How do you get an IM letter if you have a new attending and residents every week?

[606577]

The attending comes in for an hour for rounds. They switch to a new attending and different residents each week so I can't really build any sort of meaningful relationship.

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[FantasticDoctorFox]

The attending comes in for an hour for rounds. They switch to a new attending and different residents each week so I can't really build any sort of meaningful relationship.

Are you a 3rd year or are you on your Sub-I?

 

[DerpStore]

They know people want letters. Mention to your attending at the beginning of the week after rounding some variation of "Hi just wanted to let you know I'm interested in IM (if you are), please let me know if there's anything you see me doing that I could improve upon." And then the seed is planted in the attending's fertile mind-soil, and at the end of the week you can reap a nice letter as he has now been paying attention to you and knows your interested, provided you've done a good job and have built the most modest amount of rapport. Some folks have told me they ask about letters on day one, which I would find kind of unsettling.

 

[firewalker]

The attending comes in for an hour for rounds. They switch to a new attending and different residents each week so I can't really build any sort of meaningful relationship.

I'm in the exact same boat here. My school makes us do a crazy amount of primary care rotations all third year so now I'm getting to do awesome sub-I's like ICU but every week is a new face. Tomorrow I'm just biting the bullet and asking an attending that seemed to like me even though I've only had him for a single week.

 

[iBS1972]

A week is plenty of time for your attending to know your performance and even clinical reasoning. The things they really care about are: you're not lazy, you can give a good patient presentation, and you have a iota of medical knowledge. You'll see what I mean once you're a 4th year medical student and there's a 3rd year on your team.

 

[GrandBuckeyeOH91]

The attending comes in for an hour for rounds. They switch to a new attending and different residents each week so I can't really build any sort of meaningful relationship.

Hope this isn't too late, but this was similar to my situation on IM. I worked with attendings that were on for 2 weeks at a time, so I had a little more time with the attending than you did. I just tried to give spot on presentations, assessments, and plans. Put your ideas out there even if you think it may be wrong. The one thing that I think really made me stand out was that I presented a research article on every one of my patients. That really seemed to impress my attendings. I suggest throwing that in there, since you have such little face time with them. Just pull them aside after rounds and be like "I found this really interesting article that's relevant/similar to the case of Mr or Mrs so and so.."

 

[WhiteCoatWonder]

Hope this isn't too late, but this was similar to my situation on IM. I worked with attendings that were on for 2 weeks at a time, so I had a little more time with the attending than you did. I just tried to give spot on presentations, assessments, and plans. Put your ideas out there even if you think it may be wrong. The one thing that I think really made me stand out was that I presented a research article on every one of my patients. That really seemed to impress my attendings. I suggest throwing that in there, since you have such little face time with them. Just pull them aside after rounds and be like "I found this really interesting article that's relevant/similar to the case of Mr or Mrs so and so.."

this is really great advice.

i actually ended up doing this and got a letter 13 days after meeting an attending. not only did we click, but i busted my everything and FOLLOWED UP promptly when he asked me to investigate something, anything... even if he'd "forgotten". i asked probing questions on rounds (ie after reading up on pathophys and uptodate treatment algorithms), stayed in the team room as much as possible, so when he came back around, i was always working on something relevant/contributory, etc.

 

[nitcomp]

Hope this isn't too late, but this was similar to my situation on IM. I worked with attendings that were on for 2 weeks at a time, so I had a little more time with the attending than you did. I just tried to give spot on presentations, assessments, and plans. Put your ideas out there even if you think it may be wrong. The one thing that I think really made me stand out was that I presented a research article on every one of my patients. That really seemed to impress my attendings. I suggest throwing that in there, since you have such little face time with them. Just pull them aside after rounds and be like "I found this really interesting article that's relevant/similar to the case of Mr or Mrs so and so.."

This was helpful! Thank you. Question, how do you pull an attending aside after rounds...especially if you round with a team. Isn't it awkward? Not aware of the dynamics and I start IM in a few weeks!

 

[UTsksk]

This was helpful! Thank you. Question, how do you pull an attending aside after rounds...especially if you round with a team. Isn't it awkward? Not aware of the dynamics and I start IM in a few weeks!

I was in this situation. After rounds had finished, I asked the attending if I could speak with them in private for a few minutes.