One word that best describes how you work?

Organized chaos (that’s 2 words)

Current mobile device

iPhone XS

Computer

2020 13″ Macbook Air + iPad with keyboard as a second monitort

What is something you are working on now?

Incorporating FOAM into our EM clerkship

How did you come up with this Idea/Project?

COVID decided for me — we’re working on a way to keep students engaged even though we’re still semi-distance learning. Additionally, I want to send my students into residency knowing that FOAM exists but needs to be assessed in the same way we think about peer reviewed literature.

What’s your office workspace setup like?

I have an office at our medical school that is a big flat surface in a square room with an internet connection. All of the art on the walls is of landscapes, no diplomas! It is off the beaten path (and also around the corner from the hospital Starbucks), which makes it a great place to get work done.

Since COVID, I’ve been doing the majority of my non-clinical work at home with essentially the same set up, but including a cat.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the office or home?

Everything goes into my Google calendar. If I need 30 minutes to read articles for our department journal club or food shopping, it goes in my calendar. It keeps me honest and on top of my to-do list. I try to protect a certain morning/afternoon a week (this year it’s Tuesday afternoon) for my own projects and writing and will defend that time from other obligations. I am still learning that I probably need 1.25-1.5x more time than I think to achieve any goal, though.

What’s your best time-saving tip regarding email management?

I am an inbox zero person. The 5 digit unread email number of one of my good friends gives me palpitations. My Gmail automatically sorts emails into buckets (e.g., advertisements, bills) so that my actual inbox is only emails that need immediate attention. If I can give a response immediately, I will. If I need more time to research an answer, I’ll reply as much, and stick it on my calendar to come back to. I’ve also really leaned into “snoozing” emails in both Gmail and Outlook. Things like the didactic conference schedule for this week or the agenda for a meeting later this week will get snoozed until 30 minutes before that time. Similarly, I schedule a lot of emails to be sent (like the medical student schedule that we send out weekly) so that I can put in a little bit of effort upfront and then trust Outlook to send that to faculty at a certain time.

What apps do you use to keep yourself organized?

Gmail, Tasks, and Google Calendar primarily. And also the notes app on my phone for random things that I don’t want to forget that come to me while driving or in the middle of the night.

How do you stay up to date with resources?

I subscribe to a few journal aggregators that send me weekly summaries of new articles and, of course, the EM:RAP and Twitter FOAM universe that sends me back to primary sources.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the ED?

Enter orders and write/dictate at least HPI/PMH after every patient. Every time I try to stack a bunch of patients (even low acuity ones) I end up getting interrupted and realize that I’m more behind than I thought.

ED charting: Macros or no macros?

Macros, with cautions. I have some standard physical exam and discharge instructions, but only use them for specific patients.

Advice

• What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about work, life, or being efficient?

  Say no to things after your first year out. Once you know what you like, ask yourself: is the time/effort required to participate in [admissions committee/ interdepartmental project / extracurricular project] worth what you get out of it? If the answer is no, don’t do it. If the thing that you get out of it is rest/relaxation that is a valid reason.

• What advice would you give other doctors who want to get started, or who are just starting out?

Say yes to things your first year out. This helps you meet people and learn about different niches that you can fill. But you can’t do this forever (see answer above).

• Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers?

Accept that things will not go according to plan and forgive yourself. One of the best things that I did in the last month was blow off a long meeting in that I had nothing much to add besides being a member of the quorum in order to go on a walk and watch a movie with my husband. I came back to work re-energized and was much more productive the next day. Totally worth it.

In the same vein, I’m a new mom and still struggling to find a balance between being home and present, clinical work, and non-clinical work, and am continuing to remind myself that as much as my son is growing, I am growing too! (Some days work out better than others).

Who would you love for us to track down to answer these same questions?

• Eric Blazar (@eblazar)
• Sugeet Jagpal (@ysugeety)

Read other How I Work Smarter posts, sharing efficiency tips and life advice.

One word that best describes how you work?

Collaboratively

Current mobile device

iPhone 11 Pro

Computer

MacBook Pro

What is something you are working on now?

The Impact of Digital Badges on Motivation in Asynchronous Learning

How did you come up with this Idea/Project?

When COVID hit, we had to think creatively on how to engage learners in an online format. Having done a fellowship in Multimedia, Design, Education Technology I was really excited to experiment with different techniques. My main goal is always to create a sense of engagement, even when there is limited ability to do so in a traditional way. One thing I’d seen done in a limited fashion are badges to reward learners, so I decided to explore digital badges and learned they’re becoming increasingly popular in the K-12 literature and other fields. I adopted this to create our own asynchronous curriculum with a badge system to identify learners who were engaging well in the material, and who were performing highly on knowledge-based quizzes.

