1st Rotation is Surgery, interested in surgery

[vballer]

So I got a bit short-changed by my registrar and got surgery assigned as my first rotation even though I told them i'm considering orthopaedics and would like it later in the year.

I'm worried that I will be completely clueless-I don't even know the basic logistical things, never mind writing a good note/presenting a patient/how to stay out of the way in the OR.

I don't really know anyone in the class above me to ask for their advice. What are the most important general things, and is there anything I can do in the 2 weeks before I start? Thanks.

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[Law2Doc]

So I got a bit short-changed by my registrar and got surgery assigned as my first rotation even though I told them i'm considering orthopaedics and would like it later in the year.

I'm worried that I will be completely clueless-I don't even know the basic logistical things, never mind writing a good note/presenting a patient/how to stay out of the way in the OR.

I don't really know anyone in the class above me to ask for their advice. What are the most important general things, and is there anything I can do in the 2 weeks before I start? Thanks.

You are golden. Just have a good attitude and try really hard. Attitude and willingness to roll up your sleeves and jump in are what surgeons like to see. Read a lot in your "spare time". Let them know you are interested in surgery. Read up on the cases and surgeries you know of ahead of time. Always be around when they need someone to do something. Going first is actually probably advantageous because they won't be comparing you to any superstars in your class -- You aren't having to live up to the level set by another classmate.

In terms of what you can do before you start, back when i was a med student, many of the most popular pimp questions could be found in the Surgery Recall review book. Not sure if that's true anymore or just dates me.

 

[gravitywave]

You are golden. Just have a good attitude and try really hard. Attitude and willingness to roll up your sleeves and jump in are what surgeons like to see. Read a lot in your "spare time". Let them know you are interested in surgery. Read up on the cases and surgeries you know of ahead of time. Always be around when they need someone to do something. Going first is actually probably advantageous because they won't be comparing you to any superstars in your class -- You aren't having to live up to the level set by another classmate.

In terms of what you can do before you start, back when i was a med student, many of the most popular pimp questions could be found in the Surgery Recall review book. Not sure if that's true anymore or just dates me.

All true. Med students put waaayyyyy too much stock in getting the "right" order for clerkships. There isn't one. Faculty know it's your first rotation and they assess you accordingly.

PS You wouldn't learn how to get out of the way in the OR before your surgery rotation, unless I suppose if you have OB/Gyn before Surgery.

 

[vballer]

Thanks guys. That seems reasonable.

 

[Kaputt]

Plenty of doofuses (myself included) did just fine with surgery as their first rotation. I believe there is a sliding scale of expectations, where you're pretty much not expected to know how anything works earlier in your 3rd year. Be honest with your team about how it's your first rotation, you're interested in surgery, and ask about the team's expectations of you. You'll do very well as long as you are a genuine, enthusiastic, non-annoying, nice person with a small amount of common sense.

And try to do well on the shelf. Don't leave studying till the last minute, or you're going to have a bad time.

 

[NightSwim]

Get your **** together before the rotations starts. If you have errands and tasks that you might otherwise save for later, do them now so you'll be able to focus 100% on the rotation. Have your laundry done, car and clothes issues all settled, stuff like that.

Doing well on surgery rotation = mostly a product of effort + enthusiasm. You could start reading NMS surgery casebook, but you'll get more out of it after the rotation starts when you're learning first hand by seeing patients with surgical pathology.

 

[ijn]

Depends on your school. Some have a minimal bar for evaluations and rest everything on the NBME percentile. Brown nosing past the cutoff ain't helping that shelf grade.

 

[Kaputt]

Depends on your school. Some have a minimal bar for evaluations and rest everything on the NBME percentile. Brown nosing past the cutoff ain't helping that shelf grade.

Yeah, don't be that surgery wannabe bro that spends all his time perfecting his one-hand-tie instead of studying for the shelf. There were some guys on my rotation like that -- loved to show off in the OR, but didn't know jack about the basic material you need to know. They didn't have a good time.

Meanwhile, idiot me who was absolutely nothing special on the wards or in the OR squeaks by with honors because of a good shelf grade and a friendly demeanor.

