Podiatric Information Overload

You almost have a month under your belt in the 2006-2007 academic year. Chances are that you are moving at a very fast pace and putting in long hours at your program. This is just what it takes to get the most out of the greatest opportunity of your life… Residency is an extremely unique time in your life; a time when you are actually being paid to LEARN. I can think of very few circumstances in any profession in which this is the case.

One problem that will arise often is information overload. You have too many sources and types of data coming at you in a relatively high pressure environment, AND you are expected to keep up with all of it. How many journals can you read in your ‘free time’? How many PRESENT lectures can one expect to digest? How many conferences and case presentations can you prepare for? How many texts and references did you check before the case you have tomorrow morning? Do you also take out time to read the trade, political, and practice management publications of the profession?

The task is in-fact rather impossible, but with a proactive stance you can make the most of the time you have. Time management is a very big factor in a successful residency. There are indeed better and more efficient ways to get things done, and part of your job must be to maximize these opportunities. Watch those around you and see how they get things done and how they keep up with all that comes at them everyday. I have placed the link for a piece that I wrote last year on one such time management tool here, PubMed.  It's free and is quite empowering for young doctors....

Have a great rest of the week!