Making the Rounds: A Prescription for Success?
I spent this past weekend catching up with some college friends who are now physicians. As we reminisced about bad dorm food, all-nighter study sessions, and a few adventurous road trips, the conversation inevitably turned to our respective careers. There was no shortage of stories about the noticeable impacts of budget cuts, the memorable patients and students we have met, and the ebbs and flows, highs and lows, of two very challenging professions.
As physicians often do, my friends also traded war stories about their experiences as interns and residents. They hated the long hours and tough working conditions, but spoke fondly of the on-the-job training and mentorship routinely offered by more experienced physicians, something that far exceeds anything provided to new teachers. An important component of this training and mentorship, which often continues well into one’s medical practice, is the “rounds.” Working in teams, doctors visit patient rooms where the assigned physicia