Never thought this day would come.. the day I could no longer call myself a Scribe, employed at a hospital, partnered with incredible physicians. But, it’s here! I have learned more over these past two years than I have in my entire life. I feel obligated to share. Feel free to read through all 106 things as necessary.
1. You can do anything you set your mind to.
2. People can be really, really mean.
3. 80% of your job as a physician practicing medicine will be spent behind a computer.
4. Hospital cafeteria food is actually really good.
5. Once you get past the point of sleep deprivation, you can pretty much do anything.
6. The only thing accurate about Grey’s Anatomy is death.
7. You cannot do anything alone in medicine. You will always need help with something.
8. Everyone needs a role model.
9. No matter how much you love something, there will come a time when you hate it.
10. Intubations are not as dramatic as TV makes it seem. Except if you discover the airway is compromised and you have to place a trach (SO COOL).
11. Chest Tubes, however, are incredible to see.
12. You’re never as smart as you think.
13. You can make up your own medical term and no one will know.
14. Things get real weird on nightshift.
15. Blackout curtains are very important.
16. Some doctors really hate being doctors.
17. After a while, nothing will be a big deal to you anymore, because nothing compares to the moment you call time of death.
18. It’s okay to take a breather every now and then.
19. Doctors still have to study and look things up after 30 years of practicing medicine.
20. Learn your differential diagnosis.
21. Say yes to every opportunity.
22. Mistakes are good. You can’t learn without them. Just don’t make the same one twice.
23. Pay attention to the little things. Details make all the difference (and can save a life).
24. Never pass up a good conversation and a good laugh during a stressful shift. We’re all just trying to get through it.
25. You’re only here for 12 hours.
26. Music makes everyone work a little more efficiently.
27. When you feel burnt out, wait for a second.. be patient. Soon, something will happen which reminds you of why you love it here.
28. Let patients see you wash your hands.
29. It’s okay to be really tired. But don’t overwork yourself.
30. Be very honest about what you don’t know.
31. Always ask questions.
32. Know your family medical history.
33. Know how to deal with difficult people.
34. Don’t go into medicine because you watched a cool medical drama on tv.
35. The Emergency Department is like a constant adrenaline rush. You’ll surprise yourself with how much stress you can handle.
36. Become numb only when you need to get through the moment. And then let yourself feel.
37. Ladies, period tracker apps are important. Doctors like to know when your last period started.
38. Don’t be that person who comes into the ER and tells everyone you’ve been a nurse for 25 years.
39. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself.
40. It can be really hard not to laugh in a patient’s face. Also, I’m pretty sure every doctor alive makes it their #1 goal to get their scribe to laugh in front of the patient + entire family.
41. You won’t survive medicine if you don’t love it.
42. Everyone freaks out about dislocated bones.
43. There is really not a lot you can do to save someone in cardiac arrest.
44. CPR is not portrayed accurately on TV. The body actually flops around on the bed.
45. Don’t run through the hospital unless you want random people to follow you because they think you’re running to a code.
46. Learn where everything is and how to get to it fast.
47. Carry tongue depressors everywhere.
48. Just go ahead and buy your own Audiscope.
49. If you like living in your comfort zone, medicine is not for you.
50. You’re gonna have to do a lot of things you don’t want to do.
51. Figure out how to “talk doctor” when talking to another doctor.
52. Close the curtain behind you. But not for a psych patient.
53. Patients sometimes make up their own language.
54. Chest pain is sometimes just chest pain.
55. Make time to eat or else you won’t eat.
56. There is always something you could be doing.
57. Doctors rarely do CPR.
58. The reason why your doc only spent 2 minutes with you is because he/she also has 14 other patients, 3 lac repairs to do, 1 silent code, 1 I/D, a patient in SVT and he/she still has to go to the consultation room to tell a room full of people their family member died.. all while getting more patients.
59. Handle only what you can handle. Admit when you need help.
60. Know when your symptoms started.
61. You’re either gonna love everything about medicine, or you’re gonna hate it.
62. At some point, you’re gonna get blood on your shoes.
63. You will feel every emotion eventually.
64. There is a lot of domestic violence going on.
65. Everything you learn in medicine is altered to fit a specific patient’s needs. Nothing is completely by textbook.
66. Triage. Triage. Triage.
67. Every shift will be a reminder of how much you don’t know.
68. Some people come to the ER just for food and a nap.
69. No two days are ever the same.
70. People love coming to the ER at 2AM for their ongoing tooth pain onset 1 year ago.
71. Not everything is an emergency.
72. Be stern. Be strict. Be confident. When you need to ask something, ask. When you need to do something, do it. You will get run over otherwise.
73. You’re gonna have some really bad days. No way around it.
74. You’re gonna have a lot of deep-belly laughs with a lot of great docs.
75. Figure out how to cope with whatever horrible thing the ER decides to bring you that night. Everyone copes differently. Do you.
76. Never forget your ID badge. Can’t get anywhere without it.
77. Doctors are regular people with regular lives who eat regular meals but with weird sleeping schedules.
78. Never forget your jacket. Hospitals are freezing.
79. Don’t believe everything EMS tells you.
80. Patients will lie directly to your face.
81. Listen to other staff, but don’t completely trust them. It’s better to just check those lab results yourself.
82. Nothing is scarier than a sterile field, being unaware of what you’re allowed to touch.
83. Some days the doc will be 2 steps ahead of you, some days you’ll be a mile ahead of him. Adjust accordingly.
84. As referenced above, there will be times when you really have to bug the doctor about being a doctor. Keep him/her on track.
85. Every role in the ER is important. Without one, the whole system can fail.
86. It’s never gonna slow down, so just go ahead and take that bathroom break.
87. Write everything down.
88. Study a lot. Actually, never stop studying. There is always more you can know.
89. You’re gonna get yelled at very often.
90. Your patient actually didn’t take his meds this morning, he ran out 2 weeks ago. He is lying to you. (see #80)
91. Consulting another doctor can go one of two ways.. either they’ll happily see the patient or tell you that you’re wasting their time.
92. It doesn’t matter what time it is or how mad the GI doctor is, if you need to call them, call them.
93. Trust your gut.
94. Have a life outside of the hospital.
95. Military time only.
96. Always draw blood on a cardiac arrest. Make sure that blood gets placed into the right hands.
97. Look out for those ST elevations.
98. There will be a lot of times you ask yourself if you’re cut out for this. Push through.
99. Build good relationships. Your coworkers understand how you’re feeling, what you just saw and what you’re going through. No matter how badly you want your best friend to understand, they just can’t.
100. Always knock before entering.
101. Never leave a room without asking the patient their allergies.
102. Be alert. Be active. Be aware of everything.
103. Do things without having to be asked.
104. If you’re in medicine, you’re most likely a type A personality. This is a good thing.
105. At the bedside of the patient is not the time to let all your emotions show via facial expressions.
106. Cherish the simple diagnosis. It’s not a bad thing when the doctor can’t pinpoint anything wrong with you.
