ACLS Necessary for Path Interns

[pathlover]

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Hi There,

My med school is offering free ACLS certification to anyone who wants it. Do I need it for path residency? I'd rather have the 3 days off, but if I have to do it anyway, I might as well get it over with. Thanks. 😎

 

[PathOne]

Oh yes. ACLS certification is probably the most useful and important course anybody in pathology can do. It's something any pathologist will use almost on a daily basis, due to the huge patient exposure, and it's especially relevant when doing autopsies. (if it works, you're REALLY good at it) 😀

I think I took something along those lines in a previous millenium, and have totally and utterly forgotten everything. No doubt, some faceless pencilpusher has turned this into a vital requirement for everybody. But that's better answered by someone more in tune with the latest trends in time-waste-management.

 

[pathlover]

Oh yes. ACLS certification is probably the most useful and important course anybody in pathology can do. It's something any pathologist will use almost on a daily basis, due to the huge patient exposure, and it's especially relevant when doing autopsies. (if it works, you're REALLY good at it) 😀

I think I took something along those lines in a previous millenium, and have totally and utterly forgotten everything. No doubt, some faceless pencilpusher has turned this into a vital requirement for everybody. But that's better answered by someone more in tune with the latest trends in time-waste-management.

Agreed! If I ever code, a pathologist is the last person I want running it. Nonetheless, do the pencilpushers make us get certified? I'd really like an extra 3 days off. I've come down with a severe, chronic case of senioritis 😱 , and I can barely get myself to do anything lately. The beach sounds like a much better idea!😎

Anyone at any California programs know if you needed it? Thanks

 

[SLUsagar]

Agreed! If I ever code, a pathologist is the last person I want running it. Nonetheless, do the pencilpushers make us get certified? I'd really like an extra 3 days off. I've come down with a severe, chronic case of senioritis 😱 , and I can barely get myself to do anything lately. The beach sounds like a much better idea!😎

Anyone at any California programs know if you needed it? Thanks

i didn't have to get certified (thank god)...[stanford]

 

[Gut Shot]

It will depend entirely on the institution. I got away with BLS, but some places require ACLS and others require nothing for path.

 

[yaah]

My place required ACLS, but we only have to recertify if we do a fellowship that has possible patient contact (derm, cyto, heme). Otherwise we can let it expire and be done with it. My med school required it for graduation as well.

 

[jayman]

C'mon guys.

You don't wanna be that doc yelling for help when someone needing CPR is RIGHT NEXT TO YOU.

Take the class and stretch that clinically-related component of your MD a little bit farther...besides, you never know when you may need those skills for family/friends outside of the hospital in the "real world", where help may not be right at hand.

 

[Gene_]

C'mon guys.

You don't wanna be that doc yelling for help when someone needing CPR is RIGHT NEXT TO YOU.

Take the class and stretch that clinically-related component of your MD a little bit farther...besides, you never know when you may need those skills for family/friends outside of the hospital in the "real world", where help may not be right at hand.

In the "real world" you won't be intubating, pushing drugs, and watching a rhythm strip. But, if you're going to call yourself a doctor then you should at least be able to do BLS and use an AED.

 

[deschutes]

My med school is offering free ACLS certification to anyone who wants it. Do I need it for path residency? I'd rather have the 3 days off, but if I have to do it anyway, I might as well get it over with. Thanks. 😎

The only thing I can think of is that it MIGHT help you with Step 3.

ACLS was not required where I started residency. It varies.

In terms of life-saving measures, I subscribe to preventive healthcare more than I do to BLS. Guess that makes me "not fit to call myself a doctor" 🙄

 

[CameronFrye]

In the "real world" you won't be intubating, pushing drugs, and watching a rhythm strip. But, if you're going to call yourself a doctor then you should at least be able to do BLS and use an AED.

