Getting Bored with Doing Same Procedures?

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drusso

drusso

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I looked at my schedule today and it's basically filled with the same things I've done 10,000 times. So, I thought, "What can I learn and do that's new to keep things interesting?"

a. Go back to doing my own perms. Downside: Time suck at the hospital, opportunity cost for the clinic. Have to play on their terms. And, I hate going over to the hospital...

b. Start doing vert again. Downside: Vert is theatrical placebo and more and more RCT's show no effect. This, in turn, feeds GIGO science that creates scientific echo chamber. Not a sustainable service line.

d. Recruit a fellow and see it "all again" through fresh eyes? Downside: Fellow may be a PITA.

e. Learn something completely new. But what? I could go hang out with @lobelsteve or @Ligament and learn to do Gasserians? Downside: Not a lot of demand for that...

f. Pick up a medically-related side Gig: Laser tattoo removal, aesthetics, etc.

g. Sub-, sub-, sub, specialize in something pain related. Downside: Not scalable.
 
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1) start injecting various medications such as clonidine, etanercept, ketamine epidurals, etc - and push out the papers

2)consulting gig

3)become a television correspondent on the pain crisis/opioid epidemic/ summer wellness series

4)become a social media influencer
 
You're nuts. Get out of the office and pick up a new hobby. Can you play guitar do you mountain bike can you build a car from scratch. That a lot of things that you should be doing to better yourself as a person and a member of society that just being a doctor. Why don't you go take your kids somewhere and get them scuba-certified.
 
[moved over from duplicate thread that had no other replies]

Have you learned DRG? Vertiflex? These of course would eventually become procedures that you are well familiar with and old-hat, as well, but they are interesting, and offer an avenue of treating some patients who there weren't good options for previously.

If you're not in an academic practice or a huge metro area, sub-, sub-specializing in a certain procedure or diagnosis can be hard to do just in terms of getting enough patients, procedure volume, etc to become expert.

From my experience working at an academic gig, teaching can be very rewarding, challenging in a new way, and give you the opportunity to see it through fresh eyes, as you say. Not sure if you could create good demand for a non-ACGME fellowship as it's getting harder to get credentialed with one of those.
 
myrandom2003 said:
q-tip and viscous lidocaine. no fluoro even. do it in the office.
almost like putting in an NG

maybe i'm doing it wrong
Click to expand...

I've always done SPG blocks this way with good results. I only ever did them for cluster HA so it was rare that I actually did them. Now with Sphenocath out, the makers of Sphenocath are (surprise surprise) finding all sorts of other indications to use SPG blocks for. My NP is all keyed up about them so I've tried it with her a couple of times. I don't notice any substantive difference from doing the q tip technique.
 
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myrandom2003 said:
1) start injecting various medications such as clonidine, etanercept, ketamine epidurals, etc - and push out the papers
Click to expand...

The first practice that I worked for had a clinical research division. If you do the paperwork and regulatory steps you can qualify to enlist patients for clinical trials and publish papers on novel therapies, or participate in stage 3 trials for upcoming technologies with industry money.
 
Ferrismonk said:
Homebrewing and a hobby farm. That's my outlet.
Click to expand...
The great thing about home brewing is that you give yourself a justification for having gallons of beer around the house all the time. "It's not a drinking problem - it's a hobby"
 
drrosenrosen said:
The great thing about home brewing is that you give yourself a justification for having gallons of beer around the house all the time. "It's not a drinking problem - it's a hobby"
Click to expand...

This is basically why I *stopped* homebrewing. Having gallons of beer around the house all the time seems risky when every year we see more studies saying alcohol = cancer.

I switched to coffee and bought one of these babies:

https://millcityroasters.com/shop/coffee-roasters/1kg-gas-coffee-roaster/

It's taken me six months, but my roasts are now at least as good as the finest stuff I can buy elsewhere. I keep thinking maybe I'll start selling at farmer's markets, but the time value of money always stops me. I'd rather just give coffee away to friends.

I'm working on learning VisualBasic for Excel (exciting, I know), and there's tons of cool stuff on Masterclass to learn. Today I practiced doing Thomas Keller's version of an omelet. The man knows what he's talking about!

Work is work. I enjoy helping patients and being with my staff, but personal growth needs to happen elsewhere.
 
powermd said:
This is basically why I *stopped* homebrewing. Having gallons of beer around the house all the time seems risky when every year we see more studies saying alcohol = cancer.

I switched to coffee and bought one of these babies:

https://millcityroasters.com/shop/coffee-roasters/1kg-gas-coffee-roaster/

It's taken me six months, but my roasts are now at least as good as the finest stuff I can buy elsewhere. I keep thinking maybe I'll start selling at farmer's markets, but the time value of money always stops me. I'd rather just give coffee away to friends.

