Final year elective with more procedures - Anaes or MICU??

[sjkpark]

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Hi,

I'm a final year medical student from New Zealand wanting to do elective in the US. I'm trying to choose between elective in Anesthesiology or Pulmonary critical care.

Which would be better in terms of doing lots of procedures, such as putting in IV, arterial lines or even urinary catheter?

And has anyone have experience with rotations (in either anesthesia or SICU) at Thomas Jefferson or Mt Sinai?

Thanks

 

[Frank Rizzo]

The last question you asked is the most important. What you get to do during either elective is very dependent upon the institution you're at. I'm finishing up my pgy-1 year(thank god) at a university-affiliated community hospital. The med students that come through get to do whatever they want in the MICU if they show the interest... IVs, central lines(mostly groin and IJs, but some subclavians), cordis placement, A-lines, float the swan, hell, they let you place a foley if you really want to. The anesthesia elective? The students don't get to do hardly anything. Again, this is hospital specific. Try to talk to someone that went to that program and see what they have to say.

 

[jennyboo]

It depends on what you're looking for.

If your primary goal is to increase your procedure numbers, I'd say anaesthesia.

However, the MICU has educational value for other reasons. You get responsibility for patient care and you can follow the same patient(s) for longer than just a few hours. You get to be part of the team. You get to round on patients with the teaching attending. You get to discuss medicine much more. And so on.

I agree that your last question, "What about Mt. Sinai?" is the best one. Your experience is highly dependent upon the institution.