Better hours?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Skyeman

New Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2014
Messages
8
Reaction score
3
I know both have terrible hours and I accept that. But right now it's a toss up between neurosurgery and trauma surgery. Which one has more hectic hours?

Members don't see this ad.
 
I know both have terrible hours and I accept that. But right now it's a toss up between neurosurgery and trauma surgery. Which one has more hectic hours?
Where are you in your decision-making process, exactly?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Depends.

If you do elective NSGY cases only, then your hours can be reasonable. Same goes for Trauma Surgery which is increasingly shift work.

If employed by a Level 1 trauma center, you will be coming in and taking Trauma call in both cases. In a PP community setting, you may not be required to take ED call. If you work in a community with a heavy penetrating trauma scene, you may be coming in on call more often than your colleagues in communities with blunt trauma as the trauma surgeon; the opposite may be true for the Nsurgeon.

There is no hard and fast answer.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Depends.

If you do elective NSGY cases only, then your hours can be reasonable. Same goes for Trauma Surgery which is increasingly shift work.

If employed by a Level 1 trauma center, you will be coming in and taking Trauma call in both cases. In a PP community setting, you may not be required to take ED call. If you work in a community with a heavy penetrating trauma scene, you may be coming in on call more often than your colleagues in communities with blunt trauma as the trauma surgeon; the opposite may be true for the Nsurgeon.

There is no hard and fast answer.
This may be a dumb question, but how does a shift apply if you have 2 hrs remaining in your scheduled workday and a trauma case comes in that can last more than 6 hrs?
 
This may be a dumb question, but how does a shift apply if you have 2 hrs remaining in your scheduled workday and a trauma case comes in that can last more than 6 hrs?
Trauma cases don't last 6 hours (excluding the patient that might need multiple procedures with multiple specialties as that was not relevant in your question).

Critically ill patients can become even sicker with a prolonged time on the operating table. Damage control is the goal in those cases. http://www.trauma.org/archive/resus/DCSoverview.html

The policy of whether you stay to care for patients after your shift is over would depend on local culture. I'd venture that most would say that you finish what you start.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Trauma cases don't last 6 hours (excluding the patient that might need multiple procedures with multiple specialties as that was not relevant in your question).

Critically ill patients can become even sicker with a prolonged time on the operating table. Damage control is the goal in those cases. http://www.trauma.org/archive/resus/DCSoverview.html

The policy of whether you stay to care for patients after your shift is over would depend on local culture. I'd venture that most would say that you finish what you start.
Thanks for the link! And also, for continuing to confirm the existence of surgical oncologists. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Top