Clinical Rotations In Medical School [Best Books and Resources]

Summary

The video script from 'MD Journey' offers a wealth of advice for medical students aiming to excel in clinical rotations and exams while retaining knowledge. It highlights resources like 'Life in the Fast Lane' for practical skills, 'UpToDate' for comprehensive medical knowledge, 'Pocket Medicine' for quick reference, and 'Anki' flashcards for efficient studying. The channel promises a new series to help students think like doctors, tackle clinical problems efficiently, and reduce anxiety on rotations.

Takeaways

• 📚 The channel 'MD Journey' is dedicated to helping medical students succeed with less stress through educational videos on studying, efficiency, and clinical rotation success.
• 🌟 Subscribing to the channel is encouraged for regular content on medical studies and clinical rotation tips.
• 💡 Lifeinthefastlane.com is a go-to resource for learning essential physician skills like interpreting EKGs and chest X-rays, especially useful for practicing pattern recognition.
• 🔍 EKG Wave Maven is recommended for practicing EKG interpretation during downtime, offering a variety of cases to improve diagnostic skills.
• 📝 UpToDate.com is highlighted as a comprehensive reference tool, but the speaker suggests using it to create detailed outlines on topics to deepen understanding and retention.
• 📚 'Pocket Medicine' is suggested as a portable, quick-reference guide for internal medicine, useful for reinforcing knowledge across various clinical rotations.
• 📘 The speaker endorses using pre-made Anki flashcards for efficient studying, especially during busy clinical rotations, instead of creating one's own.
• 🎓 'Crushing Clinicals' is a program mentioned that offers a step-by-step approach to excelling in clinical rotations and preparing for exams.
• 👨‍⚕️ The importance of mastering skills like EKG reading and chest X-ray interpretation is emphasized for building confidence and competence as future physicians.
• 📈 A new series of videos on the MD Journey channel is teased, focusing on teaching how to think like a doctor and tackle clinical problems efficiently.
• 👍 The speaker invites viewers to like, subscribe, and comment with topics they find confusing for potential coverage in the new video series.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to provide resources and tips to help medical students excel in their clinical rotations, shelf exams, and to retain what they've learned.

What is the name of the website recommended for learning essential physician skills like reading an EKG or interpreting a chest X-ray?

The website recommended for learning such skills is lifeinthefastlane.com.

How does the speaker suggest using lifeinthefastlane.com for improving EKG interpretation skills?

The speaker suggests using lifeinthefastlane.com to quiz oneself and learn the basics of EKG interpretation, including how to identify different waves and conditions like left atrial abnormalities.

What is the benefit of using the chest X-ray quizzes on lifeinthefastlane.com?

The chest X-ray quizzes help in pattern recognition and understanding abnormalities by comparing current and past X-rays, and they also provide clinical pearls and additional examples for practice.

What is the name of the resource mentioned for practicing EKG interpretation during downtime?

The resource mentioned for practicing EKG interpretation is EKG Wave Maven.

How does the speaker recommend using UpToDate.com for learning?

The speaker recommends using UpToDate.com not just as a quick reference, but also as a tool for creating detailed outlines on specific topics, as if preparing to teach them to others.

What is the name of the program that the speaker offers for a more step-by-step approach to excelling in clinical rotations?

The program offered is called 'Crushing Clinicals'.

What book is recommended for quick reference during clinical rotations?

The book recommended is 'Pocket Medicine', specifically the internal medicine version.

How does the speaker suggest using 'Pocket Medicine' to improve clinical knowledge?

The speaker suggests using 'Pocket Medicine' by reviewing the relevant section for each patient's main problem to reinforce learning and identify important considerations that may have been overlooked.

What is the speaker's opinion on creating one's own Anki flashcards during clinical rotations?

The speaker advises against creating one's own Anki flashcards during clinical rotations due to time constraints, and instead recommends using pre-made cards created by others.

What new series of videos is the speaker announcing at the end of the video?

The speaker is announcing a new series of videos aimed at teaching how to think like a physician and tackle clinical problems efficiently.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Medical Student Success Resources

This paragraph introduces the video's purpose: to help medical students excel in clinical rotations and exams while retaining knowledge. The speaker welcomes viewers to the 'MD Journey' channel, which focuses on study tips, efficiency, and clinical performance. The channel's content includes regular videos and a special announcement about learning to think like a doctor. The speaker encourages subscription and interaction, promising valuable insights throughout the video.