 

[mimelim]

Depends on your school. Some have a minimal bar for evaluations and rest everything on the NBME percentile. Brown nosing past the cutoff ain't helping that shelf grade.

On the other hand, I got 14th percentile on my Neurology shelf and honored the clerkship. Every school is different. Personally, I think shelfs are a very silly measure of a student's performance. It has virtually no bearing on how good of a houseofficer the student will be. It isn't about brown nosing, it is about learning how to function in the hospital, work on a team and be helpful.

 

[mbe36]

-Get the OR schedule the afternoon/night before and read about the cases you will see the next day... know the anatomy and pathophys before your case.

 

[ijn]

On the other hand, I got 14th percentile on my Neurology shelf and honored the clerkship. Every school is different. Personally, I think shelfs are a very silly measure of a student's performance. It has virtually no bearing on how good of a houseofficer the student will be. It isn't about brown nosing, it is about learning how to function in the hospital, work on a team and be helpful.

Yeah. It makes me laugh at how much emphasis residencies put on third year grades when the grading system has such immense variation between schools. Personally I think third year grades are a very silly measure of a student's possible performance in residency.

At my school you need >80th percentile on the shelf exam (or higher as the year goes on) to get honors. The evaluation portion is on a 1 to 5 scale, with 3.7 average being the honors cutoff. So you can see where your time is best invested here.

 

[HooliganSnail]

Doing a rotation early has its advantages too. You have an excellent chance to let your attendings know how much you want to learn and possibly get a LOR. The above poster is right, people know you are just starting, especially if its July! Then later on you are well prepared to do elective surgery rotations, and shine!

As a finishing third year............A few things I have noticed:

1) You will initially be awful at almost everything at first, because you have never done it before. Don't worry, you pick up an amazing amount of practical knowledge soon
2) Attitude is the most important factor on a rotation. As long as you are not LAZY, or ANNOYING, you should do pretty well
3) You WILL run into attendings/residents/interns who just plain SUCK. Sucky people suck. Don't take anything personal and avoid them if you can. Also, you will soon see that everyone else knows they suck too
4) Even when you think no one is paying attention, or" no one will notice if I just go home", or something like that..............................We see you dog, we see you!

 

[evilbooyaa]

Yeah. It makes me laugh at how much emphasis residencies put on third year grades when the grading system has such immense variation between schools. Personally I think third year grades are a very silly measure of a student's possible performance in residency.

At my school you need >80th percentile on the shelf exam (or higher as the year goes on) to get honors. The evaluation portion is on a 1 to 5 scale, with 3.7 average being the honors cutoff. So you can see where your time is best invested here.

3.7 average + 80 on the shelf for honors? Da ****?! At surgery for my school it was a 4.3 minimum for honors, with a 4.0 for high pass, and a 75+ to be eligible for high pass OR honors. Getting an 82+ made your shelf exam score a 5.0

 

[mimelim]

3.7 average + 80 on the shelf for honors? Da ****?! At surgery for my school it was a 4.3 minimum for honors, with a 4.0 for high pass, and a 75+ to be eligible for high pass OR honors. Getting an 82+ made your shelf exam score a 5.0

And people wonder why medical students are entering residency less prepared than ever. Talk about missing the point.

 

[survivordo]

Having surgery first is fine. You can hopefully make connections and then find excuses to work with them throughout the year which can lead to some solid LOR.

Things I always tell my med students when they are on surgery with me. Enthusiam is key, try to know stuff before we know it, and read surgical recall. Seriously, 99% of the PIMP questions you will be asked are in that book, it is pretty spot on.

Survivor DO

 

[Stellar Clouds]

3.7 average + 80 on the shelf for honors? Da ****?! At surgery for my school it was a 4.3 minimum for honors, with a 4.0 for high pass, and a 75+ to be eligible for high pass OR honors. Getting an 82+ made your shelf exam score a 5.0

I don't know what it was at my school. I just busted my ass off for 8 weeks, and then lo and behold I saw an "Honors" on my transcript.

 

[Vachata]

-Get the OR schedule the afternoon/night before and read about the cases you will see the next day... know the anatomy and pathophys before your case.