What’s your office workspace setup like?

I finally have a dedicated office space in my home, which I love! I work best when I’m on my own away from distractions because I’m a typical EM personality. The window in my office looks out into our yard and the front street which is nice for a mental break. I like to keep my desktop clean (clean desk = clean brain) and just have my laptop and a notepad available to jot down quick thoughts or reminders.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the office or home?

Blocking off chunks of time to accomplish xyz task is helpful for me, as I often have multiple projects and/or tasks on any one given day. Prioritizing is important. I became pretty good at task-switching during my fellowship when I was juggling a lot of non-clinical projects.

What’s your best time-saving tip regarding email management?

I use a delete-flag-archive system, where anything not important in the future is immediately deleted, things that need close follow up are flagged, and everything else is filed into its relevant folder. I have 6-7 folders which I frequently use. One really helpful folder that you don’t always think about is for IDs/passwords!

What apps do you use to keep yourself organized?

I love the Things app for task management. It merges with my Google Calendar and allows you to set due dates for upcoming tasks as well as to documents to-do lists for bigger or more long-term projects. It is my peripheral brain! I also have a whiteboard in my office that displays my big projects. I like checking things off as a sense of accomplishment.

How do you stay up to date with resources?

Twitter is probably my main resource for connecting with colleagues about new ideas…I almost exclusively following folks in medical education. I use Journal Feed for quick synopses of review articles. And of course EMRAP.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the ED?

Try not to delay tough cognitive decision points that will affect the workup/algorithm that you go down. When you are not sure what to do, take a step back to think, call a consultant, or ask the advice of a colleague.

ED charting: Macros or no macros?

Yes! For example, I have an abscess I&D macro that contains less than 5 variables to fill out. Though, I dislike macros for more complicated encounters.

Advice

• What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about work, life, or being efficient?

  [Great creative minds] think like artists but work like accountants. – Cal Newport, “Deep Work”.

  I personally love to think about new ideas or projects, but unfortunately that does not equate to success. Success is the ability to organize yourself to be productive. This is a work in progress for all of us!

• What advice would you give other doctors who want to get started, or who are just starting out?

Get involved in a bigger way. Think about serving on a hospital committee or taking a leadership position. It will give you a new experience and accelerate your growth. For me, that was joining the EMRA Education committee, which ultimately led to me serving as the Director of Education for their Board of Directors. It was and has been a life changing experience.

• Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers?

Find mentors that believe in you. I was told by an advisor that if I wanted to do med ed, I had to have my entire career path laid out and was highly discouraged from considering it. A two year fellowship and an (almost completed) masters later, I’m very glad I trusted my instinct and did not listen to their advice. Eventually I looked elsewhere and found mentors who were willing to help me achieve my goals.

Who would you love for us to track down to answer these same questions?

• Kat Ogle @DrKittyKat
• Kristy Schwartz @kaynani32
• Zach Jarou @zachjarou
• John Eicken @MedEd_Tech

Read other How I Work Smarter posts, sharing efficiency tips and life advice.

One word that best describes how you work?

Practical

Current mobile device

iPhone 12

Computer

iMac Pro / Mac book Pro

What is something you are working on now?

Organizing/Planning the ACOEP’s annual Spring Seminar

How did you come up with this Idea/Project?

I have been part of the planning committee for the spring conference for 5 years.

What’s your office workspace setup like?

A well-lit room with decent speakers (huge music fan), 2 Macs side-by-side, and most importantly, a very comfy chair.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the office or home?

Keep your work in your office so that the remainder of your home is a comfortable place “away” from work. This concept will ensure that you maintain focus when completing your office work and support a healthy home that is not overrun by work responsibility outside of the office.

What’s your best time-saving tip regarding email management?

Anything by email that can be completed in 2 minutes or under, make time to complete if the moment is available. It is easy to allow the inbox to overflow throughout the course of a day. Periodically checking one’s email with purpose will ensure that the burden of finishing emails for the course of the day is no more than five minutes.

What apps do you use to keep yourself organized?

Google calendar is what I live by :)

How do you stay up to date with resources? 

FOAMed and journal watch

What’s your best time-saving tip in the ED?

