Being a family practice physician requires great attention to detail and often multi-tasking. How do you keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed?
"I have learned to recognize the things that may cause me to feel overwhelmed and try to address them before a situation gets out of hand. For example, I always like to make sure that I have reviewed and signed off on all of the verbal orders I had authorized. I also like to get reports on any patients I may be seeing so that I know what was going on with them before my arrival. This keeps things from piling up and leaving me to feel overwhelmed later on."
"Being a physician does require the ability to multitask while handling situations that may create stress. I feel it is important to know our own personal strengths and weaknesses. For instance, I am very detail-oriented and always write very detailed physician's notes. I like to make sure I collaborate with the charge nurse regarding patient goals for my shift are and make sure that I have a mental list of what needs to be done and in what order. It makes most situations less overwhelming."
Managing the care of several patients requires the ability to multi-task and ensure all details are checked and double-checked. In a physician interview, discuss your understanding of the importance of maintaining detailed records, performing multiple assessments, and handling medications and procedures efficiently and accurately. While physicians may not have to do all of these activities personally, it is still the physician's responsibility to make sure that correct orders are given and that a clinic or unit is run correctly.
"I am very detail-oriented. One of my strengths is to multi-task. I think I have medical school to thank for that! I have always tried to make sure that I have a mental list of things that I know need to be accomplished in a day and I try to work through it. Of course, as a physician, there is always the chance of something unexpected coming up, but that is just part of the job and we have to manage those issues as they arise."
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Anonymous Answer
I try to work with the nurse and try to have a mental checklist for the things I need to do first. Also, I try to make short notes about the patients (i.e., things they need to do, treatment plan) and at the end of the day, I can go back to my notes and reformulate based on my notes.
Chad's Feedback
The practice of writing short notes at the end of the day to keep yourself organized is an excellent habit to have as a family physician. I also like that you mention keeping a mental checklist of the day's tasks to work through. Nice job! I suggest replacing the word "try" in your response, as it implies failure. I have provided a suggested revision in the 'Professional Answer' section below.
I work closely with the nursing staff to delegate tasks, and I keep a mental checklist for the things I need to do first. These actions keep things from piling up and leaving me to feel overwhelmed later. Also, I am in the habit of writing short notes about the patients (things they need to do, treatment plans, etc.) at the end of the day. This enables me to go back to my notes and reformulate as needed, based on my previous assessment.
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