Surgical Stereotypes: Fact or fiction?

[DocnHoc]

Of course, before anyone begins to answer, the overall response is that all stereotypes are inherently inaccurate; having said that, how do all of the residents' experiences on here with housestaff compare to the stereotype of the perverted, animal-house, confrontational, good-ole boy, surgeon/surgical resident. This quote is from the ACS web page:

"Consensus is that one should be male, athletic, anal-compulsive, addicted to locker-room humor, possessed of a vocabulary of single syllables, have the endurance of a marathon runner, and maintain a political, social, and sexual orientation somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun."

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[surge]

Originally posted by DocnHoc
"Consensus is that one should be male, athletic, anal-compulsive, addicted to locker-room humor, possessed of a vocabulary of single syllables, have the endurance of a marathon runner, and maintain a political, social, and sexual orientation somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun."

This is a classic! Can you please post the reference link? I would love to read the whole thing.

In response, there is no doubt in my mind that there are many surgeons like that out there. Having said that, I've been fortunate enough so far to only encounter really cool ones (esp. women).

 

[apma77]

The truth is :

MALE, OUT OF SHAPE, A$$HOLE, NO LIFE OUTSIDE OF RESIDENCY
OR

FEMALE, OUT OF SHAPE, BITC*, FIBROSED OVARIES

 

[DocnHoc]

Here is the link to the ACS site with the quote on it:
http://www.facs.org/residencysearch/traits/traits.html

 

[bonecutter]

Hey Apma,

If you are so down on surgeons what compels you to continue monitoring and posting in a surgery forum? Just go away.

Bonecutter

QUOTE]Originally posted by apma77
The truth is :

MALE, OUT OF SHAPE, A$$HOLE, NO LIFE OUTSIDE OF RESIDENCY
OR

FEMALE, OUT OF SHAPE, BITC*, FIBROSED OVARIES [/QUOTE]

 

[scutking]

I've seen that quote before on the ACS webpage and it's hilarious. The interesting part is that it was written by surgeons. Parts of it are true, although surgery is obviously no longer a male-only specialty. Most of my collegues definitely have the stamina of a marathon runner (out of necessity) and are politically conservative (no Gulf War protesters in this bunch). The part about locker room humor is true, although the females participate equally with the males in my program. Many of us are anal-compulsive, which is not necessarily a bad trait for a surgeon.

 

[neo]

Well, im a surgeon... and im a marathon runner but i think that the war in Iraq is senseless and most of my friends who are also surgeons also think that the war is a bad idea (maybe its because they just say that to me so I wont harass them about it anymore )

 

[save10]

Non-surgeon here. forum interloper. I can think of two medical students from my school (MSIII,MSIV) that I've worked with closely that match the original poster's quote verbatim. And they know it too. But my other surgeon friend is pretty cool. So who knows. But if the surgeons-to-be start talking **** in the call room to us medicine people, I always shut up with these well worn classics:

"oxymoron: compassionate surgeon"
"surgeons least favorite part of surgery: Pre-op. Why? b/c the patient is still awake"

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
I haven't encoutered the surgery personality stereotype in my residency or while I was in medical school or during my visiting clerkships. Most of my fellow residents are hard-working, funny and going through the same stuff that I am. We laugh together and we suffer together. Internship and residency is a good experience to keep you from taking yourself too seriously.

The difficult personalites find that they create more work for themselves than solve problems. My residency director and he is a great residency director, does not tolerate idiots very well. We have to be professionals and he demands excellence. If you have been a total jerk, you are going to find yourself the "butt" of many jokes at the annual chief's banquet at the end of the year. The interns get to make up skits about the chiefs and the chiefs get to make up skits about us. Like I said, you learn not to take yourself too seriously.

I found in medical school, that once we got to third-year, the edgy personalities tended to be humbled. We ended up being about the business of getting the work done and getting through each rotation. In every class, there is someone who is "God's gift to Medicine or Surgery". I applaud them and I wish there were on some of my rotations this year. I could use a "God's gift" at this point.

Always remember that when someone feels the obligation to "toot their own horn" they are probably trying to compensate for some perceived trait that they lack. Usually they are making fun of the very thing in another person that they lack in themselves. Laugh at them and move on. We are all trying to learn to give the best patient care that we can and as a surgeon, I find that I rely more and more on my medicine and pediatric colleagues for helping me out with complex patients as I move through residency. I return the favors too.

Also remember that none of us were born knowing everything in medicine and how to practice. If that were the case, your boastful colleagues could have skipped medical school and residency. On any given day, I do a "sanity check" for why I entered surgery but in truth, I love what I do and I suspect that my colleagues in medicine, pediatrics feel the same way. Enjoy!!

njbmd