Preparing For FY1 – Courtesy of Twitter!

Chloe Gamlin

In a burst of nauseating enthusiasm over Christmas, I asked the sizeable corner of the internet that is #MedTwitter for advice on what to focus on for the final six months of medical school to help me prepare for F1. I was incredibly grateful to receive an extraordinary number of responses from doctors across the UK, which I’ve split into several categories below to make for easier reading. Enjoy!
 
DAILY TASKS
Practical Skills
Lots of people highlighted these practical skills as particularly useful for FY1:

• Cannulas
• Bloods
• Catheters
• ABGs
• How to use local anaesthetic
• Interpreting ECGs
• Making up IV drugs
• Fluid Prescribing

 
And others broadened the traditional idea of practical skills to include:

• Touch typing
• Fixing printers
• Knowing what makes a ward round run smoothly

 
Documentation

• Get good at documenting ward rounds quickly and understanding how to prioritize different tasks (Dr Rosanna Bevan)
• Ask GPs what makes a good discharge summary (Dr John Watson)
  • Learn the skill of writing a good discharge summary that is succinct and useful for the GP. Inform us of major changes that have been made and please be aware that we sometimes don’t get them for weeks afterward (Dr Liam Barker)
• Think about any investigations you are requesting: will the result change your management or help to reduce the differential list? (Radiologist)
• Learn how to competently complete the MCCD ( Medicial Death Certificate) as well as complete cremations forms directly after. As an FY1 you will find this duty is put onto your when a patient unfortunately passes away and mortuary and bereavement staff can spend days tracking Dr (@TheIrishAPT)
• Keep a list of jobs and try to understand what the issue is with each patients and why certain investigations are ordered (Dr Fi Griffin)

 
Prioritisation and Organisation

• Ask for help in prioritising jobs. After ward rounds have a quick chat with the senior nurses and senior doctor colleagues to ask about which jobs are highest priority (Dr Andrew Meyerson)
• What you should and shouldn’t be doing on a night shift/ on call – certain things can always wait until morning (Dr Zoe Carrington)
• Organisation is the key IMHO. Start building systems on how you will remember all the jobs. Practical skills you will use every day are concise handovers, fast/touch typing, cannulation. (Dr Yvette Pyne)
• I would say have a think about how you will prioritise jobs after ward rounds. You will be tasked with 30 things to do- which ones go first? Which go later? Which go after lunch? Ask FY doctors how they do this, role model from ppl you admire (Dr Ben Lovell)

 
WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Communication Skills

• Be in the room when the SpR breaks bad news (Dr P. Thiagarajan)
• Focus on nailing communicating effectively – over the phone, presenting on the post take, writing clear and punchy clerkings and discharges (Dr Ben Stewart)
• Get as much shadowing as possible in the most difficult & upsetting cases to see how seniors handle having difficult conversations (Lynda, RN)
• How to make a referral & how to structure it based on what you need to achieve (Dr Andy Bailie)
• SBAR Handovers (Dr Richard Daniels)

 
Relationships

• Learn to be kind and compassionate. With yourself, with your colleagues (everyone you interact with at work) and with your patients (Dr Christopher Richard)
• Be nice to the nurses! (Dr Michael Underwood)
• Being approachable and friendly pays back in dividends. People remember how you make them feel (Psychiatrist)
• I was caught off guard as to the full influence/importance of pharmacists/OTs/nurses/PTs etc. Shadowing some of each for a day or two may prove really insightful (Dr Rhys Wenlock)

 
LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF
Support from Colleagues

• Accept tea when a colleague offers it – they may have noticed something about your behaviour/mood that you haven’t (Dr Madeleine Lameris)

 
Wellbeing

• Stop and take a deep breath when you need to (Dr Madeleine Lameris)
• Learn to take compliments/ constructive criticism well. Learn to take your breaks and your annual leave (Dr Leyla Türkoglu)
• Learn your rights & plan a break before Christmas (Dr Richard Daniels)

 
Maintaining Non-Medical Interests

• Keep exercising through the foundation programme!
• Focus on your own health and well-being and developing supportive relationships. A hobby or interest that you can keep up and enjoy during your medical career (Prof John Alcolado)
• FY1&2 is tough, but don’t leave your hobbies and passions behind. Make time for the important things. (Psychiatrist)
• Learn what you’re going to do in your down time to chill out (Dr Yossari-Asmin)

 
 
AND FINALLY…
Preparations just before starting F1

• Find out about the commonly used drugs/ procedures for your 1st ward (Dr John Watson)
• Shadow the on call F1/SHO and the night team (Dr Emma Shircliff)
• Find juniors who you respect and then shadow them. Do the things that they were going to do. That way you get some mentoring and will encounter the things you will do next year (Dr William Taylor)
• Further building on broad skills is key, such as prioritisation, teamwork and communication with patients, carers and colleagues. These are universal skills that cross specialities (Dr Sam Tromans)

 
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the twitter thread!
​Chloe Gamlin