Really? That is a crazy amount.
200 blocks/month is a great number it those numbers stay consistent. That is SOOO MANY post op phone calls and rounding. I bet those were very long days - sorry man. That is 10 blocks/day.
Our regional service is very busy sometimes and we have a big regional team. The paperwork, phone calls, follow ups, hooking up On-Q pumps, fixing beeping epidural pumps, etc took up a ton of time.
I know other hospitals are very busy - but I would find it hard to believe that very many could beat Virginia Mason in the amount of thoracic epidurals they do. They do many - and in my opinion, are very strong in that arena.
And these thoracic epidurals are going in for big cases.
People always talk about VM and regional - but I think that is a small reasons to go there. There are many more important bigger reasons.
First off - It is SEATTLE. It is so fun to live in Seattle. Even if you will never go back, it is worth a 3 or 4 years life hiatus to live in one of the best cities on the planet. That should make everyone want to go there. Second, they get a great anesthesia experience with big cases. Thirdly, the residents are top notch it seemed to me. Fourthly, - it is a private hospital. Everyone is really cool to each other. Really think about how great that is - it is an actual REAL hospital that exists to take care of patients and to make sure all the doctors are well paid and taken care of and professional courtesy actually exists between everyone. This should probably be number one, but it is hard to describe how great this is until you experience a university academic setting contrasted with a private hospital. Fifth - Dave Auyong is there. That guy is the bomb. We went crabbing together one time then had an incredible meal afterwards. Sixth - there are some great faculty and many of them are board examiners. I think I counted 10. That is unusual - even for an academic center. Many of them gave me practice exams when I was preparing for oral boards. Nothing like getting practice exams from actual examiners.
I wasn't a resident there by the way.
Oh forgot to mention - excellent amount of free food.