05:01

🩺 Essential Clinical Skills: Online Resources

The speaker recommends 'lifeinthefastlane.com' as a vital resource for learning essential medical skills like interpreting EKGs and chest X-rays, which are often not fully covered in medical school. The website offers quizzes and examples to improve pattern recognition and diagnostic abilities. The paragraph details how the resource can be used by medical students and residents to enhance their understanding of cardiac abnormalities and X-ray interpretations, including clinical pearls and comparative examples.

10:02

📈 Enhancing Diagnostic Proficiency with Practice

The speaker discusses the importance of practice in honing diagnostic skills, particularly with EKGs and chest X-rays. 'EKG Wave Maven' is introduced as a tool for self-assessment and learning through randomized case studies. The resource helps in identifying abnormalities and understanding their implications for patient care. The paragraph emphasizes the value of repeated practice for mastering diagnostic patterns and becoming proficient in recognizing various medical conditions.

📝 Utilizing UpToDate for Comprehensive Learning

UpToDate is presented as a reference tool often used for quick lookups by medical professionals. However, the speaker suggests a different approach: using it to create detailed outlines on specific topics as if teaching them to others. This method aids in deep learning and retention. The paragraph explains how to use UpToDate in conjunction with note-taking apps to compile comprehensive notes on topics like renal tubular acidosis, facilitating long-term understanding and readiness for future exams or discussions.

📘 Pocket Medicine: A Handy Clinical Companion

The paragraph highlights 'Pocket Medicine' as an essential resource for medical students, particularly during clinical rotations. The book provides quick access to fundamental medical information that is applicable across various specialties. The speaker shares a personal technique of reviewing 'Pocket Medicine' before patient care to reinforce learning and identify knowledge gaps. This practice is shown to boost confidence and competence in clinical settings.

📚 Leveraging Pre-made Anki Cards for Efficient Studying

The speaker advises against creating personal Anki flashcards due to time constraints during clinical rotations, recommending the use of pre-made cards instead. These cards are beneficial for studying for shelf exams and retaining information effectively. The paragraph suggests that utilizing the work of others can lead to more efficient studying and better performance in exams.

🎓 Support for Clinical Rotations and Future Series Announcement

The speaker mentions a program called 'Crushing Clinicals' designed to provide a step-by-step approach to excelling in clinical rotations. The program has reportedly helped students gain confidence, improve evaluations, and secure top residency spots. Additionally, the speaker announces an upcoming series of videos aimed at teaching how to think like a physician, addressing clinical problems efficiently, and tackling complex topics that may be confusing to medical students.

Keywords

💡Rotations

Rotations refer to the various clinical placements that medical students undertake to gain practical experience in different medical specialties. In the video, the term is central to the theme as the speaker discusses resources to excel in these clinical experiences, such as 'doing well on your clinical rotations' and 'remember what you learned on your clinical rotations'.

💡Shelf Exam

A Shelf Exam, also known as a subject exam, is a test that medical students take at the end of a medical school rotation to assess their knowledge in that specific area. The script mentions the desire to 'do well on your shelf exam,' indicating the importance of these exams in evaluating and reinforcing the knowledge gained during rotations.

💡Clinical Skills

Clinical skills encompass the practical abilities required by physicians to diagnose, treat, and manage patients. The video emphasizes learning essential skills such as 'how to read an EKG' or 'how to interpret a chest X-ray,' which are vital for competent medical practice.

💡Life in the Fast Lane

Life in the Fast Lane is a medical education blog mentioned in the script as a go-to resource for physicians, particularly for learning to interpret diagnostic tests like EKGs and chest X-rays. It is highlighted as a valuable tool for practicing and improving clinical skills.

💡EKG

An EKG, or electrocardiogram, is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart, which is crucial for diagnosing heart conditions. The script discusses using resources like 'lifeinthefastlane.com' to learn and practice interpreting EKGs, which is a key clinical skill.

💡Chest X-ray

A chest X-ray is an imaging procedure used to examine the heart, lungs, and other structures within the chest. The video script describes using 'Life in the Fast Lane' to improve the ability to interpret chest X-rays, an important skill for identifying various respiratory and cardiac conditions.

💡UpToDate

UpToDate is an evidence-based clinical decision support resource used by healthcare professionals to provide the latest information on medical treatments and guidelines. In the script, it is recommended as a tool for in-depth learning and reference, particularly for understanding complex medical topics.

💡Pocket Medicine

Pocket Medicine is a concise medical reference guide, often used by medical professionals for quick access to essential information. The video script suggests keeping a copy handy during rotations for quick reference and to reinforce knowledge on common medical conditions.