+1

Also, do you know how to scrub in correctly? Keep a sterile field? What glove size you wear?

You'd be surprised how many med students I've helped did not know this or found in the middle of the surgery asking, "can I scratch my nose and still be sterile??" 😱 That never goes over well with the attending and the nurses will talk about how "dumb" you are for probably your entire rotation. They will be sure to remind the surgeon of it too. (not saying it reflects you grade.....)

Don't touch instruments or try to pass instruments.

Be sure to go to the bathroom or eat a snack (granola bars with high protein are the best) every chance you get -- I have found myself in 12hr+ surgeries multiple times.

At least this goes for all the hospitals (10+) I work in.

 

[Food]

I'm doing surgery now, much later in the year, and my first rotation was ob/gyn which had a lot of surgery in it. thinking back, here is what I could have done better -

1. understood the heirarchy/chain of command thing better and just embraced it rather than being intimidated/pissed about it. The first chapter of surgical recall is a great chapter that lays out the proper attitude for you.
2. Just accept that the hours are going to be rough. you're going to be there a lot, standing a lot, it will be uncomfortably hot in the OR, you'll be tired, everyone seems like an ass-hole half the time, blah blah blah. Just learn not to take anything personally - this will give you the right attitude and you will be happier which will make all your interactions with members of the team go a lot better.
3. Read on the basics of the OR cases the day before - get in good with the OR staff (charge nurses, scrub techs, anesthesia) because they will help you a ton, and save your ass a lot too.
4. Learn very quickly how to be helpful in the OR - not so much during the actual surgery, but in terms of positioning the patient, getting **** for the room (like foam, pillows, warm blankets), how to attach stuff onto the bed, bringing the bed into/out of the room, etc. Volunteer to get / do as much as possible.
5. Figure out the culture very quickly - do they want you to scrub in first or last? I've seen diff. things. On surgery, generally you want to be the first one scrubbed in so you don't hold up everyone else. the attending is usually the last to arrive anyway and if you scrub in at the same time as him, it just throws off the flow. But I also know of attendings/residents who want you to scrub in last. whatever.
6. Just read surgical recall to get an intro to all of the above basics/etiquette things and the rest is just reading up on your cases/common surgical problems, etc. Learn about fluids / ICU stuff too, helps you on rounds.

 

[ijn]

Being a scutmonkey is not necessary to do well. My attendings didn't give one **** if I was getting blankets or positioning the patient. That's what the circulating nurse is there for. Let her do her job. She actually gets paid to do it, unlike you.

Focus on learning about your patients, writing good notes, learning pre/post op orders, and studying for your shelf.

 

[mimelim]

Being a scutmonkey is not necessary to do well. My attendings didn't give one **** if I was getting blankets or positioning the patient. That's what the circulating nurse is there for. Let her do her job. She actually gets paid to do it, unlike you.

Focus on learning about your patients, writing good notes, learning pre/post op orders, and studying for your shelf.

Nobody considers getting blankets or positioning a patient scut work. That is called being helpful. The faster the patient gets onto the table the faster we can start operating.

 

[ijn]

Uh huh. And in the real world in most cases we're twiddling our thumbs for 10-15 minutes waiting for the surgeon to enter the room. Setting up the bed 2 minutes faster with the medical student doesn't materially alter turnaround time. It's just busywork that can make people feel like they're doing something useful in the awkward situation that is being a third year medical student.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

Nobody considers getting blankets or positioning a patient scut work. That is called being helpful. The faster the patient gets onto the table the faster we can start operating.

Uh huh. And in the real world in most cases we're twiddling our thumbs for 10-15 minutes waiting for the surgeon to enter the room. Setting up the bed 2 minutes faster with the medical student doesn't materially alter turnaround time. It's just busywork that can make people feel like they're doing something useful in the awkward situation that is being a third year medical student.

Going to have to agree with mimelim on this one. Sure the attending isn't there, but the resident is in the room. If you are sitting around twiddling your thumbs instead of helping position the patient (etc.), it's going to get back to the attending. Perhaps you got away with it, and if so, good job? Helping prep the patient is one of the few actual useful things you can do as a medical student.