I'm working on learning VisualBasic for Excel (exciting, I know), and there's tons of cool stuff on Masterclass to learn. Today I practiced doing Thomas Keller's version of an omelet. The man knows what he's talking about!

Work is work. I enjoy helping patients and being with my staff, but personal growth needs to happen elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Agreed to all of the above. I actually stopped homebrewing after realizing how much it affected my drinking habits. I do like coffee - maybe I'll give that a try. I've turned my homebrewing area into a workshop for model airplanes and woodworking projects. I enjoy the meditative nature of manual activities. Tried taking up knitting but was never any good at it.

Mostly, though, I definitely agree with the sentiment that work is work, and for personal satisfaction I look to things outside of work, time with my wife and kids, personal hobbies, physical fitness, etc.
 
I homebrew, but not just beer. I've got dandelion wine cooking right now, will be ready to sample in a year. Building up a vineyard, been looking at best rootstocks for my area. Got some hops climbing a pulley system I rigged in back. I've got an apple orchard and will be making cider this fall. Added mulberry trees this year, will be ready for harvest in a few. Next year adding Maple trees for syrup and an apiary. Spread clover everywhere this year and built a flower garden in preparation. I've got an area planned for a greenhouse, that's where I'll plant a coffee tree and citrus eventually. Currently raising meat rabbits and muscovy ducks. I've got an open-air shed that I plan on converting to blacksmithing area. I think I won't be bored for a while. Even after the millionth SI injection.
 
Try Distilling little more involved than home brewing, but being able to make a Whiskey or a rum is pretty cool
 
Good God dude. There are 75 million things to do besides work. Read Game of Thrones or The Expanse. Go hunt or fish. Learn an instrument. Learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
 
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SommeRiver said:
Good God dude. There are 75 million things to do besides work. Read Game of Thrones or The Expanse. Go hunt or fish. Learn an instrument. Learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Click to expand...

But the last book is not ever going to be out. Damn you GRRM.
 
drusso said:
I looked at my schedule today and it's basically filled with the same things I've done 10,000 times. So, I thought, "What can I learn and do that's new to keep things interesting?"

a. Go back to doing my own perms. Downside: Time suck at the hospital, opportunity cost for the clinic. Have to play on their terms. And, I hate going over to the hospital...

b. Start doing vert again. Downside: Vert is theatrical placebo and more and more RCT's show no effect. This, in turn, feeds GIGO science that creates scientific echo chamber. Not a sustainable service line.

d. Recruit a fellow and see it "all again" through fresh eyes? Downside: Fellow may be a PITA.

e. Learn something completely new. But what? I could go hang out with @lobelsteve or @Ligament and learn to do Gasserians? Downside: Not a lot of demand for that...

f. Pick up a medically-related side Gig: Laser tattoo removal, aesthetics, etc.

g. Sub-, sub-, sub, specialize in something pain related. Downside: Not scalable.
Click to expand...


The Regen-Med not doin' it for you?
 
drusso said:
I looked at my schedule today and it's basically filled with the same things I've done 10,000 times. So, I thought, "What can I learn and do that's new to keep things interesting?"

a. Go back to doing my own perms. Downside: Time suck at the hospital, opportunity cost for the clinic. Have to play on their terms. And, I hate going over to the hospital...

b. Start doing vert again. Downside: Vert is theatrical placebo and more and more RCT's show no effect. This, in turn, feeds GIGO science that creates scientific echo chamber. Not a sustainable service line.

d. Recruit a fellow and see it "all again" through fresh eyes? Downside: Fellow may be a PITA.

e. Learn something completely new. But what? I could go hang out with @lobelsteve or @Ligament and learn to do Gasserians? Downside: Not a lot of demand for that...

f. Pick up a medically-related side Gig: Laser tattoo removal, aesthetics, etc.

g. Sub-, sub-, sub, specialize in something pain related. Downside: Not scalable.
Click to expand...
I wish I had your problems.
 
you are definitely having a mid-life crisis.

i'd suggest an stupidly expensive sports car, or the old stand-by of an affair with a younger woman.

judging by your posts, however, i think you'd be happier advocating for small businesses and against the hospital lobby. why not get involved at a national level? our pain societies are pretty much worthless, but there has to be a multispecialty society or group that could use your input?
 
SSdoc33 said:
you are definitely having a mid-life crisis.

i'd suggest an stupidly expensive sports car, or the old stand-by of an affair with a younger woman.

judging by your posts, however, i think you'd be happier advocating for small businesses and against the hospital lobby. why not get involved at a national level? our pain societies are pretty much worthless, but there has to be a multispecialty society or group that could use your input?
Click to expand...
I love this idea. Please be our advocate and give Congress hell.
 
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Form your own interventional pain society then you can be founder and CEO for life.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
hyperalgesia said:
drusso would be miserable in the swamp of lobbying and politics.

Do something for YOU.
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911xQglZkkL._SY679_.jpg
 
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