💡Anki

Anki is a flashcard program that uses spaced repetition to help with memorization. The script recommends using pre-made Anki cards for efficient studying, particularly for shelf exams and retaining information learned during clinical rotations.

💡Crushing Clinicals

Crushing Clinicals appears to be a program mentioned in the script designed to help medical students excel in their clinical rotations by providing a step-by-step approach, study tips, and resources for success in both exams and practical skills.

💡Medical Student

A medical student is an individual studying to become a physician. The script is directed at this audience, offering advice and resources to help them succeed in their clinical rotations and exams, emphasizing the journey from student to competent physician.

Highlights

Introduction to the MD Journey channel dedicated to helping medical students succeed with less stress.

Recommendation to subscribe for weekly videos on studying, efficiency, and clinical rotation success.

Announcement of a bonus for learning medical material and thinking like a doctor at the end of the video.

Life in the Fast Lane as a go-to resource for essential physician skills like reading EKGs and interpreting chest X-rays.

Use of quizzes and examples on Life in the Fast Lane to improve pattern recognition in EKGs.

Importance of practicing with chest X-rays to identify abnormalities and understand clinical implications.

EKG Wave Maven as a resource for practicing EKG interpretation and identifying abnormalities.

Using UpToDate.com for in-depth study and creating outlines to teach medical topics to peers.

Crushing Clinicals program for a step-by-step approach to excel in clinical rotations and exams.

Pocket Medicine book as a quick reference for essential internal medicine knowledge.

The practice of reviewing Pocket Medicine for each patient encounter to reinforce learning.

Pre-made Anki cards for efficient studying without the need to create flashcards from scratch.

The benefits of using pre-made Anki cards for shelf exams and long-term retention.

Upcoming series of videos teaching how to think like a physician and tackle clinical problems.

Invitation for viewers to comment on topics they find confusing for the new video series.

Encouragement to like, subscribe, and support the channel for more helpful content.

Transcripts

all right so you want to do well on your

rotations you want to do well on your

shelf exam and you actually want to

remember what you learned on your

clinical rotations well then you may be

asking

what resources should i use to help me

do that it's exactly what we'll break

down in this video let's get into it

alright guys welcome to the md journey a

channel completely dedicated to helping

students just like you succeed on their

medical journey with less stress through

videos about

how to study how to be more efficient as

well as how to do well

on your clinical rotation so if you're

new here consider subscribing because

we're putting out multiple videos each

week

and also consider hitting that like

button to just let me know that you like

content and want more like this in the

future and as a bonus if you're

interested in how to officially learn

your medical material and kind of think

like a doctor make sure you stay till

the very end i have a pretty cool

announcement but let's get into some of

the top resources to help you on your

clinical rotations to get those honors

but also more importantly

actually remember what you learned today

for the long haul

[Music]

