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Have you switched programs?
- Thread starter Foxxy Cleopatra
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First Celiac Plexus now you Foxxy?!?
You guys aren't instilling a lot of confidence in those a couple of years behind you!
Hope things get better.
You guys aren't instilling a lot of confidence in those a couple of years behind you!
Hope things get better.
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P.C.
Its a fairly common reaction among surgical residents, especially the juniors. As someone else noted, if you aren't seriously thinking of quitting 3 or 4 times a year, something is wrong with you.
I'm suffering a crisis of confidence myself as of late...maybe its the early mid year blues...
I'm not saying this applies to you guys buy, my personal theory is that there will be alot (more than usual) of open PGY-2 spots in surgery next year. I'm saying this because I think the boomlet in applications to surgery this year was inspired by the belief that the "80 hour revolution" was going to make surgery a lot easier. The best advice I received was don't do it unless you absolutely won't be happy doing anything else. I think that still holds true.
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In Reply to tonem:
I agree - the far reaching effects of the 80hr work week have yet to fully develop. One of my initial concerns when that came to pass was that many of the surgical residencies may eventual have to lengthen to possibly 6yrs in order for residents to get the training & sheer volume of cases required. Not a pleasant thought, but I believe the threat exists.
I agree - the far reaching effects of the 80hr work week have yet to fully develop. One of my initial concerns when that came to pass was that many of the surgical residencies may eventual have to lengthen to possibly 6yrs in order for residents to get the training & sheer volume of cases required. Not a pleasant thought, but I believe the threat exists.
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I know of more than a few people that have switched residencies as well as switched programs. A friend of mine just happened to be at the right place at the right time and transfered from a community program into a Hopkins residency. One friend switched from Surgery to PM&R.(how odd is that?) and another switched from IM to Pathology.
So, it's not unheard of. Most of the people I knew switched within the same hospital system, as I suppose it's alot easier to make contacts...and easier to sneak around . You'd hate to burn bridges before you have new ones to cross to.
Don't be too hasty though, we've all had our doubts at one point or another.
So, it's not unheard of. Most of the people I knew switched within the same hospital system, as I suppose it's alot easier to make contacts...and easier to sneak around . You'd hate to burn bridges before you have new ones to cross to.
Don't be too hasty though, we've all had our doubts at one point or another.
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Just to encourage the disheartened surgery wannabes...
Some of you may have read my posts about not liking my current program. The longer I'm here, the more my reservations about the program grow.
However, so far, I have NOT ONCE regretted my descision to do surgery.
Example: One night recently on call, I got a call from the medicine intern on a pt with GI bleed that surgery had been consulted on (I was acutally cross covering that service). The pt had stopped bleeding a couple days ago, but suddenly let loose 500 cc. The poor medicine intern was pretty flustered. He rightfully thought to bolus the pt, but called only for a 250 cc bolus (no CHF hx either). I changed that to a liter wide open (no blood allowed due to pt's religion) and called the in house chief (on trauma). The medince intern had also called his upper level back up. Pt was clearly in need of ICU care but no beds available. My chief told me that they should not have called me, that I should not be handling it. However, he was covered up with trauma and could not stay. So he had no choice but to let me handle it (with input from him, of course) So I had to help the medicine intern push for stat IR (happened at 2am and no one from IR wanted to come in) The medicine upper level started to put in a groin line, couldn't get it, asked me for suggestions. I had watched some of the struggle and became very uncomfortable with the blood loss I saw (pt with hct of 18). My suggestion was to stop and put in 2 16 gauge IV/s. That done, the medicine resident was talking to his attending, stated, "I couldn't get a line but surgery is happy with 2 16 gauge IV's." Hearing that said made me feel awesome!
Anyway, my issues are program specific, not specialty specific
Some of you may have read my posts about not liking my current program. The longer I'm here, the more my reservations about the program grow.
However, so far, I have NOT ONCE regretted my descision to do surgery.
Example: One night recently on call, I got a call from the medicine intern on a pt with GI bleed that surgery had been consulted on (I was acutally cross covering that service). The pt had stopped bleeding a couple days ago, but suddenly let loose 500 cc. The poor medicine intern was pretty flustered. He rightfully thought to bolus the pt, but called only for a 250 cc bolus (no CHF hx either). I changed that to a liter wide open (no blood allowed due to pt's religion) and called the in house chief (on trauma). The medince intern had also called his upper level back up. Pt was clearly in need of ICU care but no beds available. My chief told me that they should not have called me, that I should not be handling it. However, he was covered up with trauma and could not stay. So he had no choice but to let me handle it (with input from him, of course) So I had to help the medicine intern push for stat IR (happened at 2am and no one from IR wanted to come in) The medicine upper level started to put in a groin line, couldn't get it, asked me for suggestions. I had watched some of the struggle and became very uncomfortable with the blood loss I saw (pt with hct of 18). My suggestion was to stop and put in 2 16 gauge IV/s. That done, the medicine resident was talking to his attending, stated, "I couldn't get a line but surgery is happy with 2 16 gauge IV's." Hearing that said made me feel awesome!
Anyway, my issues are program specific, not specialty specific