 

[mimelim]

Uh huh. And in the real world in most cases we're twiddling our thumbs for 10-15 minutes waiting for the surgeon to enter the room. Setting up the bed 2 minutes faster with the medical student doesn't materially alter turnaround time. It's just busywork that can make people feel like they're doing something useful in the awkward situation that is being a third year medical student.

Maybe your surgeons are always late, certainly not true elsewhere, especially places with surgeons that are used to being in private practice. I have seen attendings helping setup the patient. It isn't 2 minutes. When an attending walks in the room, I expect to have the patient prepped, draped and practically a scalpel in my hand so they can peak in the door and tell them to start the time out while they gown/glove. When we have medical students with us, and they can free up the circulator by grabbing stuff, putting in the foley, etc etc, which makes things go faster. I even had a really good MS3 a couple months ago throw a PIV into a patient in the OR to get our case started faster. Not that that is technically hard, but their attitude was, "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it, I know how to do this."

 

[ijn]

Maybe your surgeons are always late, certainly not true elsewhere, especially places with surgeons that are used to being in private practice. I have seen attendings helping setup the patient. It isn't 2 minutes. When an attending walks in the room, I expect to have the patient prepped, draped and practically a scalpel in my hand so they can peak in the door and tell them to start the time out while they gown/glove. When we have medical students with us, and they can free up the circulator by grabbing stuff, putting in the foley, etc etc, which makes things go faster. I even had a really good MS3 a couple months ago throw a PIV into a patient in the OR to get our case started faster. Not that that is technically hard, but their attitude was, "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it, I know how to do this."

You assume wrong. There are no surgery residents at this hospital. It's all private practice guys who accepted academic titles in name only and have MS3/MS4s assigned to them. The surgeon shows up way after everything is set up because they're rounding/eating/on the phone with a future ex wife or girlfriend 15 years younger than them/dicking around in the surgeon's lounge watching FOXNEWS and bitching about the end of freedom/America/medicine between cases. Except for robotics. Then the surgeon shows up 30 minutes before setup is even near done (because it takes a ****ing hour to set up). However the scrub tech is about the only person allowed to touch the da Vinci.

You value scutmonkey more than knowledge. We get it. At some schools knowledge is way more important than being an unpaid hypomanic slave who's just raring to do any little piece of bull**** busywork to get noticed by their superior. There are people who are actually paid to do those jobs. It's perverse that you expect the guy who's paying thousands of dollars to be the one whoring himself out.

 

[Kaputt]

Going to have to agree with mimelim on this one. Sure the attending isn't there, but the resident is in the room. If you are sitting around twiddling your thumbs instead of helping position the patient (etc.), it's going to get back to the attending. Perhaps you got away with it, and if so, good job? Helping prep the patient is one of the few actual useful things you can do as a medical student.

Agreed. Those were the only times on my surgery rotation where I felt useful. Also, by helping out you get to meet and get on the good side of the circulators and techs. The residents also appreciate it if you're the guy that shaves the belly or puts in the foley.

 

[gravitywave]

Being a scutmonkey is not necessary to do well. My attendings didn't give one **** if I was getting blankets or positioning the patient. That's what the circulating nurse is there for. Let her do her job. She actually gets paid to do it, unlike you.

Focus on learning about your patients, writing good notes, learning pre/post op orders, and studying for your shelf.

Uh huh. And in the real world in most cases we're twiddling our thumbs for 10-15 minutes waiting for the surgeon to enter the room. Setting up the bed 2 minutes faster with the medical student doesn't materially alter turnaround time. It's just busywork that can make people feel like they're doing something useful in the awkward situation that is being a third year medical student.

so wait, are you twiddling your thumbs or learningaboutpatients/writingnotes/writingorders/shelfstudying while standing in the OR waiting for your attending to appear?

😕

Surgery is a team sport. Maybe you're actively learning while you stand there and watch other people work, but you're making sound like you just stand there. Or are you studying for your shelf in the OR?

