advice for starting CA-1 this July

[jwizle]

Hey guys,

I'm starting as a CA-1 this July and was looking for general advice/tips. What book should I read? I have the newest edition of Miller (any particular chapters I should focus on)?

Btw, I have read and searched threw all the previous threads. I just want to start a new thread considering, the boards are changing so that I take the first part at the end of my first year.

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[Yangkower]

I find Miller a little too detailed and prefer Barash. In reality it probably makes no difference as long as you read one or the other. Just don't use review books as your primary information. In fact I would not use review books except for a few weeks prior to studying for exams. Read and re-read all chapters on physiology from both Barash and Miller. The ITE and boards are about concepts and are more likely to have a question related to your understanding of physiology than trivia about how a variable bypass vaporizer works. Also, sign up for a couple major anesthesia journals and read articles that are interesting to you. Often they will summarize important topics at the beginning of the article. The guys that write these questions read and likely edit these journals so should give you some insight into what is important to them.

In my experience the chapters in the text explaining anesthesia methodology have to be taken with a grain of salt. You also have to be careful when an attending/fellow tries to explain physiology in the OR (often incorrect or oversimplified). Learn anesthesia in the OR. Learn concepts from books.

 

[crash2500]

what should we read right now prior to starting ca-1? Haven't had much time to read during intern year and dont want to look like an idiot in july.

 

[Icefrog]

Read Baby Miller or M&M. Those books are excellent for to gain a good general background for anesthesia, and believe it or not you could score extremely well on the ITE if you know Baby Miller alone. You don't really need to know the details you'll find in Big Miller or Barash until you're further along (e.g., the second half of CA-1).

Good chapters to start with are the ones about intravenous/inhalational anesthetics, and cardiac/respiratory physiology.

 

[IveGotTwins]

No matter what you read you'll likely feel like a fish out of water and look like one too but that's ok. After the nerves wear off its a great load of fun.

 

[gasflea]

You guys are gonna laugh - I found "Anesthesia Crash Course" by Charles Horton on Amazon - read it on Kindle... Nice basics for the uninitiate.

 

[Ooglan]

..

 

[BCM]

If you have time, Baby Miller is more than enough for now. If time is limited, check out NMS Anesthesiology by Randall S. Glidden. This little pocket book was a great quick overview for starting CA-1 year.

http://www.amazon.com/Clinical-Manu...-1&keywords=Anesthesiology+by+Randall+Glidden

 

[soorg]

"The Art of War" by Sun Tsu.

 

[fakin' the funk]

Hey guys,

I'm starting as a CA-1 this July and was looking for general advice/tips. What book should I read? I have the newest edition of Miller (any particular chapters I should focus on)?

Btw, I have read and searched threw all the previous threads. I just want to start a new thread considering, the boards are changing so that I take the first part at the end of my first year.

I would call the core chapters of Baby Miller (pharm of IV anesthetics, volatile anesthetics, opioids, cardiovasc/pulm/neuro physiology, airway mgmt, neuraxial anesthesia) essential prior to CA-1 year.

Anesthesia Secrets is good too, to improve your familiarity with an array of diverse topics.

Save Barash or Big Miller for residency itself.

 

[hrmm]

just skimming through Baby Miller myself. Just trying to familiarize myself with basic topics and can come back later to read more in depth. Maybe go through the ITE keywords or a question book?

Where can we find these so-called ITE keywords?

 

[Dwindlin]

Anyone have a decent reading schedule they are willing to post (I know UMich has a schedule for their CA1's)?

 

[BCM]

Where can we find these so-called ITE keywords?

http://www.openanesthesia.org/index.php?title=ABA_Key_Words

 

[Ignatius J]

It's more about attitude than what you know coming in. Take criticism well. Be prepared to fail- a lot. Keep showing up with the same enthusiasm, trying to get better at anesthesia day after day.

Not many CA-1s have been castigated for not knowing the MAC of des, the difference between airways and kids and adults, the percent of receptors occupied at the NMJ when 2 twitches are present, etc. What they have been castigated about is showing a terrible attitude, using the wrong technique yet being unwilling to yield when an attending tells them they are doing it wrong. They've been castigated for being too prideful to just dial an attending in when they confront a problem they are unfamiliar with.

You can read all you want, but I think more importantly you should start mentally preparing yourself for being humble and hungry, two necessary tools to being a good anesthesia resident. That may sound corny, but it's the truth.

 

[GatorBait1548]

It's more about attitude than what you know coming in. Take criticism well. Be prepared to fail- a lot. Keep showing up with the same enthusiasm, trying to get better at anesthesia day after day.

Not many CA-1s have been castigated for not knowing the MAC of des, the difference between airways and kids and adults, the percent of receptors occupied at the NMJ when 2 twitches are present, etc. What they have been castigated about is showing a terrible attitude, using the wrong technique yet being unwilling to yield when an attending tells them they are doing it wrong. They've been castigated for being too prideful to just dial an attending in when they confront a problem they are unfamiliar with.

You can read all you want, but I think more importantly you should start mentally preparing yourself for being humble and hungry, two necessary tools to being a good anesthesia resident. That may sound corny, but it's the truth.

this

 

[GatorBait1548]

I The ITE and boards are about concepts and are more likely to have a question related to your understanding of physiology than trivia about how a variable bypass vaporizer works.

Learn anesthesia in the OR. Learn concepts from books.

and this

 

[BLADEMDA]

It's more about attitude than what you know coming in. Take criticism well. Be prepared to fail- a lot. Keep showing up with the same enthusiasm, trying to get better at anesthesia day after day.

Not many CA-1s have been castigated for not knowing the MAC of des, the difference between airways and kids and adults, the percent of receptors occupied at the NMJ when 2 twitches are present, etc. What they have been castigated about is showing a terrible attitude, using the wrong technique yet being unwilling to yield when an attending tells them they are doing it wrong. They've been castigated for being too prideful to just dial an attending in when they confront a problem they are unfamiliar with.

You can read all you want, but I think more importantly you should start mentally preparing yourself for being humble and hungry, two necessary tools to being a good anesthesia resident. That may sound corny, but it's the truth.

Great advice.

 

[hrmm]

Okay, some pretty good advice about how to not be an idiot.

Any personal advice/experience on how to be a rockstar as a starting CA-1?

 

[Idiopathic]

Okay, some pretty good advice about how to not be an idiot.

Any personal advice/experience on how to be a rockstar as a starting CA-1?

Spend more time listening that talking.

Don't ask for relief (you would be surprised how early it starts...)

Learn to recognize a big case; finish them (major vascular comes to mind)

Be prepared...case-specific reading is equally as important as generalized reading. you will get pimped enough about big picture stuff that you will pick up more of it than you will the subtleties of a case you may only do 5 times your first year (i.e. carotids, thyroids, etc.)

Don't argue with your attending until he/she invites it.

Be careful. You will start to think this job is easy, by around December or so, and you will feel pretty confident. This is probably the worst thing that can happen.

Stay late when asked, come in early regardless.

Stay focused, no reading in the OR.

Look over the drapes. Learn what the surgeons are doing and when. This will be important later on.

 

[hrmm]

Anyone from UMichigan anesthesia? PM me.. maybe we can help each other out with resources.

 

[Ooglan]

..

 

[Idiopathic]

Really? No reading in the OR? What if things are slow? Does this actually offend people?

many ways to answer this question. as a CA-1 starting out, there is always something to learn or pay attention to in the OR. practicing vigilance is important. as you get further along in your training, obviously other things are on autopilot, but i would suggest no reading in the OR for several months, at least