how do you feel about emergent/very sick patients a few years later?

[neuromonkey]

Hi all, great respect for the thoughts and info you post here; have been lurking around for a while. I'm a lab-years MD/PhD student in neurophysiology and I'm interested in surgical fields. I can't really imagine what I can do other than neurosurgery - I'm going to surgeries and conferences as much as I can, I shadow overnight calls every now and then, and I loved my 2 week rotation, but haven't done sub-I's yet.
I'm continuing to try other fields to save myself (and my husband!) the craziness but haven't been able to get interested in anything else. As far as I can determine as an under-experienced med student, I'm very hand-on/procedurally-oriented, I much prefer taking care of sick inpatients over outpatients, I'm good in emergencies, and I absolutely want to do a neuro-related field.

For me, the opportunity to take care of patients in the roughest of times is a big draw to neurosurgery over a very few other possible fields where I could find a neuro-oriented surgical niche. I don't think it's so much an attraction to the adrenaline of tense situations or wanting to make some big save (I understand those are rare), but a genuine interest in the medical complexity that comes along with very sick patients, an appreciation for working with patients and families at emotionally tough times, as well as being the sort that gets calmer the crazier things around me get.

I'm really curious about how residents and attendings feel about the emergent/acute care aspect of the field after a few years. Was this a draw for you initially? If so, is it still a part of the field you appreciate? Is it even still something you experience in your practice much?

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[neusu]

Hi all, great respect for the thoughts and info you post here; have been lurking around for a while. I'm a lab-years MD/PhD student in neurophysiology and I'm interested in surgical fields. I can't really imagine what I can do other than neurosurgery - I'm going to surgeries and conferences as much as I can, I shadow overnight calls every now and then, and I loved my 2 week rotation, but haven't done sub-I's yet.
I'm continuing to try other fields to save myself (and my husband!) the craziness but haven't been able to get interested in anything else. As far as I can determine as an under-experienced med student, I'm very hand-on/procedurally-oriented, I much prefer taking care of sick inpatients over outpatients, I'm good in emergencies, and I absolutely want to do a neuro-related field.

For me, the opportunity to take care of patients in the roughest of times is a big draw to neurosurgery over a very few other possible fields where I could find a neuro-oriented surgical niche. I don't think it's so much an attraction to the adrenaline of tense situations or wanting to make some big save (I understand those are rare), but a genuine interest in the medical complexity that comes along with very sick patients, an appreciation for working with patients and families at emotionally tough times, as well as being the sort that gets calmer the crazier things around me get.

I'm really curious about how residents and attendings feel about the emergent/acute care aspect of the field after a few years. Was this a draw for you initially? If so, is it still a part of the field you appreciate? Is it even still something you experience in your practice much?

Sorry, I may not address all of your questions but here is my response..

Neurosurgery is great, I love it. We have a broad range of pathology ranging from elective to emergent; cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, hand, craniosyostosis. Certainly, there are other services with sicker patients (multisystem failure), but in my opinion, a fresh, unsecured subarachnoid hemorrhage is the sickest patient in the hospital.

Was I excited to get in to neurosurgery because of the acuity? Yes. Am I still excited by it? Yes, but less so. I'll tell you, personally doing the 1-4th craniotomies on the same individual for being intoxicated and incurring a subdural hematoma is rather unfullfilling. Nonetheless, that's life. He won't stop drinking and I won't stop popping holes in his head.

I'll let you know how things are as an attending.