This post is mostly for the current student doctors who will be residents next year (Or if you haven’t done orientation yet for this year). Congratulations in advance! This time is extremely busy with moving and all the random onboarding things that are required to start your first job as a doctor. Here are some things that helped me get through orientation without any snags.

1. Planner/notebook/pens– Last week was full of important dates that were thrown at me along with emails that I needed to send to people for parking, IDs for other medical centers, etc. Using a planner helped me to remember that I was supposed to email John and what I was supposed to be telling him. I had a little to-do list within my planner so I would be able to knock out all my tasks and prioritize them by importance. The notebook is a hit or a miss- I used the papers that were in the folders already to jot down any notes I had. There were so many maps in my folders that I just flipped some over and scribbled on the back to organize my thoughts. However, having a notebook was beneficial for electronic medical record training to try and remember some of the cool shortcuts.
2. Multiple forms of identification– To prove that you are cleared to work in the United States, schools/programs must fill out an I-9 verification form for each employee. They usually recommend bringing 2 forms of ID (social security card, passport, etc) so they can complete this form for you. I am type A and unfortunate events occur in my life, so last week I brought 3, just in case. Your school will send an email with the acceptable forms of identification, but don’t forget these because it will just be a headache to go back and grab them.
3. Health information– At some point during the week, people are going to ask you if you have been vaccinated and if you have proven immunity to various illnesses. Bring your health information for quick reference for when they ask you. Even if you upload them or email them ahead of time, it is always a good idea to be safe when it comes to this stuff. Bring it with you so no one can say you didn’t send it in. It is so easy to lose someone’s information when it is swimming in a pool of information from ~500 other residents.
4. Tote Bag/Backpack– So this one seems like a no-brainer, however, I tried to be cute and bring my smaller purse and was drowning in folders by the end of orientation. The folders couldn’t fit in my purse, so my arms were full for multiple hours of waiting in long lines. I had a feeling this was going to happen, but I ignored my intuition and went for the smaller purse. Don’t be me! Bring a larger bag or even a backpack to hold the folders and binders that your program will give you.

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5. Breakfast– Rome and I have a motto that we stick to: never go to events hungry. This motto has saved us more than once from being miserable hungry people at long events. Orientation was no different. Your program may serve you breakfast, they may not. After doing the breakfast gamble one time and losing royally, I don’t suggest gambling. Be prepared for anything. Bonus points for bringing snacks. I know I sound like your West Indian grandmother, but I care about your well-being and your stomachs. It’s hard to focus on resident benefits when your stomach is growling, just saying.
6. People’s names– This is my extroversion speaking, but seriously, it was fun to meet new people. While I was meeting my co-interns in clumps, I made a genuine effort to remember their names. The next time I started a conversation, it was much easier to jump right in because I already had their name down.
7. Your photo ready face– We took SO MANY pictures during orientation. Every ID that we obtained needed its own picture. Don’t make the mistake I made in forgetting about the composite. This picture will be posted everywhere… EVERYWHERE! This composite is for other services to know who they are calling for consults/who is being exceptionally rude on the phone. This was the day, of course, that I didn’t wear makeup because I thought we were done with pictures. Nope. Surprise!!

Hope this non-exhaustive list helps you! The general idea is just that it’s better to be safe rather than sorry and that you shouldn’t make some of the mistakes I did.

Love you guys,

Lise