1-Drink more water.Try drinking at regular intervals — say, every three hours. Set a timer to go off every three hours, and drink at least eight ounces of water. You might discover that this improves your mental acuity and performance. 2-Get outside at least once a day. Vow to get out for at least five or ten minutes every day (weather permitting, of course). Staying in the hospital too long can make anyone claustrophobic. 3-Make a game of remembering names. Attempt to memorize as many of your patients’ names as you can. It’s a skill worth improving. Try memorizing the names of all the patients you see. Walk more quickly. Try walking 25% faster than you otherwise would. Observe the effect on the rapidity of your thinking. 4-Time yourself. Set a specific time to spend with each patient: say, 5 - 15 minutes with a follow up patient, and 30 minutes with a new patient. 5-Connect with other people who are on call with you. There’s a certain friendly familiarity that comes with being one of the few people working in the hospital. Also, you may need them for consults, and they may need you. 6-Maintain eye contact. Make a conscious attempt to keep your eyes focused on the eyes of your patients. Maintaining eye contact tells your patients that you are paying attention to them. 7-Do everything when you can. Eat when you can, sleep when you can. 8-Get to the hospital ridiculously early. Wake up at 4 or 5 AM. Getting in early has advantages — it’s easier to concentrate and accomplish tasks if there are fewer people around. 9-Reevaluate your gear. Your day will be much more pleasant if you have the right equipment. Lie down whenever you can — even if only for a minute because it might turn into an hour. (Rural Doctoring) 10-Don’t get distracted. "Being on Call can be overwhelming especially if you have to see over twenty patients. I usually get my list of patients in the morning and then geographically I make a 'plan of attack,' and then I go full steam ahead. 11-Say one encouraging thing to everyone (if possible). “You’re doing better.” “Your kidney function is improving.” “Everything looks stable.” It’s often difficult for patient’s to tell whether they’re improving or not. Even simple words of encouragement can lift someone’s spirit. 12-Consciously relax. Doctors are often at their most stressed when on call. Ever few minutes, relax your facial muscles. Let your shoulders drop. 13-Avoid socializing. Recognize that being on call is a time that you need to get work done and socializing is not your goal. 14-Watch your body language. Face patients. Smile. Don’t rush. Don’t hunch your shoulders. 15-Group your tasks. Similar tasks should be performed together. Rather than examining patients, checking labs, and writing notes, try doing each of these tasks at once
