Attendings - What would you tell your MS4 self today?

[OrgoCoop]

Hi all,

Current MS4 on the interview trail for anesthesia residency. I've been to a number of interviews and am close to finalizing my rank list. Many residents boast the mantra of "gut feeling - based on people, etc." for your list.

For those of you into practice (PP, academics, etc.) - what do you wish you knew before residency? Obviously the culture of the program and the fit are VERY important, don't get me wrong. What objective things about a residency training do you think is most imperative to success in practice?

Cheers.

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[Ronin786]

It's better to work hard and be competent than to have an easy residency and be a fool. Unless you plan on sticking around in academics.

4 years will go by. Your ability to be a badass will last forever.

 

[OrgoCoop]

It's better to work hard and be competent than to have an easy residency and be a fool. Unless you plan on sticking around in academics.

4 years will go by. Your ability to be a badass will last forever.

Mind elaborating on the academics part?

 

[Ronin786]

Mind elaborating on the academics part?

Tongue in cheek comment about how many folks in academics are not exactly the strongest clinicians. It's easier to hide your flaws when you always work with CRNAs and/or senior residents in a place where productivity isn't necessarily rewarded. Granted, I'm also in academics so what does that say about me?

 

[OrgoCoop]

Tongue in cheek comment about how many folks in academics are not exactly the strongest clinicians. It's easier to hide your flaws when you always work with CRNAs and/or senior residents in a place where productivity isn't necessarily rewarded. Granted, I'm also in academics so what does that say about me?

That you're honest?

 

[DrOwnage]

Tongue in cheek comment about how many folks in academics are not exactly the strongest clinicians. It's easier to hide your flaws when you always work with CRNAs and/or senior residents in a place where productivity isn't necessarily rewarded. Granted, I'm also in academics so what does that say about me?

Example: Today I saw patient in preop, brought them back, tube, a line, whole case, then extubated alone. Attending (infamous for being lazy and condescending) came in only once during 4 hour TNTS to tape my tube in after intubation. When he taped it he shoved it in 3cm and mainstemmed and walked out. I didn't notice until we turned the patient that he had moved it.

 

[woopedazz]

Example: Today I saw patient in preop, brought them back, tube, a line, whole case, then extubated alone. Attending (infamous for being lazy and condescending) came in only once during 4 hour TNTS to tape my tube in after intubation. When he taped it he shoved it in 3cm and mainstemmed and walked out. I didn't notice until we turned the patient that he had moved it.

It was a test. You passed!

 

[MoMoGesiologist]

Example: Today I saw patient in preop, brought them back, tube, a line, whole case, then extubated alone. Attending (infamous for being lazy and condescending) came in only once during 4 hour TNTS to tape my tube in after intubation. When he taped it he shoved it in 3cm and mainstemmed and walked out. I didn't notice until we turned the patient that he had moved it.

The attendings that don’t come in and don’t help are also teaching you a lot (albeit not in the traditional sense). You will learn just as much if not more from them

 

[deleted126335]

Rules for Residency: Work hard. Read. Be prepared. Do good work. Keep your head low. Say yes sir alot.

 

[OrgoCoop]

Rules for Residency: Work hard. Read. Be prepared. Do good work. Keep your head low. Say yes sir alot.

Any like actual objective stuff exterior to the resident?

 

[dhb]

What would you tell your MS4 self today?

Run! Run!

 

[fakin' the funk]

Go to the best training program you can, and pay attention during internship

 

[vector2]

Hi all,

Current MS4 on the interview trail for anesthesia residency. I've been to a number of interviews and am close to finalizing my rank list. Many residents boast the mantra of "gut feeling - based on people, etc." for your list.

For those of you into practice (PP, academics, etc.) - what do you wish you knew before residency? Obviously the culture of the program and the fit are VERY important, don't get me wrong. What objective things about a residency training do you think is most imperative to success in practice?

Cheers.

This topic has already been beaten to death in much longer and more detailed older threads...like this one

What is/was the most important factor in considering where to train for you?

I know what's important in a program is different and relative to all of us, however, I think there is some consensus over several items. This includes geographic location, fitness, the reputation of the program, hours (aka work-life balance), and several others. I was hoping some of the...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[dabears505]

Run Simba, and never come back!

 

[coffeebythelake]

I think it's mostly the old guard academic anesthesiologists. In many places the younger faculty are basically doing private practice.

