I finished finals a little over a week before starting my first APPE at Yale-New Haven Hospital and was starting to become stressed. If you had asked me at the beginning of my P3 year if I was ready for my P4 year, I would have said, “Absolutely! Bring it on!” But after finishing classes, I was not as confident. I started to think of everything I did not remember, from the details about one particular disease state to what organisms this particular class of antibiotics covers to the exact treatment algorithm for that particular condition.
In an effort to prepare myself for rotations, I sought advice from everyone I could think of: older students, colleagues, friends, and professors. I was chatting with a professor one morning, one whom I consider a mentor, who finally gave me the most important advice for starting APPEs: take a deep breath and just relax.
Relaxing and enjoying my week off was not something I had considered. But what about reviewing all those guidelines and memorizing doses and reviewing every possible side effect for every drug???? I took my professor’s advice. Instead of studying and reviewing material, I made a conscious effort to sit back and enjoy the week before starting my APPEs. I went to two country concerts with my brother, went out with friends, took my dog Boomer for countless walks, and celebrated my birthday with my family. Think about some things you can do to relax before starting your rotations!
Sometimes preceptors will give assignments before the rotation starts, so those are absolutely important to do. Beyond those, enjoy your time off before starting! Do not get caught up in trying to study everything you learned in class from the past three years. The knowledge is in your brain somewhere, and you know more than you think. In my first week, I have found the transition much easier than I expected. As my preceptor told me, it may seem overwhelming at first, but everything will fall into place; he was absolutely right. Rounding with physicians and having them rely on you for drug-related questions at such a large and prestigious academic medical center was daunting, but I have learned much and have become more confident after only one week.
In summary, take a deep breath and relax before starting your APPEs. Go in with a positive attitude and an eagerness to learn. But do not think that you are expected to know everything, otherwise there would be no point in being there!
Tom Szymanski
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