Every time you sit down, document on two charts. As ED physicians we live and breathe based on documented reevaluations.  my recommendation to keep up with a busy room is to document on at least 2 charts each time.

ED charting: Macros or no macros?

Macros expedite charting and make each chart more robust

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about work, life, or being efficient? 

The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.

– Stephen Covey

What advice would you give other doctors who want to get started, or who are just starting out?

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

– Stephen Covey …………… it’s just a really good quote!

Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers?

Most people feel as if change is something that “happens to them”, it is not. One of the most constant themes in life is change. When you notice change starting to take place it is a sign that you need to grow.

Who would you love for us to track down to answer these same questions? 

• Dr. Marina Del Rios @DraCoquiMD
• Dr. Andy Little @andyglittle

One word that best describes how you work?

Efficiently

Current mobile device

iPhone 11 Pro

Computer

MacBook Air

What is something you are working on now?

This survey :) In seriousness, trying to complete a survey-based study on the effects of virtual rotations on the 2020-21 EM application cycle.

How did you come up with this Idea/Project?

This idea was generated by a subcommittee I am a part of through the Advising Students Committee in EM (ASCEM) through CORD. After brainstorming about the effects that the required conversion to virtual rotations might have had on this year’s students applying into EM, and how residency programs might view or interpret those “clinical experiences,” we decided to try to gather more data to not only help in the development of future virtual rotations but to also help establish a foundation on which virtual rotation experiences might be able to be interpreted.

What’s your office workspace setup like?

Desk with plenty of space for spreading out papers. Elevated second monitor with wireless full keyboard and mouse. Laptop stand for my MacBook to plug into my second monitor.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the office or home?

Honestly, upgrading to a second monitor and a full keyboard has made my work-life infinitely better! It allows me to work more efficiently just having more space to have multiple applications or documents open and visible at a time.

What’s your best time-saving tip regarding email management?

Stay on top of it! I try to buy into the “zero-inbox” philosophy. First and foremost, unsubscribe from anything you don’t use/need. Second, any of the “trash” emails you get from your institution, faculty group, etc. that you don’t read or need, immediately delete. Then use separate folders to archive messages you’ve responded to but want to hold onto. I do keep some emails in my inbox that include “to-do” items, but I try to daily or every-other-day clear these out too.

What apps do you use to keep yourself organized?

Nothing fancy, I have a running Google doc that includes to-do lists (for work and daily life), long-running projects with remaining steps (I tend to bold the next immediate step or the absolutely-have-to-do-today action item), or just thoughts and ideas. At the very bottom of my Google doc currently is a list of dim-sum restaurants I want to try :) I basically use this document as a second brain, I offload anything that I don’t want to have to constantly be thinking about.

How do you stay up to date with resources?

For current events, I get a daily email from theSkimm. I also subscribe to Journal Feed to stay on top of highlighted new research and publications. I’m an active member of AAEM, CORD, etc., and routinely go to conferences so I usually don’t have to worry about CME.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the ED?

Two tips. First, use the resources that you have. I lean heavily on my social workers, case managers, ED techs, etc. to help offload tasks (within appropriate means of course, but I don’t have to teach the patient how to use crutches if my tech is available to do it). Second, batch tasks. If you have to walk all the way across the department to check on a patient, make sure you also check on the other two patients along the way. Or instead of following up on each individual lab result, do other tasks for 10-15 minutes then review all your results at the same time. Recruit others to help too. If I need to supervise one of my residents with a procedure, I ask them to get all their supplies at the bedside, and if I’m not there in 15 minutes then to come grab me. It allows you to keep multiple tasks all in parallel processing.

ED charting: Macros or no macros?

Eh…. I’m not a big macro person. I have a standard one I use for general ROS and PE by age, but I don’t have extensive macros for HPI or MDMs.

Advice

• What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about work, life, or being efficient?

  Some of the best life advice I ever got was at the end of med school: “Not every decision has a right and a wrong answer; sometimes there is just a decision.” I feel like particularly in medicine we are trained to view decisions in a multiple-choice format, a series of “wrong” answers and a single “right” answer. For me personally, this advice was freeing. No longer do I have to agonize over every little thing, I can make a decision accepting that every option has both good and bad built into it, and then move on with my life. I don’t have to spend 10 minutes debating if the appropriate admitting service is Cards or Medicine, I can just choose one and trust that if I happen to be wrong no harm has come to the patient. It wasn’t “wrong” there was just a different option.

• What advice would you give other doctors who want to get started, or who are just starting out?