 

[2Fast2Des]

Be a sponge, learn everything and all the different ways it can be done. Read about how to do cases and what complications to expect. Be respectful, anticipate, learn how to facilitate and not get in the way ( I hated the new interns who would literally just stand there when I'm trying to do something and not move at all). Don't be that guy who wants to be first relieved or not wake their patient up or complain you didn't get your poor morning\lunch break on time. I tried to scout the board for next days cases to ask to be assigned to the good stuff when it was possible. Speed and skills come with time, don't act like a hot shot even if you are good. Also don't be incompetent, we had a couple of those and dear lord were they dangerous, but according to them they could do no wrong. I guess maybe learning other OR people's names can help make your life easier, but I also hated most people so I didn't care to lol.

 

[2Fast2Des]

The attendings that don’t come in and don’t help are also teaching you a lot (albeit not in the traditional sense). You will learn just as much if not more from them

Younger attendings I noticed are cooler, they are motivated to help, teach, give breaks and can actually be useful instead of the old attending who just bounces and no where to be found. One my younger new attending would tell the poor schmuck on an all-night liver to nap or eat for a 20-30 minutes period and come back, and actually teach so much intraop where it became like dude too much haha. He will definitely be a great PD one day, super humble too

 

[OrgoCoop]

This topic has already been beaten to death in much longer and more detailed older threads...like this one

What is/was the most important factor in considering where to train for you?

I know what's important in a program is different and relative to all of us, however, I think there is some consensus over several items. This includes geographic location, fitness, the reputation of the program, hours (aka work-life balance), and several others. I was hoping some of the...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Thank you

 

[BLADEMDA]

Hi all,

Current MS4 on the interview trail for anesthesia residency. I've been to a number of interviews and am close to finalizing my rank list. Many residents boast the mantra of "gut feeling - based on people, etc." for your list.

For those of you into practice (PP, academics, etc.) - what do you wish you knew before residency? Obviously the culture of the program and the fit are VERY important, don't get me wrong. What objective things about a residency training do you think is most imperative to success in practice?

Cheers.

1. Case Load- You can't get good at your craft without a sufficient volume of cases which represent the full spectrum of surgeries.
2. Quality of training- Do the attendings care about teaching, lecture time, focus on learning in and out of the O.R.
3. Network- Does the program allow graduates to land decent jobs and/or competitive fellowships?
4. Hours- Can you handle the time in the O.R. and ICU? Cushy isn't better IMHO but neither is being worked to death.
5. Location- Can you afford to live there? Family? Weather?

 

[OrgoCoop]

1. Case Load- You can't get good at your craft without a sufficient volume of cases which represent the full spectrum of surgeries.
2. Quality of training- Do the attendings care about teaching, lecture time, focus on learning in and out of the O.R.
3. Network- Does the program allow graduates to land decent jobs and/or competitive fellowships?
4. Hours- Can you handle the time in the O.R. and ICU? Cushy isn't better IMHO but neither is being worked to death.
5. Location- Can you afford to live there? Family? Weather?

Thank you, this is helpful.

 

[periopdoc]

I would rather be the big fish in a little pond, unless you can be the big fish in the big pond. You want to come out with the people you worked with remembering you (for the right reasons).

Show up on time, every day. I was famous for cutting it as close as possible, but always getting the patient into the OR on time. If you are a person who struggles to get to school on time, don't choose a residency that will require a long commute (like Hopkins did when I was there).

Practice new techniques, and rarely used ones, a lot in training. I pissed off a lot of anesthesia techs because I would do a ton of asleep FOBs just for practice. They had to turn the scopes over. My response? That's what residency is for.

Network early, and network often. Get to know both your senior and junior residents. You NEVER know who you'll be asking for a job, 10 years after graduation.

 

[sleepallday]

Network early, and network often. Get to know both your senior and junior residents. You NEVER know who you'll be asking for a job, 10 years after graduation.

I second this. I am always amazed at how small the anesthesia community feels sometimes.

 

[2Fast2Des]

I second this. I am always amazed at how small the anesthesia community feels sometimes.

And amazed at how junior residents can really show why you wouldn't ever consider hiring them or recommend them. They forget just because we weren't their attendings that they could just not give a **** but sucka forget that everyone is watching and your seniors can be a great network in if you are looking into certain areas. So don't slack because you're the CA1 and ah that ca3 is mad chill so I'll do whatevers or not respect

 

[vector2]

And amazed at how junior residents can really show why you wouldn't ever consider hiring them or recommend them. They forget just because we weren't their attendings that they could just not give a **** but sucka forget that everyone is watching and your seniors can be a great network in if you are looking into certain areas. So don't slack because you're the CA1 and ah that ca3 is mad chill so I'll do whatevers or not respect

Based on your word choices I'm not sure if we're talking about junior residents or junior high schoolers at their first eminem concert

 

[2Fast2Des]

Based on your word choices I'm not sure if we're talking about junior residents or junior high schoolers at their first eminem concert

Hahaha I don't know how kids talk these days, trying to be "with it" to get the message across