![so you need to sine forms to go into icu so you need to sine forms to go into icu](https://d33wubrfki0l68.cloudfront.net/e60523af364df097d5cae01a7340c9280f5b8a3e/0acee/assets-jekyll/blog/secure-serverless-functions-with-netlify/okta-00-sign-up-81e6b1004dc272f5f5b03cc1699963ce0f31c0c021f8f2e8b6dc8d55824a0bd9.jpg)
Obviously I'm not going to be the one deciding on how to change the vent settings. Even mucous plugging was foreign to me until I stated studying for CK. For example, I know diddly squat about the different types of oxygenation and masks, very little about ventilation in general, totally unfamiliar with CVVH other than it's continuous, TPN is a big question mark in my mental file, etc. And I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm lacking much of what might be considered very basic ICU fundamentals. I'll remember most of what I read, even if I don't see a patient with xyz disease/condition. That said, maybe my learning style is a little different than some. And it seems like the general consensus is that most people just show up and absorb it? Makes some sense, but the optimist in me still feels like there must be at least some good resources out there to demystify some of the high yield topics.
![so you need to sine forms to go into icu so you need to sine forms to go into icu](https://www.pdffiller.com/preview/100/296/100296974/large.png)
I agree medicine is best learned at the bedside. My intention was never to read some random book and transmute on the spot into a pulm/cc fellow. Also, to clarify, I've never thought that there is a substitute for "doing". I wanted to thank everyone for posting, this is actually very helpful I appreciate it. If you don't have a solid base of IM skills built up over your intership, no one will think you're a superstar for quoting the latest study to them. All the fancy stuff about glucocorticoids, fancy vent modes, etc are more often than not going to be at the discretion/whim of your attending/fellow and they will teach you about it. Other key skills to have in the ICU are interpreting CXRs & EKGs, managing complicated electrolyte disturbances (eg repleting PO4 and Ca in light of hypo/hyperkalemia, hypo/hypernatremia, etc), managing IV fluids, making sure your patient is getting nutrition, deciding what antibiotics and for how long, being vigilant for pressure sores, etc etc etc.īasically, you need to be good at internal medicine. So, working hard on wards and other rotations to develop these skills is really the best way to prepare for ICU. This is hard to do at first, and it's more dependent on skills than knowledge. ICU patients are COMPLICATED so you need to be organized and efficient in terms of figuring out WTH happened overnight, collecting data (vitals, labs, Xrays, meds) and figuring out how to put it all together into a cohesive picture and communicating that to the rest of the team on rounds. My $.02 is that the best way to prepare as an intern in the ICU is just to work on being a good intern.