Exactly. Not too many crash carts lying around malls and airports.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I never took ACLS. Recently, I was on a plane flight where a passenger went unconscious. When the flight attendant asked if there were any physicians aboard on the plane, I was hesitant to reveal myself even though I did. Even though I'm in pathology and resuscitation is not part of my usual job, I felt helpless. Fortunately, there were two other physicians on the plane...one of them was an MGH resident and another one was an internist. More than enough to take care of the situation. I felt lucky in this particular instance but part of me felt weird considering that I'm technically a physician and I should know basic ACLS measures.

 

[jayman]

Really? No crash cart at a mall? No kidding. 🙄

I think that learning the life-saving basics that they would teach in an EMT-Basic course (i.e. no drugs other than glucose gel) is a pretty good thing for any doctor to know.

Here's my list for basic things every doctor, regardless of specialty, should attempt to learn well:

1. CPR
2. Applying pressure/tourniquet to stop bleeding
3. Emergency crichothyroidotomy
4. Heimlich maneuver

I have seen non-doctors who knew these things help to save the lives of the people they were around before medical support could arrive.

Hey...you never know when your beer buddy is going to need you.

 

[CameronFrye]

Really? No crash cart at a mall? No kidding. 🙄

I think that learning the life-saving basics that they would teach in an EMT-Basic course (i.e. no drugs other than glucose gel) is a pretty good thing for any doctor to know.

Here's my list for basic things every doctor, regardless of specialty, should attempt to learn well:

1. CPR
2. Applying pressure/tourniquet to stop bleeding
3. Emergency crichothyroidotomy
4. Heimlich maneuver

I have seen non-doctors who knew these things help to save the lives of the people they were around before medical support could arrive.

Hey...you never know when your beer buddy is going to need you.

This thread is talking about ACLS, not BLS (which my med school required and I assume most others do too). Except for an emergency crichothyroidotomy (which I learned in med school) and using an AED (which I learned in BLS), I've known basic life-saving maneuvers since elementary school. I see no real reason for a pathologist to take ACLS unless you're interested in learning about it, or you just want to pick up an easy credit your 4th year of med school.

 

[Zuwie]

Speaking of CPR, are you sure what they taught you is not out of date? Check out this article:

http://www.firefightingnews.com/article-US.cfm?articleID=21137

Dr. Ewy came to speak at our school to promote compression-only resuscitation for cardiac arrest patients. He showed that the technique we were taught results in the brain not being perfused 40 percent of the time, since there is absolutely no perfusion while you are giving the two blows and only marginal perfusion during chest compression.

 

[Circumflex]

Some pathology residencies I applied to require that you be certified in ACLS to be on the house staff (they provide the class). Just take it in med school, then that's one less thing you might have to do in orientation.

 

[PathOne]

The one time I attempted resusitation on a pt I thought was dying on me, I succeeded in bending some of his ribs, while yelling on the top of my lungs "Help! He's Dying" -- upon which he gently, but firmly, grapped my hand, to prevent me from hurting him further.

The poor guy had simply fainted on me during a colonoscopy.
Prob'ly a good thing that I don't deal with live ppl anymore.

 

[path-hopeful]

I know a first year path resident who ended up running a code at the hospital cafeteria because some lady collapsed in front of him and he was the only doctor there. It was probably just the BLS techniques at first and other people came running shortly after with the cart who knew what they were doing but I just thought it was ironic.

 

[DarksideAllstar]

The one time I attempted resusitation on a pt I thought was dying on me, I succeeded in bending some of his ribs, while yelling on the top of my lungs "Help! He's Dying" -- upon which he gently, but firmly, grapped my hand, to prevent me from hurting him further.

The poor guy had simply fainted on me during a colonoscopy.
Prob'ly a good thing that I don't deal with live ppl anymore.

You did your ABCs before starting compression, right?

 

[deleted113029]

my ACLS certification will expire within a year. i don't want to do that course again. good to hear most programs don't require it.

 

[yaah]

I believe at many places (it's true here, at least) you can recertify before you expire in a fashion that is much more palatable and less tedious.

 

[deleted113029]

I believe at many places (it's true here, at least) you can recertify before you expire in a fashion that is much more palatable and less tedious.

now, that's what i'm talking about!