What skills/procedures should I be learning before I start residency? NCCU skills etc

[IMG69]

Now obviously i'm not gonna learn shunts etc or surgical skills but I'm more referring to things like intubation, getting good at ABG's/finding vessels? Trach's maybe? Central lines (maybe just understand techniques).

Any other recommendations? I'd like to go in with at least a basic skillset/some general knowledge of indications etc. My current hospital is very practical so i'm looking to make the most of it.

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[ValentinNarcisse]

Now obviously i'm not gonna learn shunts etc or surgical skills but I'm more referring to things like intubation, getting good at ABG's/finding vessels? Trach's maybe? Central lines (maybe just understand techniques).

Any other recommendations? I'd like to go in with at least a basic skillset/some general knowledge of indications etc. My current hospital is very practical so i'm looking to make the most of it.

Good to get familiar with these, but odds you can gain technical skill doing procedures as a medical student is low. You will learn in residency. Focus on learning critical care medicine - pressors, vent settings, reversing anticoagulants, electrolyte management, sedation/anesthesia.

 

[IMG69]

Perfect, thanks a lot that was exactly the response I was looking for!

 

[longhaul3]

Agree with above, although if I had to pick one skill it would be arterial lines. That is the one procedure you may find yourself doing (as the primary proceduralist) on day 1 of residency. Also probably the one you're most likely to be allowed to do as a med student.

The overall most important skill I think you can learn is reading neuroimaging. You don't have to be an expert but the sooner you can tell abnormal from normal and operative from nonoperative on a head CT the better. You will be seeing consults day 1, and unlike in most other specialties, many of our most common reasons for consult require urgent intervention. You will probably have appropriate supervision but it's important to pick up quickly.

 

[IMG69]

Any resources anyone would recommend for learning the crit care aspect? I'm UK and I was reading the Oxford handbook of Critical care during placement as one of the surgeons had it in his collection which seemed pretty good and covered everything.

 

[longhaul3]

Handbook of Critical Care is good. The Neuro ICU book is the standard in our field.