I am back on the infectious diseases consult service this week and the number of phone calls/pages is nothing short of astounding. It is the new interns and wow are they green.
The potential safety ramifications of new trainees are significant as reported here in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, where increases in fatal medication errors were observed in July, exclusively in teaching hospitals.
As a consultant, I commonly experience poorly communicated consult questions and mistakes in care coordination and follow up.
When I find myself getting upset, which is often, I do my best to pause and simply remember: I was once an intern too.
Be patient, unlike Dr. House.