It’s worth it! The hard work, the committee you’re not sure you want to be a part of, volunteering for that one thing, saying hello to that one person, it is all worth it. Especially when you are just starting out, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Now granted, try hard not to over-commit, that way lies burnout. But you would be surprised by the number of connections you make, the opportunities that come your way, just simply by your being around and available.

• Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers?

Find yourself, mentors. And I specifically say mentors plural because you need more than one. It’s fine to have a mentor for your personal life, a mentor for your work life, and a mentor for your academic life. But make sure you have people around you to support you and help you keep growing.

Who would you love for us to track down to answer these same questions?

• Tim Young, MD @timpyoung
• Liz Fierro, MD @liz_fierro_md

Read other How I Work Smarter posts, sharing efficiency tips and life advice.

One word that best describes how you work?

Passionately

Current mobile device

Samsung Galaxy 9 (sorry not an apple/mac guy)

Computer

PC- Dell XPS

What is something you are working on now?

I am working on two very cool education projects right now within our ED.

1. I am creating a new curriculum for our senior ED residents at Swedish called MastER’s Class. The curriculum aims to prepare senior ED residents for life post-residency; looking at everything from contracts, litigation, finances, wellness, the business side of EM, job opportunities outside of the ED, and many more.
2. Resident T-ED talks. Swedish ED residents give mini-talks/lectures to our ED nursing staff on varying topics. Some examples: talk on a metric that our ED could be doing better on, how to debrief as an ED better, or winter is coming so look out for frostbite and CO poisoning. Our staff loves these and I have needed to expand the scope and number of times the lecture is produced. So I recently bought my first microphone and downloaded editing software. We are now recording the lecture and mini wrap-up, starting a mini podcast-like series for our staff to be able to listen to our T-ED talks whenever they want.

How did you come up with this Idea/Project?

Project #1 came to me after listening to my residents and remembering my anxiety of becoming an attending. I realized there was so much I didn’t know about the other aspects of being an ED attending besides seeing patients. I wanted to make sure my residents were as best informed as possible prior to graduation or had the toolset to seek out their own answers. Enter, social media for the title idea of MastER’s Class.

Project #2 This is a project that has blossomed after talking to Dr. Tarlan Hedayati. I built it off an idea she was using at Cook County and expanded the scope. It has snowballed from there! Kudos to a colleague, Dr. Tarlan Hedayati for her inspiration.

What’s your office workspace setup like?

I am lucky enough to have a hospital office (not using much during Covid) and a home office that I split with my wife who works from home full time. But, honestly, my kitchen island gets the most action! I am a firm believer that a laptop, a good playlist, and headphones can help make any space a workspace.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the office or home?

Decrease distraction and set yourself up for success. I don’t work near a TV, I turn my cellphone to vibrate and avoid social media. Lastly, I set myself up with a good cup of coffee and workspace that isn’t cluttered with distractions and has just what I need for the project I am currently working on ( post-its, highlighter, book, microphone, etc.) Don’t forget to take breaks to keep you fresh- use this time to get out of the chair and check your social media if you can’t resist!

What’s your best time-saving tip regarding email management?

Google nudge is a great new tool I use for a follow-up! I use my Google calendar to set reminders as well for follow-up or reminders for email. I leave my emails marked as “unread” until I have responded or completed that task, using the bold font as my reminder that I need to do something with that specific email.

What apps do you use to keep yourself organized?

Google everything! Google Keep #1, Calendar #2, and Assistant #3. I use what I call “dead space time” to do other things. For example, I listen to a mini-podcast on local and world news events and “this day in history” (history buff) while getting ready. Makes brushing your teeth or showering informative! The same with driving. Medical podcasts fill my speakers while driving or when I go for a run. Often, I will have a great idea or something that needs follow-up while driving so I use Google voice assistant to set reminders for me. Google Keep is my online notepad and external brain. I can open my notes from any device. If you really want to know what’s going on in my mind, Google Keep will tell you everything. I use these apps to keep organized so I can cognitively off-load tasks. This clears my head and lets me focus and be more productive.

How do you stay up to date with resources?

• I use Twitter to catch up on the FOAMed community and CME. Something I learned from Salim Rezaie about Twitter is to only follow a few specific accounts when it comes to FOAMed and education sources.
• Mini podcasts (5 minutes or less) keep me up to date on current events. My day starts with “OK google read me the news”… This Day in History by the History Channel, NPR News Now, followed by a local Chicago news update.
• Crowdsourcing: My Swedish ED residents keep me on my toes. It seems every week one of my residents asks me about a new journal article or FOAMed piece. I find myself adding it to my read list on Google keep. For years, my residency class has kept a running messenger feed that we started when we were in residency and continues to this day. It always has knowledge bombs and great GIFs.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the ED?

