Time Management
It’s perfectly okay to enter residency without a mastery of time management skills, as even the most capable interns may struggle, too. There’s no secret or superpower, but rather, understand that building these skills is a process and that it takes time. What’s most important is to keep trying until you find what works best for you. Similarly, it’s important to acknowledge that there will be more than a few days when you cannot “do it all.” These days are the small hiccups that remind you that you’re only human.
The most helpful advice in building proper time management skills is to consider all of your goals/duties and prioritize them accordingly. Many residents carry a planner to develop a sequential list of objectives for a particular day while marking them off once completed. Of course, we understand that everyone has different priorities and that these vary from rotation to rotation and day to day. Keep in mind though that completing your professional duties, such as seeing your assigned patients and finishing your charts, should remain as a top priority. However, and above all else, your personal health should always remain number one.
As you progress further in your professional training, you’ll become more adept at certain techniques and procedures. Perfecting these skills will inevitably save you more time; therefore, continue to practice. It may also be helpful to develop a “system” or routine for a particular rotation that works for you, such that you can refine it over time. Furthermore, reflect and evaluate how you are spending your time while cutting out nonessential tasks. It is important to note though that accuracy should take the utmost precedence.
Find out what works best for you. Just because a certain strategy works for one resident doesn’t mean that it’ll work for you. If some advice doesn’t mesh well with your own style, then it’s perfectly fine to try something new. Experiment with different techniques and strategies to explore which work personally for you.
Many interns enter residency with a “perfectionist” mindset with the notion that they must do everything right the first time. However, mistakes will inevitably be made as you struggle initially, adapt new strategies, and grow from your failures. Don’t be afraid to completely change up your routine if it’s not working well for you or even for a particular rotation. Don’t shy away from failure. Don’t be a “perfectionist” who limits the opportunity to grow.
An important strength to have is learning to ask for help when needed. Residency can be quite overwhelming some days and the workload can quickly pile up in a moment’s notice. If you ever feel stressed during times like these, then it’s perfectly acceptable to reach out to a peer or senior resident. If the stress becomes too overwhelming to overcome, then please reach out to a faculty member to meet and reflect upon what can work best for you.
Though you may have a written schedule, it may be difficult to adhere to when you’re being paged and interrupted constantly for other tasks. Being flexible with your schedule will allow you to adapt more readily and reduce anxiety or stress. Furthermore, there will inevitably be sick days or unexpected events, so leave some room for such situations.
It’s important to realize that you can’t do everything in one day. If you attempt to complete all of your duties at work, then go home, exercise, cook, socialize, clean, and study, then you will quickly tire yourself out and feel anxious when tasks aren’t completed. Instead, it’s better to choose a few tasks to complete each evening. Regarding personal matters, understand that you may miss certain family events or holidays for your professional obligations; however, scheduling well in advance may minimize this situation.
We understand that residency can be quite stressful. In keeping yourself as priority number one, you should make time for yourself at the end of a long day or during a free weekend. Explore Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads, spend some time with your family and friends, or even snuggle up and read a nice book. Whatever it is, you do you.
In addition, time management during residency can be quite different from time management during medical school. To manage your time and professional responsibilities wisely, consider the following tips that worked for interns & residents:
From an Intern:
- If you anticipate a patient going home, then it may be helpful to prepare discharge summaries and print prescriptions beforehand to expedite the discharge process.
- Write out an hourly schedule with your patients’ names to reference when you need to check on them or a lab result.
- Develop a system that works for you. For example, put in all of your orders, ensure that your patient is taken care of, update the sign-out sheets for the incoming night shift residents, and then update discharge summaries in a sequential manner.
- To avoid bringing your work home with you, try to study or read articles during any downtime.
– Aisha Venugopal, MD, CHKD Class of 2021
From a Senior Resident:
- Triage and prioritize your schedule around your sickest patients. Any follow up orders, including laboratory work and imaging, should center around these patients first.
- Organization is key. Identify which of your team members are assigned to which patient and have them check in with you continuously.
- Efficiency is important; develop your technical skills and knowledge to better understand your patients. Knowing their pathophysiology well will save time.
- On overwhelming days, distribute your tasks among your interns and midlevel residents. Rely upon your team.
– Rebecca Furby, MD, CHKD Class of 2019