Pocket Size Binder for Medical Rotations

[Jeremy.Johnson]

Hey all,

Thought that I would throw this one out there. Rotations are starting to loom, so I'm trying to get everything lined up way before the actual start date. I'm looking for some suggestions for a pocket binder that would fit in the pocket of a lab coat to write down all those little pearls of wisdom that I come across. The kicker though is that I need to be able to add and subtract material as needed. I've looked at the Circa and Rollabind material, but was wondering if there was anything else out there. open to suggestions from anyone, especially if you happen to have just completed medical rotations yourself. Would love to hear what worked, what didn't and what you would do again/different. Thanks

 

Jeremy

[ajbw]

How about a Hipster PDA using 3x5 index cards? There are heaps of variations out there. For instance Levenger makes a leather "pocket briefcases" to hold 3x5s. I personally use a Moleskine pocket-size Memo Pocket to hold 3x5s (although I'm not in medicine).

Edited May 22, 2007 by ajbw

[MicheleB]

How about a Hipster PDA using 3x5 index cards? There are heaps of variations out there. For instance Levenger makes a leather "pocket briefcases" to hold 3x5s. I personally use a Moleskine pocket-size Memo Pocket to hold 3x5s (although I'm not in medicine).

 

 

Yep that is my suggestion too.

[Titivillus]

Hey all,

Thought that I would throw this one out there. Rotations are starting to loom, so I'm trying to get everything lined up way before the actual start date. I'm looking for some suggestions for a pocket binder that would fit in the pocket of a lab coat to write down all those little pearls of wisdom that I come across. The kicker though is that I need to be able to add and subtract material as needed. I've looked at the Circa and Rollabind material, but was wondering if there was anything else out there. open to suggestions from anyone, especially if you happen to have just completed medical rotations yourself. Would love to hear what worked, what didn't and what you would do again/different. Thanks

 

Jeremy

 

I have seen in Walmart a little mini binder ( maybe 5" x 3") that has about 6 rings inside. That might be what you are lookingfor but I won't vouch for FP friendly paper.

 

Kurt

 

[jpolaski]

3X5s are cheaper, but Circa is more durable, and just more classy IMHO

[rroossinck]

Although I'm not a med student, I second the Circa recco. I'm a big fan myself.

[Dean]

The levenger shirt pocket briefcase works nice (http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PRODUCT/Product.asp?Params=category=11-76|level=2-3|pageid=2398|Special=fes|Lnk=txt), I use one myself although it's a little big for a shirt pocket IMHO, but works out nice in a white coat. If I was you I would take notes down on the 3x5 card and then later on enter the data in a PDA in a word file.

 

Dean

[lordjeebus]

MS3 here.

 

At the beginning I thought it would be cool to have some sort of binder system. It hasn't worked out. Over the year I've realized that my priorities are:

 

1. Light and thin

2. FP friendly

3. Quick access to blank page

 

I had originally bought a Filofax for this year but it doesn't meet criterion #1 and isn't great for #3. Adding and rearranging pages doesn't matter; I don't have the time for such organization. I've tried a lot of things and have come down to one of two strategies:

 

1. Rhodia pad (light, thin, FP friendly, can easily tear out pages about pts that get discharged) or

2. Make photocopies of my progress notes, fold in half, make notes on these notes in colorful ink

 

...depending on the nature of the rotation.

 

There are not enough pearls of wisdom floating around to justify a binder - write them somewhere on a pad and consolidate later as desired.

 

Similarly I bought a PDA and never used it; it just isn't as convenient as a No. 13 or 16 size Rhodia pad combined with a few lightweight pocket references - Tarascon Pharmacopoeia, Sanford Guide, Maxwell's, and something rotation specific (eg. Pocket Medicine, Current Clinical Strategies Psychiatry, etc.).

[kkbach]

A different alternative is the Moleskine Cahier pocket ruled notebook. 3.5 x 5.5 inches and very thin. 32 leaves (64 pages).