The ED needs to run like a restaurant: Always know where your patients are in their work-up. Anticipate! You have a really good idea who is going to get admitted and discharged after the initial H/P. Start your discharge instructions when you sit down to write your initial note on the patients you anticipate sending home. Know that the ED is a team sport so cognitively off-load where you can. Use your techs and nurses to help you with tasks. Have them double check on why a lab result hasn’t come back or if you’ll need vitals every 15 minutes for the next hour, can they complete these and let me know if BP or Heart rate is X? Closed-loop communication is key.

ED charting: Macros or no macros?

Macros! But carefully. As an educator, I see where Macros can and do go wrong. I built my own macros so I know everything that is them. I try to always do my focused PE the same way every time which matches the flow of my Macro. I can then quickly edit the pertinent positives/negatives or remove any part of the macro that wasn’t completed.

Advice

• What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about work, life, or being efficient?

  • Residency is a sprint but being an Attending is a Marathon
  • Be kind to everyone
  • Most recently during the pandemic: Find balance, set boundaries, protect your wellness

• What advice would you give other doctors who want to get started, or who are just starting out?

Say Yes. Be willing to volunteer for projects, lectures, or leadership roles, even if you feel under-qualified. Keep doors open by saying yes to these opportunities, as you may find your niche’. Be a sponge and soak up the knowledge you personally learn from each experience and tuck it away- you may not use that knowledge on your next project or leadership opportunity but it will come in handy sometime in the future. Get involved and be engaged in whatever you are involved in. Lastly, be kind and don’t burn bridges, always leave on good terms when an opportunity ends. It’s a small world out there.

• Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers?

Make sure to have mentors (more than one and for different parts of your life) aka your boardroom. Also, make sure you have someone that can give you honest, impartial feedback.

Who would you love for us to track down to answer these same questions?

• Sean Dyer @SpyderEM
• Tarlan Hedayati @HedayatiMD
• Michael Gottlieb @MGottliebMD

Read other How I Work Smarter posts, sharing efficiency tips and life advice.

One word that best describes how you work?

Innovative

Current mobile device

Galaxy S10

Computer

Lenovo Yoga (my 2nd one!)

What is something you are working on now?

I wish I could say something wonderfully innovative, but I am mostly just working on tying up numerous projects with our medical education fellows that resulted from the global shift to virtual learning. However, I have had a blast over the last few months building an asynchronous Toxicology curriculum with one of my fellows and a new EMS curriculum for our interns. My next project as chair of our clinical competency committee is to create a series of mini flipped-classroom sessions or asynchronous modules (or a combo!) for faculty development to help prepare junior faculty for their participation!

How did you come up with this Idea/Project?

It has been brewing since my first CCC meeting as a junior faculty meeting where I felt like a fish out of water and everyone else was speaking a language I had never heard before! I am hoping to make help to not only develop junior faculty’s knowledge of ACGME requirements but also to improve the quality of conversations had during our meetings!

What’s your office workspace setup like?

Currently tucked away in our 3rd-floor spare bedroom – a cozy space with natural light, and built-in bookshelves filled with EM texts and my children’s artwork. I am usually kept company by my live-in officemate, Hippo (a 7 year old rescue mutt!) with occasional visits from my girls.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the office or home?

If you have something you really want to dedicate time to completing – schedule it! Start your day by not opening your email and keeping your cell phone alerts off. It saves time in the long run – get in that Deep Work (and read that book by Cal Newport if you haven’t!)

What’s your best time-saving tip regarding email management?

While it is tempting to respond to every single email as soon as you see it – I try to triage them and respond to the emergent first and keep those that require more thought as “unread.” It helps me be able to focus longer amounts of time on projects/issues that really need it! Also, if it can be solved in a phone call or a text – just do that instead of filling up someone else’s email box!

What apps do you use to keep yourself organized?

I am old school and still use a written planner and post-it notes! But as for technology, my life lives on Google calendar.

How do you stay up to date with resources?

I usually binge EMRAP instead of Netflix! Also, anything that I assign my residents for asynchronous learning including EMedHome lectures or ALIEMu modules – I do first!

What’s your best time-saving tip in the ED?

Real-time verbal communication with nursing and ancillary staff.

