Inside the ER: EMRAP Round 2 (Overcoming Obstacles)

As I have talked about before, I struggle with approaching doctors and being more social in the ER. As long as I do my job, I think that I am doing great things with my internship. However, there are times when there is no one to be consented for my clinical research, and this is a great time to socialize with medical staff. Yet, I am always so scared and shy because I feel that I would just be hampering their time. So, over the past few weeks, I have been trying to change that. During downtime, I walk around and ask doctors if I can shadow them. Some would decline politely, others would say yes but forget, and some say yes and take me everywhere. By shadowing doctors, I am able to be more confident with myself and am able to pass the time more quickly during slow days in the ER. At home, I would think of potential questions that I can ask the doctors when I shadow them, and this has been a great help for me. Also, when I am feeling shy, I use one of the audits to walk around and observe the medical staff; by doing so, I am able to make myself present and more visible. Being more visible is key because eventually someone says hi! I have met new nurses and doctors this way, and I am more comfortable to approach them now. I also would go into the break room and chat with whoever is on break; I learned that this is a great way to talk to people without being a burden on their work or their time. During the summer, I used my downtime to study for my MCAT, when I should have used it to network and shadow the medical personnel. Now, I am learning how to communicate with the medical personnel, and I hope that I continue to develop my confidence and networking skills.