Almost done with 3rd year and I haven't done many procedures

[Multifidus]

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So I am almost done with my 3rd year of medical school (only have psych and OB/GYN left) and I haven't really done any procedures (not even a single IV). I have intubated one operative patient (the anesthesiologist let me once I told him I was interested). I have done some suturing (mostly in the OR). Besides that, nothing. So my question is if this is going to hurt me? Am I going to be way behind my intern year? Does anybody else have this problem? I have tried going after nurses and others to let me place lines and such, but it just isn't easy at the hospital setting I am in. Does anybody have advice? Thanks

 

[bullard]

I was in a similar position at the end of third year.

Don't worry about it. You still have another year! Do a couple of anesthesiology rotations and an ICU rotation. Do a medicine subinternship and beg for thoracenteses and belly taps. Be aggressive! Try to do some of these rotations later in the year so you're not fighting with green interns who also want to get practice. I couldn't pay a resident $100K to let me put in a central line during third year. Totally different this year. I'm still not great at lines, but at least I'm comfortable trying without supervision. Which is what residency is for. 🙂

If your hospital is bad about getting you procedures, do the rotations I mentioned as aways.

So I am almost done with my 3rd year of medical school (only have psych and OB/GYN left) and I haven't really done any procedures (not even a single IV). I have intubated one operative patient (the anesthesiologist let me once I told him I was interested). I have done some suturing (mostly in the OR). Besides that, nothing. So my question is if this is going to hurt me? Am I going to be way behind my intern year? Does anybody else have this problem? I have tried going after nurses and others to let me place lines and such, but it just isn't easy at the hospital setting I am in. Does anybody have advice? Thanks

 

[jennyboo]

Nah. Don't worry about it.

 

[cchoukal]

Seriously, this is typical. To be honest, I didn't start getting many procedures until my ICU rotations as an intern. The thing is, residents and interns need a certain number of each procedure to be able to do them unsupervised, so until they reach that number, it's tough for med students to get in on the action. What that means is that you can probably expect to get more procedures in april and may than in july and august.

It also depends on the hospital. As an anesthesia intern at the U of Chicago, we rotate at the big house and at a community IMG hospital. At the IMG hospital, the residents get so few procedures that I was actually supervising central lines and LPs for 3rd year medicine residents in their ICU. So, I guess, be reasonable in your expectations. If you're at a small place where the residents are struggling to get their numbers, know that very little is going to trickle down to you.

 

[Induc(junc)tion]

Man, I've prolly only done three or four IV's so far, and Im almost done with fourth year. How bad is that?

 

[Carm]

The numbers will come once you get to residency. I had done two spinals and zero epidurals as a student. After three days of OB and putting in 30 epidurals I feel comfortable. Not saying that I am good yet, but my point is that there is a pretty steep (but fast) learning curve. Most attendings want to show the greens their way of doing things anyway. Once you start doing procedures, you get more comfortable learning all procedures.

 

[leopold stotch]

So I am almost done with my 3rd year of medical school (only have psych and OB/GYN left) and I haven't really done any procedures (not even a single IV). I have intubated one operative patient (the anesthesiologist let me once I told him I was interested). I have done some suturing (mostly in the OR). Besides that, nothing. So my question is if this is going to hurt me? Am I going to be way behind my intern year? Does anybody else have this problem? I have tried going after nurses and others to let me place lines and such, but it just isn't easy at the hospital setting I am in. Does anybody have advice? Thanks

as long as you know how to do a rectal (considered " a procedure " by many anesthesia residents) your fine. or just ask the psych patients if you can practice your IV technique.

 

[toughlife]

So I am almost done with my 3rd year of medical school (only have psych and OB/GYN left) and I haven't really done any procedures (not even a single IV). I have intubated one operative patient (the anesthesiologist let me once I told him I was interested). I have done some suturing (mostly in the OR). Besides that, nothing. So my question is if this is going to hurt me? Am I going to be way behind my intern year? Does anybody else have this problem? I have tried going after nurses and others to let me place lines and such, but it just isn't easy at the hospital setting I am in. Does anybody have advice? Thanks

Try to hang out wth the senior residents or attendings since it is second nature to them and are not as eager to do any. That's what I did and got to do central lines and LPs.

 

[doc2b34]

You still have another year. Do some sub-I anesthesia rotations at a smaller program, preferably during summer months. I'm asuming that you're interested in anesthesia. The residents will let you do lots of procedures in the summer months b/c they're not green anymore.

Anyways, I didn't get very many procedures thrown my way until I did some sub-I's in 4th year. With IV's you will have to fight the nurses to let you do them in the pre-op rooms and prepare to come early in the morning when the first patients show up. Intubations, depend on how experience the residents are. Central lines are hard to come by, there's always someone who wants to do them. Pick lines are easier to come by, but again you will have to beg the nurses to let you do them. Taps (LP's, Lungs, and Bellies) are availble when you do a 4th year ICU rotation. Good luck.

 

[ThinkFast007]

Try to hang out wth the senior residents or attendings since it is second nature to them and are not as eager to do any. That's what I did and got to do central lines and LPs.

yo dude, did u see sopranos today? w/o giving the end away, did u see what tony does at the end. friggin knocks that guy out for no darn reason!

 

[brisk80]

yo dude, did u see sopranos today? w/o giving the end away, did u see what tony does at the end. friggin knocks that guy out for no darn reason!

i'll be watching it tomorrow sometime. I always like seeing dudes get knocked out, but last weeks ending perturbed me a little.

 

[ThinkFast007]

i'll be watching it tomorrow sometime. I always like seeing dudes get knocked out, but last weeks ending perturbed me a little.

i have to admit...i havent been really liking the last two episodes (before todays). i hate flashbacks and that sorta thing. plus everyone knows why they watch sopranos....they need more one liners and action!

 

[aredoubleyou]

So I am almost done with my 3rd year of medical school (only have psych and OB/GYN left) and I haven't really done any procedures (not even a single IV). I have intubated one operative patient (the anesthesiologist let me once I told him I was interested). I have done some suturing (mostly in the OR). Besides that, nothing. So my question is if this is going to hurt me? Am I going to be way behind my intern year? Does anybody else have this problem? I have tried going after nurses and others to let me place lines and such, but it just isn't easy at the hospital setting I am in. Does anybody have advice? Thanks

Dude, when I read the title I thought you were saying that you were a 3rd year anesth resident without enough procedures...most people don't get a lot 3rd year, and its pretty much hit or miss on luck regarding fourth year. Rotations at VAs and county hospitals are usually better for procedures, if you rotate to private hospitals your chances are far less.