so one of my favorite resources to use

to learn most essential skills that you

may need as a physician such as

how do you read an ekg or how do you

interpret a chess x-ray things that you

really don't learn well in medical

school unless you get a good amount of

practice

one of my favorite go-to blogs and

resources is lifeinthefastlane.com

so this was a website that i talked

about plenty of times on this channel

that was originally designed to help

emergency medicine physicians residents

but really is a resource for all doctors

of all kinds so if you go to something

as simple as ekgs as you can see you can

essentially either

quiz yourself or learn some of the most

basic skills possible like how do you

interpret a p wave how do you interpret

the rhythm

and it's just a huge resource to be able

to evaluate things like how do you know

if somebody has a large left atrium or a

large right atrium what's the difference

what do the ekgs look like and as you go

through more ekgs as you kind of learn

through the ekgs of your patients

you may find that it says patient has a

large left atrium but you really don't

know

what about that ekg points you to it so

you can use resources like life in the

fast lane

to have a whole section where they show

you multiple examples

on what leads to look at as well as

different ekgs that you can kind of

compare and contrast

and the beauty of this is every future

ekg you have

you can eventually get better that skill

i'm great now at looking for left

ventricular hypertrophy left atrial

abnormalities

but it's just because i've done so many

examples in life in the fast lane as a

medical student

as well as now as a resident and life in

the vaseline is not just about ekgs you

can also learn some really important

skills at chess x-rays one of my

favorite things to do

even to today is making myself go

through the various chess

x-ray quizzes where they present to you

a case as well as a chess

x-ray and you have to try to see if you

can interpret and find

the most common abnormalities so for

example here is an x-ray of a 79 year

old

who comes in complaining of increased

dyspnea and then we have a chest x-ray

from today

as well as a test x-ray that this

patient had from a year ago and you can

essentially compare and contrast

what is going on and seeing if you can

then find

all of the abnormalities that they

notice in their interpretation and one

of my favorite things about these x-rays

is that it doesn't just tell me what's

wrong with this one so for example this

patient has an enlarged cardiac

silhouette

their heart is a little bit bigger here

than it was before a year ago but the

bonus is

that usually they have some clinical

pearls and at times it's a powerpoint

slide

of other x-rays that look like this that

way you can get more

practice doing pattern recognition and

looking at other x-rays that are

abnormal and normal

and being able to also understand when

you should be concerned

and what type of things you should be

considering so i've done this before

with things

like in large cardiac silhouettes i've

done this with you know people who have

lung masses and being able to identify

them on your x-rays

and it's just a little bit of practice

that you get better at over time

the more you do and as you may have

noticed they already have more than 150

different chest x-rays so that's a lot

of practice and you can become really

good

really fast now make sure to add the

links to all these resources that i

mentioned throughout the video down

below so make sure you check those out

now another resource i've also talked

about on this channel but it's super

effective especially if you're trying to

get practice doing ekgs live in the fast

lane is great because it kind of teaches

you

the essentials and basics and it shows

you many different examples maybe you

just want to see an ekg and see if you

can see

all the abnormalities as well as all the

things that are correct with it

and potentially quiz yourself on what

you would do next for that patient

so one of my favorite resources is to do

this and i do this during like down time

during residency where i'm just waiting

for my attending to come i may just do

one or two ekgs

on a website called ekg wave maven again

i'll link that down below

but it's a beautiful resource of

intermediate difficult as well some easy

ekgs

so that way you can get some practice of

not only seeing one abnormality missing

all of them in one collective picture

and understanding what does that mean

for the patient what's going on and what

should i be concerned about so for

example here you can go ahead and just

say view a random case

you can click kind of your level of

expertise and you can click continue and

you're going to be shown an ekg

which you can go ahead and also increase

in terms

of your resolution and then quiz

yourself like what's the rate do i see p

waves what's the axis what type of

abnormalities do i see

there's a t wave over here and large and

then eventually go ahead and quiz

yourself on what you think the answers

will be and the beauty of these

explanations that it's really nice and

detailed to tell you

what the normal things are what abnormal

things are what to look for in each

different lead

after doing a few of these you find

yourself becoming really good at

identifying those little pieces of

patterns that really do make

the whole kind of situation of what the

patient may have so you get really good

at looking at hypertrophy on the left

ventricle or the rate or finding p waves

things that are really difficult unless

you do a few of them consecutively so

the next resource which is used by a lot

of medical students and residents and

physicians

is uptodate.com now most people use this

as kind of a short kind of reference

wikipedia

kind of tool for medicine and trying to

understand how

should i understand this medication how

long does it last

or how should i interpret or work up a

certain disease process but it's you

it's really used as a bite-size piece of

reference material

for most people on their medical journey

but i kind of like to use it a little

bit differently

so one of the first things that i will

do is actually make a list of the topics

that i've either heard about during the

week or throughout the month or the

rotation

and i realized that they are something

that i'd be uncomfortable with if i was

quizzed on it if i was pimped on it or

if it showed up on

a future exam so one of the things i'll

do to fill that gap in my knowledge is

i'll pull up up to date but i'll also go

ahead and pull up like a note taking

uh app such as onenote or notion or

evernote whatever maybe microsoft word

and then i usually try to almost create

like a huge outline

on that one topic as if i was going to

teach it to my medical students now

and it's a great way for me to go ahead

and learn a whole topic

using an amazing resource because up to

date has lots of references

and percentages and kind of a nice

breakdown and algorithms

but it also gives me kind of a big

