Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
Practice Perfect Editor
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Podiatric Medicine
Surgery & Biomechanics
College of Podiatric Medicine
Western University of
Health Sciences
St. Pomona, CA

To The Students: Recommendations for Your Upcoming Clerkships

It's that time of year for my 3^rd, almost 4^th year students at Western University CPM: clerkships. At WUCPM, our students spend about six months of their fourth year doing clerkships. Although it's difficult to travel around the country for such a long period of time for this many clerkships (almost all of them before the residency interviews), provides the students with heavy exposure to a good number of potential residencies, while also providing a broad clinical exposure.

However, the clerkships are very stressful for students, regardless of what college they attend. There are so many unknowns and this breeds fear. Recently, one of my students asked for advice about preparing for and doing well during clerkships.

Here's my random list of 21 pieces of advice for succeeding during clerkships:

	1.	Look up the list of attendings at the clerkship. Learn about them (Google). If they have published, read their papers.
	2.	Find out about the program beforehand. Speak to a resident. Try to understand the lay of the land. Also consider the location, where you're living, distance from the hospital, etc.
	3.	Study all of the most common pathologies, so you're ready and not hesitant when you get there. Consider writing up short algorithms of the major disease treatments. Make sure you recall all the little pimping details from various topics. For example, directions of guidewire placement for bunion surgery. You can find these by looking through McGlamry and some of the board review books.
	4.	Bring a copy of your CV.
	5.	Have a couple of PowerPoint™ lectures canned so you don't have to rush to create something at the last minute. Sometimes they'll ask you to lecture on something you're interested in and sometimes they'll assign something. You might suggest a topic (one you've already created) when you get there, before they assign one to you.
	6.	Know your antibiotics.
	7.	Have a list of medications for various problems and how to write their Rx (ex, steroids, antibiotics, opiates, NSAIDs, nausea, constipation, etc.).
	8.	Wear clinic attire the first day. They'll tell you if scrubs are OK.
	9.	Be early, stay late.
	10.	Ask to help. Ask again later. Ask again even later. Be that person they can rely on.

	11.	Be friendly, smile, but don't come across as a butt-kisser.
	12.	When they offer criticism (good or bad) nod your head, say "OK" and "thank you" when you feel appropriate.
	13.	Don't argue with anyone. Don't talk badly about anyone.
	14.	At the midpoint of the month, ask them to give you feedback about how you're doing.
	15.	At the end of the month, thank everyone you worked with (even if it was a terrible month).
	16.	Send a thank you note in the snail mail one week after the clerkship ends.
	17.	If you're really interested in the program as a possible residency, then plan to visit again at least once before the CRIP (unless you're there in December).
	18.	Keep your eyes open and ask lots of good questions. If you can get the answer yourself by looking it up, then you don't have to ask.
	19.	Don't just ask a question to ask it or have something to say. That annoys people.
	20.	Be appropriate. Don't have "relations" with anyone involved in any way with the clerkship.
	21.	Last and most importantly: Don't stress the fact that you have no clue what's happening the first couple of days. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

One final piece of advice. Try to have fun and make the most out of the time you're at the program. You'll never again have the ability to learn with almost no responsibility. Good luck with your clerkships.

Best wishes,

Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT Practice Perfect Editor
[email protected]