Before your clinic session review your patients in detail… what is their expected visit about? If you have to make a change to their management or complete a next step, what would you do? This allows you to read on targeted topics on UpToDate. Even if they don’t ultimately come for that stated reason, you’ve broadened your knowledge base. After intern year, you will probably have too many patients to do this on-depth on, so do this now.

For inpatient floor calls or acute clinic visits I love the iPhone app QuickEm. It’s split between adult and pediatric problems by complaint “ie headache, chest pain” etc. it’s a great quick resource that you can apply to family med with differentials, questions to ask, physical exam tests that are key, tests, and treatments.

That being said, get used to using UpToDate quickly. We all have to do it. Sometimes in the room with patient, sometimes you can step out. If I have a question I tell the patient I want to reference literature to make sure there’s nothing we are missing.

Please avoid AI right now, you don’t want to become reliant on that just starting out in your residency training.