picture view of how to understand the

topic

so if i'm trying to teach somebody about

renal tubular acidosis you may not learn

about that very

frequently or get enough practice unless

you're a nephrologist so one of the

things i'll go ahead and do is just type

in renal tubular acidosis and just pull

up

the most common example and then just

briefly read about this and make notes

on one note or

notion something that i could have on my

phone and then practice teaching that to

either

my fellow med students if i was still on

my clinical rotations or now

actually to my medical students as a

resident so it's a different way of

using up to date i still definitely use

it as just a quick reference tool but

this way it actually

forces me to learn the whole library of

information on one topic and then i

attempt to go ahead and teach that in a

nice concise kind of chalk talk so a few

more resources to share but if you are

going into your clinical rotations or if

you're doing your clinical rotations

already

and you want a step-by-step approach on

honoring every single one i have a

program that you guys can check out down

below it's called crushing clinicals

which a lot of students and youtube

viewers in the past have actually

been able to use and benefit in getting

their ideal grades as well as their

ideal residency spot

so that'll be linked down below now

number four on my list of top resources

to use on your clinical rotations is a

book called pocket medicine

this is a series so they have their own

versions for icu pediatrics and i'm sure

others such as emergency medicine but i

really recommend that you go ahead and

just grab the internal medicine one

it's usually an orange or a purple book

and just kind of keep it on the side of

your white coat the reason for this is

that regardless of what rotation you're

on there's just so much bread and butter

medicine that shows up on all of them

and so it's important to have a resource

and just kind of quickly refer

to and get the information you need i

have an interesting way of using pocket

medicine so if you're on your internal

medicine rotation or something in

medicine related this may work for you

but basically every time that i would

experience or admit a patient with a

certain problem let's say asthma or

pancreatitis or heart failure

even if i'm taking care of that patient

before i'll go ahead and just

flip through the pocket medicine section

on that particular

main problem the beauty of this is that

every time i do it i always find

something that i've forgotten or

something that i

need to remember to consider this

specific patient and again just like

your ekgs or your test x where you just

get so much better at pattern

recognition

and that practice eventually becomes a

little bit of mastery you know what labs

to order what things to consider

what scoring systems you use as well as

what medications to use to treat

that patient in the long run and the

ultimate effect of all this is that

you look more confident in front of your

team your residents you're attending

but you actually understand these topics

so if you were to see a patient in a

year or two from now

when you yourself are in residency

you'll actually feel comfortable taking

care of them and my final resource that

i love using on my rotations and i

recommend that you do the same are

pre-made anki cards now if you loved

using anki flash cards in your first and

second year of medical school

you may be trying to use the same on

your third year but you by no means have

to make your own and i would encourage

you probably

don't because it just takes too much

time especially when you're going

through a whole rotation throughout

the day you just need to be efficient

with your studying so honestly just take

the effort that others have put in in

making their own flash cards

and use these to study for yourself

exams i'll link down a few that i have

and sometimes the links will go and come

so apologies if they don't work just let

me know in the comment section down

below

but they're great for studying for each

individual shelf exam as well as setting

for things like step 2 ck but those guys

are some of my favorite resources to

help you not only do well in all of your

rotations and build some of the

essential skills like reading ekgs

chest x-rays and more but also just

becoming a

competent future physician that way you

can use these skills have that long-term

retention

and by the time you're in residency you

can feel a little bit more comfortable

than a lot of your peers but if you do

want help on your individual rotation if

you want more tips on pediatric surgery

you want to know what best resources to

use how to study for your shelf exams

as well as how to impress your

attendings i'll link down below a

program that we have on the empty

journey called crushing clinicals

and many viewers through youtube and the

podcast have gone through it already and

they found that you know

not only are they more confident and

just less anxious on their rotations but

they're doing better getting better

evaluations

and a lot of our former students have

been able to use that into getting

into their number one residency spot so

i'll link that down below in case you

kind of want a more step-by-step

approach and finally at the start i did

mention a bonus about

how to kind of think like a doctor how

to perceive different clinical problems

and become efficient when you do

have to learn a new bit of information

so one of the exciting announcements i

have for the md journey

is i'm essentially creating a new series

of videos where i will be teaching

now different topics um such as heart

failure pulmonology

different things that you'll be seeing

in the hospital is both a medical

student as well as a resident so if you

want a nice

efficient way of how to think like a

physician go into a patient's room

and be able to tackle a lot of the

unknowns and a lot of the topics that

may make you feel uncomfortable

if you didn't have a multiple choice

exam in front of you that's exactly what

this series is meant to do so if you

guys are interested i'm not sure when

this video will come out

based off when the program will come out

but i'll link it down below

and that way you guys can get some more

information and definitely comment

in the comment section below let me know

what topics you want me to cover in this

new series

what topics are really confusing to you

and you wish somebody just made them

easier things like antibiotics i promise

i got you

but if you did make it this far in this

video first of all make sure you hit

that like button it really helps both

the video the youtube channel and again

it tells me that you like this piece of

content

and i appreciate your support for doing

so that's basically going to be it for

this video guys thank you so much for

watching make sure you hit that

subscribe button if you haven't done so

already

appreciate you guys joining me on my

journey hopefully that was a little help

to you on yours

i'll see you guys in the next one peace