Polite Dissent

It’s July 1st, the day the new interns start in hospitals across the country. It’s their first day of being a “real doctor.” In honor of them — and remembering my first days on the job — here are 5 quick important lessons. Some of these were mentioned in medical school, but those were the lectures you probably slept through. These apply mostly to primary care doctors, but are skills every doctor should have.

1. Learn to Give Shots
   A quick skill to learn that will pay back dividends many times over. This is a key skill if you’re going to be a deployed military physician or plan on going on any humanitarian missions.
2. Learn to Give Bad News
   Don’t hesitate or hem and haw, just say it directly and simply. Don’t have the nurse call a patient’s family with bad news, do it yourself. The family (and the nurse) will be grateful.
3. Learn to Talk about Sex
   Again, don’t hesitate or hem and haw, just say it directly and simply. If the patient wants to use strict anatomical terminology, stick with thatbut I find that most patients are more comfortable using slang. The patients with the most questions about sex seem to be adolescents and late middle age men and women.
4. Trust Your Instincts
   I was once taught that if “even the thought of an LP crosses your mind, it means the patient needs one.” If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
5. Save Time for Yourself
   Keeping yourself sane is always important.