attending says take the day off

[Fatalis]

hey guys, just started my surgery rotation.
Long story short my attending is an awesome guy and said that tmr nothing is going on and he wont be there so he told me to take the day off. After asking him if he was sure, he said absolutely bc I wont have anything to do.
It is the first week of the rotation and technically everything starts next week but I still feel guilty taking a day off. Any thoughts? [I cant join up with others as all the groups have been made]

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Apoplexy__]

You should probably take the day off.

 

[GUH]

...I still feel guilty taking a day off. Any thoughts?

What

 

[oingoboingo]

The man says take the day off, you take the day off! If you feel ambitious, use your day off to read Surgical Recall so you can survive the pimping that is to come.

 

[notbobtrustme]

take it off and never look back.

 

[seminoma]

Take it off and do 500 2CK FC cards.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Unless you can work with another surgeon, you do as your attending says. My friend doesn't have to work on Tuesdays because her attending isn't in the clinic...

 

[operaman]

If the team is just you and the attending, take the day off.

If there are also residents and any inpatients, then come in and see your people, preround, round, etc. If there are no cases you'll still be home before most people are waking up, and you'll be able to help the rest of the team finish up faster too.

 

[GoSpursGo]

If there are also residents and any inpatients, then come in and see your people, preround, round, etc. If there are no cases you'll still be home before most people are waking up, and you'll be able to help the rest of the team finish up faster too.

That's silly, the attending said take the day off so take the day off. Tbh, it's the ones who make work for themselves and stay extra providing no benefit to the team that us residents find weird.

Plus, the days on surgery are brutal. Take this golden opportunity to get some legit studying in.

 

[Jlaw]

A lot of attendings are pretty cool people and aren't there to make your life miserable, he's not going to slam you for taking a day off if he told you to do it...he's letting you have free time because he wants the day off and doesn't want to bother finding someone else for you to follow around. Sometimes my current attending sends me home early if the last couple patients we are seeing are drug seekers or chronic cases that she doesn't think will benefit me....but the other side of it is that she doesn't want to waste time having me interview a hopeless patient and present to her what she already knows....she's got a life and family outside of the office and she wants to hurry the F up and get them out of there so she can go home.

The easiest thing you can do to get good evals this year is avoid making your attendings life more difficult...so don't waste their time kissing ass or asking questions just to ask questions and if they tell you to leave early or take a day then do it and enjoy...especially on surgery!

 

[Armadillos]

Man you don't see much neurosyphillis these days but neuro sx of gunnerrhea are getting out of hand.

Holy cow, how is this even a question????? Attending gives you a direct instruction and that direct instruction also happens to be awesome. I don't understand the dilemma.

Now would be another thing if rotation is only X weeks, attending goes out of town and says just to take next 12 days off, but in this case you literally would have to be insane to not listen to your attending.

 

[Psai]

you should go in and observe every one of the surgeries that your attending isn't scheduled for and won't be performing

 

[Kaustikos]

You should go prep the OR.

Seriously; take the day off. You don't want to come across as "that" person who tries to impress by over-doing. Every attending/fellow that's told me to a) take the day off, b)come in later or c) go home early has meant it.
I came in today at 6 to round on my patients, got done with a meeting and my attending is like "Well, we don't have any cases today. I'm gonna go surprise my wife by actually being home. You go do whatever kids do when they have a day off" Guess who's not in the hospital?

 

[alpinism]

Thank god I found this thread...

OP this is obviously a test and all the other SDN gunners on here (likely other students at your school) are just trying to make you look bad.

Come in 4am tomorrow and round on all his patients. Page him promptly at 5am with any relevant updates. If one isn't enough send him more, its very important to keep your attending updated at all costs. Example: any pain over 2/10, HR over 100, or Hct under 40. Pull out all the chest tubes and foleys cause well they'll need to come out eventually (he'll thank you later). Also, advance everyone's diet (they need those cheeseburgers to get those bowels moving before having flatus) and give them fentanyl for extra pain control (many surgeons don't understand that surgery is painful). Lastly, always remember the 1st rule of surgery: its better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.