ED charting: Macros or no macros?

I have templated notes for sign-outs and resident addendums so I do not miss any important information but try to limit macro utilization to keep my charting personable and conversational. It does slow me down but helps tell the story should a patient bounce back or if someone logs into Epic and needs to read my note!

Advice

• What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about work, life, or being efficient?

“You are enough.”

“When you see a hill, thank it for making you stronger.”

“Don’t hit send when you are angry.”

• What advice would you give other doctors who want to get started, or who are just starting out?

Be kind to everyone you meet. Stay humble. Never stop asking questions.

• Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers?

You can learn from EVERYONE inside and outside of medicine and just keep your mind open. Listening the first time will save you a tremendous amount of time in the long run – do it right, the first time. :)

Who would you love for us to track down to answer these same questions?

• @k_goodsell (Kelly Goodsell)
• @BossyLadyDoctor (Katrina Kissman)

Read other How I Work Smarter posts, sharing efficiency tips and life advice.

One word that best describes how you work?

Systematically

Current mobile device

iPhone 11

Computer

Dual-monitor PC

What is something you are working on now?

An educational product to help elderly adults discover their risk factors for falls and use prevention strategies for fall prevention.

How did you come up with this Idea/Project?

Falls are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults, we see this daily on shifts. Helping them reduce trip hazards and improve balance, proprioception, and strength can make substantial reductions in falls.

What’s your office workspace setup like?

Dual monitors (lots of open tabs!!) with all of the supplies I need within reach. My walls have calendars and lists of upcoming events as well as inspiring quotes and pictures that make me smile.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the office or home?

Taking the time and effort up front to get organized and systematized up front will save you a lot of time down the road! I have baskets for upcoming stuff, to-do lists (prioritized in order) at hand, and I color code things for ease of use. I also have a sheet of paper with each project I am working on (heading at the top) and when an idea comes to me, I add it on the paper. When I am ready to tackle the project, I captured all of the ideas and I’m ready to roll!

What’s your best time-saving tip regarding email management?

I am not glued to my inbox. Answering every ding is a distraction and can pull me away from other high-yield activities and take time with task switching. Setting aside time in the morning and afternoon to check emails protects my other productivity time from being interrupted.

What apps do you use to keep yourself organized?

Reminders and Anylist are the 2 I use most frequently. I also use the Notes app a lot to capture ideas for articles, talks, projects that come up when I’m on the go

How do you stay up to date with resources?

‘Reading’ is an important part of my schedule – whether that is a physical journal, a podcast, an audiobook, or strategic social media postings. Having time scheduled for this on a regular basis makes a difference in staying current! Also, utilizing ‘mindless’ task time, such as laundry, cleaning, driving, etc for audio content has been very helpful in remaining up to date.

What’s your best time-saving tip in the ED?

Be present with your patients and listen actively. Stay curious and ask questions. It seems more time-consuming at the moment but will save you lots of time down the road in missed diagnoses, patient complaints, lawsuits, and bad outcomes. That extra time with patients, in the grand scheme, not only make you a better clinician, it saves you a lot of downstream stress.

ED charting: Macros or no macros?

Yes macros! BUT don’t ever pre-enter a macro or have it tick off stuff you didn’t ask or examine. It is a slippery slope, don’t set a toe on it! My EMR also allows time-saving dot phrases, which I utilize frequently and again follow the firm rule don’t chart it until it happened.

Advice

• What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about work, life, or being efficient?

Remove unnecessary stuff from your cognitive load so you can concentrate your mental energy on what is most important. I use a paper with patient stickers to keep track of who I’ve staffed. I use a 4-color pen to take notes as I ’round’ on my staffed patients so you don’t forget something when the next distraction arises. Memorize the important stuff for crashing patients and know what tools you can use to look up anything you need.

• What advice would you give other doctors who want to get started, or who are just starting out?

Self-care isn’t selfish!! Make sure you get nourishing food, energizing exercise, restorative sleep, stress release, and meaningful connection in your life. A healthier you makes a better (and more patient!) doctor!

• Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers?

Concentrate on what is most important first, and that is patient care. The patient’s ‘wait’ clock starts when you leave the room. They are scared and unsure and waiting. Updating them makes a huge impact on their care and ensures you have all of the info you need for the best diagnostics and therapeutics. You should be going in the room multiple time, other than for the simplest cases.

Who would you love for us to track down to answer these same questions?

• Dr. Ryan McKennon DO, JD @RyanMcKennon

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