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"How To Survive Your Clinical Rotations"

Book offers prescription for newcomers to medicine
Leni Reiss
Senior Contributing Editor

You might not be able to judge a book by its cover -- but the cover of "How To Survive Your Clinical Rotations" yields a graphic clue to the contents.  An illustration depicting a pair of white-jacketed, wide-eyed student doctors in a maze of dense tropical plants and wild animals reveals the author's premise:   It's a jungle out there for medical students during their clinical years.

Valley-based orthopedic surgeon Michael Steingart says his self-published book, a compilation of notes and references accumulated over several years, combined with some of his own frustrations in the practice of medicine, was "bursting to get out."

"There is so much I wanted to impart, to share with men and women entering the field, to get them off on the right foot,"  he explains, adding that he believes this practical guide will be educational as well for lay readers, providing insight by an insider into the profession and its practitioners.

For example, in a chapter titled  "The Makings of a Great Doctor, Steingart writes, "No amount of classes you take or books you read will teach you the art of identifying with each individual as if he/she were the most important thing in the world to you."

It is becoming increasingly difficult, Steingart asserts, for physicians to serve as advocates for patients, "because we are bogged down with the regulations, rules and paper work that come with managed care,"  or, as he says with a rueful grin, unmanaged care."

He encourages newcomers to the field to work toward "putting heart back into the system."  There is no longer  "an automatic great lifestyle" that comes with the title of doctor, he says, so students should enter the profession not only for financial benefits but with commitment and idealism.

To that end, he deals in other chapters with issues such as how to determine the residency you are best suited for, how to pick clinical rotations and how to survive the managed care environment.  There also are sections with examples of correspondence from insurance companies to doctors; specific guidelines for externs interns and residents; and an extensive listing of "pearls" (of wisdom) that students "simply cannot live without."  These include, for example:

• Always honor your resident physician, even if the resident does not honor you.  Do not give the resident an excuse not to like you.
• Carry cheap pens so if someone asks to borrow one, you don't have to ask for it back.
• An easy way to find out the scoop on a patient is to ask the nurse.
• Make it a habit to call patients older than you "Mr." or "Mrs."
• Be a student of medicine your entire life.

For more information (602) 923-8500

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The Pinewood News
July 8, 1998

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The firm tone and serious mix of Pinewook property owner Dr. Michael A. Steingart's best selling new book "How To Survive Your Clinical Rotations," mixed with his compassionate nature provides a practical guide for the serious medical student, house officership or private practice.  The easy reading, informative guide with just the right touch of humor offers much food for thought that can equip one to succeed in training and in the real world.  How will managed care affect your future practice?  How to get the residency you want?  And how to get the most out of any clinical rotation are just some of the questions addressed in the educational how to book.

Dr. Steingart is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon.  His practice involves arthritis, broken bones, all joint complaints, sprains and strains and back pain.  He has been in practice in the Phoenix area for over ten years.  In the time, Dr. Steingart has insisted upon educating his patients, medical students and also a continuing learning for himself.  This book is a direct result of that insistence.

This is truly an insider's look at what is really important for the medical student to know.  The book is crammed with indispensable information about internship and residency.  Steingart skillfully outlines the trail to help guide students through a multitude of stages and finishes with practical advice on how to make a successful career in medicine or surgery.

Steingart is a solo practitioner who has served as team physician to local high school teams such as the Phoenix roadrunners hockey team.  He has been published in a number of professional journals.

For information on obtaining his book please contact 249-1033.

Moon Valley Tattler
June 1998

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What distinguishes Dr. Michael Steingart's book, "How To Survive Your Clinical Rotations"  is, as one reader put it, "the tone.  I like the firm and serious mixed with Dr. Steingarts' compassionate nature."  This easy reading, informative guide with  just the right touch of humor offers the medical student much food for thought.  How will managed care affect your future practice?  How to get the residency you want?  And how to get the most out of any clinical rotation, are just some of the questions addressed in this educational how to book.

Dr. Michael Steingart is a Board Certified Orthopedic surgeon.  His practice involves arthritis, broken bones, all joint complaints, sprains and strains and back pains.  He has been in practice in the Phoenix area for over ten years.  In that ten year time Dr. Steingart has insisted upon educating his patients, medical students and also continuing learning for himself.  This book is a direct result of that insistence.

This is truly an insider's look at what is really important for the medical student to know.  The book is crammed with indispensable information about internship and residency.  Steingart skillfully outlines the trail to help guide students through a multitude of stages and finishes with practical advice on how to make a successful career in medicine or surgery.

Steingart is a solo practitioner who, in addition to his office practice, has served as team physician to local high schools and professional sports teams such as the Phoenix Roadrunners hockey team.  He has been published in a number of professional journals including the "American Medical Journal of Orthopedic," "Physician and Sports Medicine," and "Journal of American Osteopathic Association."

Among his teaching appointments in the Phoenix are are Community Hospital Medical Center and Phoenix Baptist Hospital.  Dr. Steingart enjoys precepting very much and is available to students of medicine.  He is also a clinical assistant Professor at the Kirksville Osteopathic Medical School and The Western University of Health Sciences.

For more information on obtaining his book please contact 249-1033.

The Crutch Pak

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Review of: How to Survive Your Clinical Rotations

If you are looking for a lot of practical information in a quick reading book then I would suggest that you read through this. It has a lot of points made, including specific things to do as well as general principles to follow, that will benefit anyone that reads it. The best thing about this book is that it keeps you reading. There are many experiences shared, many of them personal to the author Dr. Michael Steingart, that keep the material entertaining. As you finish each chapter you don’t feel drained by facts and lists so much but rather the stories provide a reminder to the key points made.  The real life situations also give a more practical feeling about the things that a doctor must learn and do. Because of that the book is also quite sobering. At times it makes you feel that there is a lot out there that you don’t know and had better learn. It addresses real issues that doctors face and makes you realize that it is going to be an uphill climb throughout your career. It motivates you and makes you see that you need to work hard now.  In a way it makes you feel very small in a big world but reassures you that you can do well.  To me, the book was not really about “How to Survive Your Clinical Rotations” but more about how to learn in your clinical rotations and prepare yourself for everything that will follow.  It got me excited to learn more and be able to apply it to people around me. I think that my wife caught on to some of this and she began to read with me. It helped us to discuss some things that were going to have an influence on our future. We talked about the book and thought that it was helpful for us. It had some redundancy and at times we didn’t understand every example and why it was added but on the whole it was very helpful and gave me a lot of thing to think about and work on to make my rotations that much better. I recommend it again to anyone that is considering medicine as a career and also to those that are closely associated with them. It is helpful to see where you are going.

Nate Peterson  First year medical student Midwestern Osteopathic