 

[ijn]

Between cases I'm generally following the surgeon on rapid rounds or listening to him wax poetic on the evils of Obamacare and how great America used to be under George W. Bush in the physician lounge. (pretending you agree with him on the latter really does help your grade though, because third year is an objective evaluation of your clinical skills... lol)

If I'm not doing that, then I'm usually in the pre-op computer room reading up on the patient's history or doing practice questions on my iPad.

If you really think you're getting a lot of important learning from positioning a patient and pretending to be a circulating nurse, have at it. I don't think it helped me get honor evaluations or a 99 on the shelf though.

 

[Top Gun]

You value scutmonkey more than knowledge. We get it. At some schools knowledge is way more important than being an unpaid hypomanic slave who's just raring to do any little piece of bull**** busywork to get noticed by their superior. There are people who are actually paid to do those jobs. It's perverse that you expect the guy who's paying thousands of dollars to be the one whoring himself out.

You know, its not like being helpful in the OR and studying for the shelf/learning to write notes/learning surgical management are mutually exclusive. There is plenty of time to do both. What's more, if you do stuff like position the patient and place the Foley, it will make you seem more like a team player or, at the very least, someone with a good attitude. The more helpful you are, the more inclined your attending and resident will be to teach you and let you do stuff. And maybe even those mean scrub nurses will like you.

 

[evilbooyaa]

I don't know what it was at my school. I just busted my ass off for 8 weeks, and then lo and behold I saw an "Honors" on my transcript.

You had no evaluations from residents/attendings letting you know how you did, in words? I feel like I busted my ass for 12 weeks (ok maybe 9 since I had anesthesia for 3 weeks), and I have glowing positive comments, with literally no negatives besides 'read more'. Towards the end of surgery, I didn't know what to change to bust harder than I was doing.

 

[PrettyDoc82]

Don't worry hon. I had surgery as my first rotation and had absolutely no clue what was going on, and I was fine. Try to find out what the cases are before you go in, YouTube the videos of the surgeries beforehand, watch suturing lectures, watch proper scrub technique and handwashing. Make sure you have comfy shoes (might be provided). Most of the surgeons will be really nice because they know you don't know anything. The anesthesiologists, PAs, nurses, and surgical techs should help you out and teach you stuff, unless they're all stuck up weirdos. After you get to know the personalities, offer to help, offer to scrub in etc. Ask questions if they are nice and normal. The anesthesiologist took me around in between breaks and taught me how to intubate patients and start central lines and taught me a lot of pharm for Step 2 and then took me out for lunch all the time at super fancy places 🙂 And yes ALWAYS help the nurses and techs if needed, and ask if you should do histories/physicals on patients. Whatever you do, don't get in the way of a surgeon, don't piss them off, and if they ask you to stop doing something, STOP. If they ask you to assist in something crazy hard that you are terrified of, assist anyway. If you are sick or feel faint in the middle of standing for 12 hours, tell someone. No one wants you sneezing on a person who is cut open. During the more difficult operations yes of course there will be staff arguments since everyone is freaked out. If you run into a mean surgeon who screams at you, brush it off and move on. They're either stressed out or just suck at life in general. Most are really nice and will take you out to dinner and drinks on Friday nights. Hope this helps 🙂

 

[PrettyDoc82]

...And on another note, yes I was "pimped" continuously and yes I was picked on the most out of all med students. Other med students did not get asked too many questions, but I was continuously asked the most insanely difficult question after question after question and I actually got every single question wrong that I was asked. They kept on asking me more and more and more and more because they knew I was a screw-up. I stumbled through all of them the best that I could.

I also am an enormous klutz and was walking by the sterile field and slammed straight into the department head of surgery who came storming into the room, along with 2 of his assistant surgeons for a heart transplant. We all crashed to the floor, taking 2 nurses and scrub techs with us. They had to rewash and resterilize all of their scalpels and had to get rescrubbed in and start the surgery half an hour late because I wasn't watching where I was going, along with the head surgeon who crashed into me.