 

Advantages Ruled, not bulky, easy access, no cards to flip through, FP friendly. Come in biege of black.

 

I give a set of three to my students at the beginning of rounds - and almost universally they love them.

 

Experiment and do what you are comfortable with. Remember, speed and ease of accrss are important here.

 

http://www.moleskineus.com/moleskine-cahier-notebooks.html

 

 

[BMWRT]

I have to agree with Dean:

3x5 cards and transfer to PDA later

This will also reinforce the learning process

[Elaine]

Add this to the "you know you're a fountain pen geek when..." I read that "Pocket Size Binder" and thought oooh, that's just what I need. Keep Richard in my pocket for those nib emergencies. :ltcapd:

[Tom L]

A pocket size Binder! Just what is needed for those on-the-road nib adjustments, eh Richard?

[rroossinck]

Well done, Tom! Utterly hilarious!

[obmike]

having done this already:

 

1. get a pda. put pharmacopia or epocrates on it. i prefer pharma, but epocrates is free. put an ob wheel (free), merck medicus (free), diagnosaurus (free), the latest shots (free).

 

2. put some notecards in your scrub pocket.

 

most important: beat your resident in every morning. do whatever you can to help the team. read every night about patients you saw during the day - this will help things stick. remember, you are paying about $100 a day to be there. make sure you get your money's worth each day. your education is your own responsibility. it is not the residents or the attendings responsibility to "teach" you. if you don't follow your resident like glue, you are going to miss many of the learning opportunities.

 

did i say to beat your resident in each morning?

[mdblue]

Hey all,

Thought that I would throw this one out there. Rotations are starting to loom, so I'm trying to get everything lined up way before the actual start date. I'm looking for some suggestions for a pocket binder that would fit in the pocket of a lab coat to write down all those little pearls of wisdom that I come across. The kicker though is that I need to be able to add and subtract material as needed. I've looked at the Circa and Rollabind material, but was wondering if there was anything else out there. open to suggestions from anyone, especially if you happen to have just completed medical rotations yourself. Would love to hear what worked, what didn't and what you would do again/different. Thanks

 

Jeremy

buy the book pocket medicine and use it as your own personal notebook-you can even create your own FP friendly refills at the local Staples- HP #28/32 really works well.

HTH

[Jeremy.Johnson]

Thanks all for the suggestions so far. Especially nice to hear from others that are a step or two a head of me and what worked/didn't work for them. So it seems to be just grab what ever fits in the pocket, scribble like hell, transcribe it later, and then make sure to always beat the Resident in ( no problems there). Really nice to hear some advice from LordJeebus, OBMike and KkBach.

 

Jeremy

[Samovar]

How about this cool notebook from Belgium

http://www.atoma.be/en/stationary-catalog....+Filing+Systems

 

Just found the source in the US, I have never tried it:

http://www.myndology.com/disc.php

 

Samovar

Edited May 24, 2007 by Samovar

[TMann]

My system for info management was a bunch of 3 x 5 cards with a hole punched in the corner, held together by a small metal ring. Small, cheap, easy to rearrange the cards when needed.

 

Good luck!

 

TMann

[ajbw]

How about this cool notebook from Belgium

http://www.atoma.be/en/stationary-catalog....+Filing+Systems

 

Just found the source in the US, I have never tried it:

http://www.myndology.com/disc.php

 

Samovar

 

This looks quite similar to the Levenger Circa stuff? I love the colours on the Atomas though!

[Taki]

I use Alco 3 x 5 cards from K-mart after reading recommendations in this forum. Cheap (54 cents for a pack of 100 cards, if you buy 300-cards pack it's even more economical) and VERY FP friendly.

 

For PDA, I think Johns Hopkins Abx guide is pretty good for free (I'm not a physician but a hospital pharmacist).

 

http://hopkins-abxguide.org/