area biogram)
Dosing guide if you're not having your hand held by Epic
At least like 2 colors of pen I would say, maybe a highlighter
ACLS cards - yeah, it's not likely you'll need them, but better safe than sorry, plus there's some stuff in there that's always helped me w/ stroke admits
Travel toothbrush, toothpaste, facewash, comb, extra undies, socks, shirt (you can get away with rewearing slacks or have a spare set) it's better to appear on time to work and then slip away to brush your teeth than be 5 min late because you did it at home, and assuming no body fluid accidents it's still good to have extra clothes in case you need to sleep at the hospital. Seriously, please find somewhere to sleep there if there is any chance you are too tired to drive home safely.
Ditto learn the layout of the hospital.
Scour the residency program materials/website about anything that's actually practical:
ESPECIALLY PHONE/PAGER NUMBERS!
Expectations about notes, where to find templates, standard order sets
Anything about your programs EMR, like signing in, if you have a desktop
Accessing email, how to get email on your phone
Usually there's a website with a lot of stuff like this, make it your wonderland
Play with your pager until you know how to operate its every function in your sleep
Depending on what your first rotation is, find a survival manual geared for that. That's helpful for ICU, night float, wards. For FM I guess I would say there must be something about the top problems you'll see and basic plans for that.
Phone apps that might be helpful:
Epocrates, since you're doing FM the USPTF I don't know the acronym guidelines, other med calculators like for Rx'ing antihypertensives, statins, DVT, PE risk, strep, etc
Have a system in place for organizing scut sheets, lab values, your presentations, and to-do's, or at least have thought about this by reviewing what's out there
Most of this stuff is more useful for wards, but I hope some of this helps you with FM.
It's true, the key is just figuring out where you are supposed to be when you're supposed to be there, and making love to your pager.
Be humble, always choose being likable over looking smart, don't bitch, offer to help someone with their work if you're not on the edge of death and have one more note or order left in you, do as you're told, bite your tongue as much as you can, turn it into a challenge to yourself to do so at every opportunity.
Only point out or correct someone above you in the most tactful, humble, polite, I'm almost phrasing this as a question kind of way, and only because it will really truly largely make a difference in management.
I can't ethically tell you to lie about duty hours.... Remember, the fastest note wins.
It is better to be told that your notes are ugly as hell (while containing the bare minimum, never do less than the bare minimum) than to be told they need to be done faster. Your number one job is writing notes. Followed by answering pages.
Remember: you are a note monkey making love to a pager. Seriously.