My evaluation grade? 98%

 

[PrettyDoc82]

Lastly, I am a tiny, petite thin scrawny female. For some reason I was placed in orthopedic surgery elective with all the superstar football jocks. They picked on me (with love) like there was no tomorrow and had me use the retractor on the fattest patients with the toughest skin. My feet were sliding under the floor. Once I was holding an old lady's leg up and I nearly dropped it. They asked me impossible orthopedic questions and I got everything wrong all over again.

I got an A in that too. Might be a pity eval though.

 

[ijn]

more proof of objective third year grading....

(if you were ugly or a guy, you'd barely be passing)

 

[Stellar Clouds]

You had no evaluations from residents/attendings letting you know how you did, in words? I feel like I busted my ass for 12 weeks (ok maybe 9 since I had anesthesia for 3 weeks), and I have glowing positive comments, with literally no negatives besides 'read more'. Towards the end of surgery, I didn't know what to change to bust harder than I was doing.

No I had written evaluations, but what I was saying is that I didn't know what the breakdown was to achieve honors (i.e. what you needed from your evals and what you needed on the shelf).

 

[mimelim]

You value scutmonkey more than knowledge. We get it. At some schools knowledge is way more important than being an unpaid hypomanic slave who's just raring to do any little piece of bull**** busywork to get noticed by their superior. There are people who are actually paid to do those jobs. It's perverse that you expect the guy who's paying thousands of dollars to be the one whoring himself out.

I'm not sure why you quoted me given that your response has nothing to do with what I said. You obviously feel very self entitled and that being helpful is below you. You will make a great resident. If anyone wants to know why interns are trusted less and less, it is because they come in with a sense of entitlement and a need to be babied.

 

[Kaputt]

Between cases I'm generally following the surgeon on rapid rounds or listening to him wax poetic on the evils of Obamacare and how great America used to be under George W. Bush in the physician lounge. (pretending you agree with him on the latter really does help your grade though, because third year is an objective evaluation of your clinical skills... lol)

If I'm not doing that, then I'm usually in the pre-op computer room reading up on the patient's history or doing practice questions on my iPad.

If you really think you're getting a lot of important learning from positioning a patient and pretending to be a circulating nurse, have at it. I don't think it helped me get honor evaluations or a 99 on the shelf though.

Sooooo...you never helped position a patient? Well, hate to break it to you, but in your surgery residency you will have to do that kind of stuff. I would love to be a fly on the wall when you're an AI if you continue forth with your current attitude.

 

[ijn]

Sooooo...you never helped position a patient? Well, hate to break it to you, but in your surgery residency you will have to do that kind of stuff. I would love to be a fly on the wall when you're an AI if you continue forth with your current attitude.

At first I helped position patients like a good little naive third year. But then I figured out that it there was no reason for me to be doing it. My attending never saw it. Nursing staff never has any impact on our evals. There's no resident in the room. The sole arbiter of our eval was the attending. It's higher yield to suck his dick (metaphorically of course) than anything else.

I'm highly adaptable. If it's going to get noticed I'll do the work. Although I doubt the bar is very high on my radiology away rotations. And subinternships done after rank lists are submitted tend to... not matter one iota. 😉

 

[mimelim]

At first I helped position patients like a good little naive third year. But then I figured out that it there was no reason for me to be doing it. My attending never saw it. Nursing staff never has any impact on our evals. There's no resident in the room. The sole arbiter of our eval was the attending. It's higher yield to suck his dick (metaphorically of course) than anything else.

I'm highly adaptable. If it's going to get noticed I'll do the work. Although I doubt the bar is very high on my radiology away rotations. And subinternships done after rank lists are submitted tend to... not matter one iota. 😉

Meh, some people do things to help people, some people only do it if they get paid or gain from it. I would feel pretty empty living that way, but if it works for you, kudos on figuring out what to do.

 

[Winged Scapula]

At first I helped position patients like a good little naive third year. But then I figured out that it there was no reason for me to be doing it. My attending never saw it. Nursing staff never has any impact on our evals. There's no resident in the room. The sole arbiter of our eval was the attending. It's higher yield to suck his dick (metaphorically of course) than anything else.