 

[Fatalis]

oh geeze, gotta say this was a troll post; left my laptop on last night and my friend made this post [we have a habit of trolling each other]...didnt even notice till now lol.
Gotta say the replies were awesome tho!!! lol

 

[Dr. Zombie]

If you don't take the day off, that's when your attending will be annoyed at you. Be on their good side by following directions.

 

[operaman]

I think a lot of the confusion comes from how the services are structured at different institutions. Sometimes on more resident-run services, what the attending is doing and what the rest of the team are doing can be very different (ie. he may be out the door while the rest of the team still has to pm round).

Just make sure the residents are on the same page and ask them if there's any work that needs doing. If they also say hit the road, by all means hit the road. I never once had anyone be annoyed or upset by being willing to work hard.

 

[Apoplexy__]

Thank god I found this thread...

OP this is obviously a test and all the other SDN gunners on here (likely other students at your school) are just trying to make you look bad.

Come in 4am tomorrow and round on all his patients. Page him promptly at 5am with any relevant updates. If one isn't enough send him more, its very important to keep your attending updated at all costs. Example: any pain over 2/10, HR over 100, or Hct under 40. Pull out all the chest tubes and foleys cause well they'll need to come out eventually (he'll thank you later). Also, advance everyone's diet (they need those cheeseburgers to get those bowels moving before having flatus) and give them fentanyl for extra pain control (many surgeons don't understand that surgery is painful). Lastly, always remember the 1st rule of surgery: its better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.

10/10 thorough gunning

 

[group_theory]

 

[cbrons]

Sleep?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile

 

[VivaLaVida]

This was surprisingly difficult to understand and get used to during the early part of third year but when you are told to take the day off or have a reading day, do it. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not ask "Are you sure?", do not offer to stay. JUST LEAVE AND DON'T LOOK BACK. Really, don't question it.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

With him not being there he has clearly informed you he expects you to show up and handle all emergency cases solo. If you're a below average student in surgery and can't handle a solo case you are allowed to ask the chief of surgery to be your first assist

 

[Fatalis]

With him not being there he has clearly informed you he expects you to show up and handle all emergency cases solo. If you're a below average student in surgery and can't handle a solo case you are allowed to ask the chief of surgery to be your first assist

sick advice bro!

 

[Kaustikos]

This was surprisingly difficult to understand and get used to during the early part of third year but when you are told to take the day off or have a reading day, do it. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not ask "Are you sure?", do not offer to stay. JUST LEAVE AND DON'T LOOK BACK. Really, don't question it.

At the end of third year, it was more of a "Just so you know, if this is a malignant way of making us feel guilty, we really don't give a ****... we're really leaving"

 

[DermViser]

At the end of third year, it was more of a "Just so you know, if this is a malignant way of making us feel guilty, we really don't give a ****... we're really leaving"

There is a reason that fourth year med students don't have to give a rat's butt about rotations (w/in reason - I mean you can't just skip the whole month) and attendings, interns, residents know it. A complete 180 change from MS-3.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Golden Rule: if the attending tells you take the day off or go home, DO IT! No question.

 

[Bacchus]

I think this goes in cycles. As a fresh 3rd year you're weary. As an intern you're weary, too. I had my GS rotation halfway through last year and the attending was going on a medical mission trip. She said "give your pager # and cell phone # to Dr. B." I did, but he said he probably wouldn't have me come in. I felt guilty at first, "OMG I HAVE TO REPORT WORK HOURS, SHOULD I JUST FAKE THEM?!?!" but that has been getting much better over time. Now if the attending isn't there and I'm no use or they say don't come in I don't usually bat an eye.

 

[alisepeep]

medical students seriously have mental issues...u feel guilty for being told to take a day off? need i remind you you are already paying 50k a year to wake up at 5 am and spend 24 hours being useless at a hospital?

 

[username456789]

I think this goes in cycles. As a fresh 3rd year you're weary.

No one starting 3rd year should be weary. You're just starting, this is probably the least weary you'll be in a long time.

 

[username456789]

oh geeze, gotta say this was a troll post; left my laptop on last night and my friend made this post [we have a habit of trolling each other]...didnt even notice till now lol.
Gotta say the replies were awesome tho!!! lol

Riiiiiiiiiight.

 

[joker2400]

No one starting 3rd year should be weary. You're just starting, this is probably the least weary you'll be in a long time.

Perhaps they meant wary