5 Tips for getting through calls

1. Always have food and water with you.

Here are two important things to remember. One, Human Beings need food and water to survive. Two, calls can get ridiculously busy. You can’t predict when you’ll have time off to go have something to eat so it’s important that you keep your food and water nearby just so you can get a bite and a sip in between what could be an endless slew of errands. Doing this will help you avoid the disappointment that comes with heading to your room to get something to eat and having your phone ring before you’ve had the chance to take your first bite.

2. When the opportunity arises, sleep.

A common misconception about 24 hour calls is that they actually last for 24 hours. The reality is, when considering the time you’re awake that 24 hour call actually feels more like 26 – 30 hour call. Just like food, human beings need about 8 hours of sleep everyday to function. And when you’re a doctor, your function is to keep people alive. You’d think, considering the stakes, that you’d be afforded more time to sleep but that’s not the case. Maybe getting 8 hours of sleep during a call is a pipe-dream, but you can still get some rest if you intentionally aim to sneak a nap in whenever you can. As a rule of thumb, if it is ever possible, take a nap. Find a place near the department you’re working in, sit back and close your eyes. It could just be 5 minutes but that’s something. Even if you’re not particularly sleepy, take a nap. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re having to run around the hospital at 3am in the morning

3. Know who else is on call.

It’s not only important to know who could be on call with you, but it’s also important that their details are easily accessible to you. Time is precious and you could waste a lot of time trying to get a hold of people you need to refer to or need a second opinion from. For example if you’re doing a call with obstetrics you will need your mo’s speed dial at hand as well as the paediatrics intern’s contact details, the anaesthetists speed dial and you may even need the speed dial to the obstetrics unit in the hospital that you might refer your patients to. It’s always handy to have these numbers right at your fingertips so that your call can run more smoothly.

4. Know what is and isn’t your job early on.

Don’t forget that part of your job as an intern is to fill up the logbook with the required procedures that prove that you’ve actually been attending hospital and doing stuff. Your call is the best time to get those signed. When you’re starting out, it takes some practice to figure what exactly you should be doing whilst you’re on call. And what’s important for you to do isn’t always what you could be called for. So have a clear idea of what your responsibilities are from the start and make sure that they’re in line with what’s on your logbook. Not having a clear sense of what you should be doing makes you a soft target for abuse leaving you overworked and having nothing to show for it. Know your job folks.

5. Remember the why.

When you’re battling hospital politics, administrative issues and having to nurse people’s egos, it can be easy to forget what purpose is and why you chose this in the first place. Amongst the chaos, remember your why. Remember the impact that you have not just in the hospital but also in the community you come from. Remember that you worked hard to be entrusted with saving lives. What happens outside you can’t control but you can control your perspective. Don’t be naive but don’t underestimate the power of having a positive outlook. You are now a doctor. Remember that.