Good Gas Rotations

[Lefty]

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I'm a 3rd year medical student currently interested in anesthesiology. I'd like to rotate someplace that will give me good experience as a student to really get a good feel for what anesthesiology is like. Anyone have any suggestions on where to rotate?

I know everyone says you should rotate where you want to go for residency but I'm looking for a little more insight--places where students get experience intubating, doing epidurals, get good instruction and experience, etc. Also, if you know whether or not any programs will provide housing of some sort for traveling students that would be nice to know as well.

Any info or insight from residents or other med students would be greatly appreciated.

😕 😕 😕

 

[Skrubz]

You may want to look into the local VA (if there is one) as residents rotating there get more autonomy and students get more hands-on experience as a consequence.

 

[2ndyear]

On fourth year away electives pretty much anywhere will give you some hands on experience. Intubating and IV's are the basics, but I never did an epidural by myself on an elective. You should get a shot a plenty of a-lines and at least a few Swans too. I am of the opinion that it is really hard to learn anesthesia on a month long rotation, so you have to prioritize what you want to get out of it. Remember that you'll do your intern year and then anesthesia so a lot of what you learn you'll forget how to do. Things that will help most are airway skills (mask, bag, tube) and lines. By the time you do an away rotation you probably know you want to do anesthesia. Evaluate yourself honestly and decide about how well you will expect to match. If you have a dream program that you think won't interview you, rotate there. If you want a big name letter, rotate with some big name people in a strong dept.

Since no matter what, you probably want a letter of rec, you need to find a place likely on the small side where attendings actually do anesthesia by themselves. One on one attending experience is the best and after a week (preferably two) of working side by side with one person it is safe to ask for a letter and be assured that it will sound like they know you.

As far as housing some places offer it for free, some don't. I know some people who made contacts with residents in the same or other dept and stayed with them, some who found rooms on the web for the month, some used craiglist and just posted. Maine Med and Baystate both offer free housing and gas electives. Outside of that I don't know.

 

[sethco]

If you want a program that does not have a residency, but lets their students perofrm every procedure except epidurals, I know a great place. If you are from the Central/Western PA area, in Johnstown, PA the hospital is called Conemaugh Medical Center. The students don't stay in the room for the procedures unless they want to. Instead, they float from room to room starting the cases (i.e Intubations, Spinals, A lines, Swan-Ganz catheters, Central lines, etc.) and then moving to the next room. The students are supervised by Attendings and Nurse Anesthesia and everybody is very nice and helpful. Hope this helps you or anybody else.

Seth

 

[UTSouthwestern]

At Southwestern, medical student anesthesia rotations have changed in that you spend a week at different locations, giving you 4 different sets of experience. You can ask to tailor your experience if you would like to see some of the more difficult cases. Some students do general, OB, neuro, and pain. One student wanted to see lots of invasive monitoring and tailored his rotation to include a week on cardiac and got to float some Swans and place the cordis. Granted this was an exceptional student, but it can be done.

Most programs will NOT let you do epidurals as the thought and legal ramifications of an inexperienced student ramming a 17 gauge Tuohy needle into a pregnant woman's back tends to make them jittery. You can place spinals but legally, you cannot inject the medication and so students on OB are allowed to go for the champagne tap but aren't allowed to "fill the bottle" so to speak.

At any program you do a rotation at that you might desire to attend, going the extra mile (i.e. taking call with a team) will help. The added benefit is that you get to see a lot of trauma and more unusual cases in the evening (particularly transplants).

 

[Lefty]

Great input so far guys, thanks for the response. Any other advice anyone?