I'm highly adaptable. If it's going to get noticed I'll do the work. Although I doubt the bar is very high on my radiology away rotations. And subinternships done after rank lists are submitted tend to... not matter one iota. 😉

Meh, some people do things to help people, some people only do it if they get paid or gain from it. I would feel pretty empty living that way, but if it works for you, kudos on figuring out what to do.

Totally agree.

It seems that certain members of society only do things that benefit themselves and whom don't go out of their way to help others. These are the people who don't hold the door open for you, or who fail to use turn signals or change lanes to allow you to merge.

I help move patients over, open supplies in the OR, put the Bovie pad on, hand the pre-op nurse the tubes for the blood draw, etc. These don't directly benefit me except in that it makes things run faster, smoother and its just a nice thing to do.

And for students who think the attendings don't know about something just because we're not in the room? Now that's naive.

 

[ijn]

Why would they know dear? There's plenty attendings have no clue about. You're not actually omniscient and omnipresent despite how big your egos are.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Why would they know dear? There's plenty attendings have no clue about. You're not actually omniscient and omnipresent despite how big your egos are.

You don't think the OR and hospital nursing staff as well as residents and patients don't report your activities to me?

Believe me they are very vocal in telling me which students are helpful and have a good attitude and those who are not.

Besides your condescending attitude towards me with the use of the term "dear" tells me a great deal without having to hear it from others. I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience in medical school but I can guarantee you that everything is not as you've painted it.

 

[Kaputt]

Why would they know dear? There's plenty attendings have no clue about. You're not actually omniscient and omnipresent despite how big your egos are.

Dude, just stop...

 

[Top Gun]

Why would they know dear? There's plenty attendings have no clue about. You're not actually omniscient and omnipresent despite how big your egos are.

Good luck in residency, man. You'll need it.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Good luck in residency, man. You'll need it.

It's OK. I think he's going into radiology. He'll do fine.

 

[Winged Scapula]

It's OK. I think he's going into radiology. He'll do fine.

He'll still have female attendings.

I await a whiny post the day he calls one of them "dear".

 

[ijn]

He'll still have female attendings.

I await a whiny post the day he calls one of them "dear".

Females in radiology? No comprende.

I am a perfect gentleman in real life. I just figured I could get a rise out of a female general surgeon by using the word dear. Forgive me. 😛

 

[Winged Scapula]

It's OK. I think he's going into radiology. He'll do fine.

Females in radiology? No comprende.

I am a perfect gentleman in real life. I just figured I could get a rise out of a female general surgeon by using the word dear. Forgive me. 😛

 

[evilbooyaa]

Females in radiology? No comprende.

I am a perfect gentleman in real life. I just figured I could get a rise out of a female general surgeon by using the word dear. Forgive me. 😛

Missed your opportunity for 'LOL April Fools, I'm not really a dick'

 

[Siggy]

Uh huh. And in the real world in most cases we're twiddling our thumbs for 10-15 minutes waiting for the surgeon to enter the room. Setting up the bed 2 minutes faster with the medical student doesn't materially alter turnaround time. It's just busywork that can make people feel like they're doing something useful in the awkward situation that is being a third year medical student.

No... it makes you a member of the team. The lowest ranked member of the team, but a member none the less. I bet your just a joy to rotate with.

 

[Yo Soy Fiesta]

as mentioned by many above, it does kind of stink at times to be a third year med student on surgery. but if you think being a third year is a thankless job, wait until you're a fourth year doing some auditions. in my opinion, if you like surgery, you'll find a way to do all the little things that help things move along. grab blankets, open doors, help position, put in a foley, etc. a lot of surgery is the same thing over and over again. example: if someone is grabbing a razor to shave a site, then go and grab the tape.

i stayed proactive with the little things and it's amazing how eventually someone looks at you and says, "hey you wanna put in an a-line?" or "this guy has a nice airway, you wanna intubate?" surgery is common sense. be nice, work hard, read read read and understand that your role is to do the little things. everyone notices from the scrub techs, nurses and anesthesiologists on up. there is some gamesmanship to this process (more so as a fourth year) but if you're genuine people will know. have fun. you're gonna see some really cool things. cheers.