101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make, And How To Avoid Them

I have a couple of copies of this book that I hand out to my students on the first day of the rotation. Since it is a quick read, it doesn't take them long to read it. When they are done reading it, they often say to me "this is common sense" and I agree that some of the mistakes are common sense. Despite reading it, most then go on to make some of the same mistakes that are in the book. At first, this surprised me. But then I figured out why. It's because these mistakes are so easy to make that you don't realize you're making them. Now, I encourage them to read it every week - since starting this policy, they are making less of these mistakes on their write-ups, oral case presentations, talks, and attending rounds. One student told me that he read the write-up chapter every single time he wrote a write-up to make sure he didn't make any of the mistakes.

Don't get me wrong - it's not a perfect book. For example, it doesn't offer rotation-specific advice like "First Aid" does nor does it show you how to write a progress note or admit note like "How to be a truly excellent junior medical student" does. But none of these three books are perfect and that's the big take home point, in my opinion. Until that perfect book comes along, I recommend using either "First Aid" or "How to be a truly excellent junior medical student" along with "101 biggest mistakes".


101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make: And How   August 28, 2003
 5 out of 9 found this review helpful

This book basically picks up certain points from the First Aid for the Wards. There are not 101 mistakes..some are repeats. As well, these mistakes are common sense. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!! It's a waste of money. The First Aid for the Wards goes into much more detail and it has high yield facts for each rotations.


don't buy this book--it's all common sense!   August 16, 2003
 11 out of 14 found this review helpful

I'm a 3rd year medical student that bought this book online, not knowing the contents. Turns out the 101 mistakes 3rd year med students make can really be boiled down to maybe 5-6 mistakes (this book took me about 30 minutes to read). For instance don't forget to go over chest xrays with your intern and your resident and the radiologist and the attending before presenting your case (this counted for 4 different mistakes, one for each person you forgot to go over the xray with) and the same for EKGs (another 4 mistakes for everyone you forgot to go over it with). Asking to be evaluated by a variety of your superiors also counts for a handful of mistakes, and the rest is common sense eg don't eat or fall asleep or appear uninterested during rounds, don't walk around the hospital covered in blood etc. I am so mad at myself for buying this book--it really wasn't what I was expecting. If you really want to buy something pick up "surgical recall" instead, it has great tips for being a clerk in general not just for surgical rotations. I've also found "how to be a truly excellent junior medical student" really informative and it's miniaturized so you can carry it easily. good luck with clerkship!