How to Become a Great Anesthesiologist

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Dear Respected Colleagues,

I am going to be starting my first year of anesthesia in 6 months. Retrospectively, what approach would you recommend to establish a solid knowledge base and become a great anesthesiologist? What can one to do to be well prepared to start first year? Please include specific books, other resources, and any other tips you have.

Thank you 🙂

 

[Mman]

It's not where you start as a resident that counts, it's where you finish when you are done.

My tips for success as a resident:

1) Work Hard. No way around this one.

2) Read. Mostly books, also journals, whatever your attendings think you should be reading. Reading provides the knowledge base with which you will work everyday and build on with experience.

3) Emulate attendings you admire. You'll find attendings you love working with and attendings you hate working with (for various reasons). Figure out what makes different ones great and try to combine them into what you do.

4) Have fun.

 

[sevoflurane]

It's not where you start as a resident that counts, it's where you finish when you are done.

My tips for success as a resident:

1) Work Hard. No way around this one.

2) Read. Mostly books, also journals, whatever your attendings think you should be reading. Reading provides the knowledge base with which you will work everyday and build on with experience.

3) Emulate attendings you admire. You'll find attendings you love working with and attendings you hate working with (for various reasons). Figure out what makes different ones great and try to combine them into what you do.

4) Have fun.

Nice Mman. I agree, especially with #3. I can still hear some of my old attendings in my head.... In tight situations, I ask myself: what would Dr. Silverback/supercool do?

Our residency program recommended us to read Barash cover to cover... IMO the best way is to start with baby miller. Read it twice. Then go on to big blue/ho and learn it in and out all the while supplementing with specialized texts. Everyone has a different style, this was mine. I had baby miller/big blue read a couple of times by the end of intern year. Retrospectively, I wish I had HO's book early on. It is just the right amount of detail for my style. Good luck and great choice.

 

[deleted126335]

It's not where you start as a resident that counts, it's where you finish when you are done.

My tips for success as a resident:

1) Work Hard. No way around this one.

2) Read. Mostly books, also journals, whatever your attendings think you should be reading. Reading provides the knowledge base with which you will work everyday and build on with experience.

3) Emulate attendings you admire. You'll find attendings you love working with and attendings you hate working with (for various reasons). Figure out what makes different ones great and try to combine them into what you do.

4) Have fun.

+10.

I would add keep up with reading and CME after residency. Go to real CME courses and actually attend the lectures and workshops. Choose a job with the best credentialed respected docs you can find.

 

[seinfeld]

To be the best you have to want to be the best. Focus your learning with the mindset that someday i will be on my own and have to make a decision by myself, ie dont learn how to be a great resident learn how to be a great attending. Ask the 3 year old question "why"? as much as possible. Dont cut corners in your education. Seek out the tough cases in training, read books to start then do the journals for better depth. Learn how to do the same case a bunch of different ways.

Most off all if you live by the 3 "A"s in life you will be successful

Affable
Available
able (Aptitude)

 

[desflurane]

The fact that you want to be the best is half the battle. Many residents just want to make it through, get a job and make a lot of money.

Remember you are a physician and not a technician. Baby Miller is a great place to start for learning the nuts and bolts about how anesthesia works but learning to be a good anesthesia physician is about seeing the big picture and not just Prope,Sux, Tube, Gas.

Things to do:

1) Read about the case before you do it, ask questions during and read again when you get home. Review the interesting comorbidities, medications the patient takes and why your attending chose one technique over another. This is easier when you see something interesting but should be done for most cases. You can do this before you leave work, read one chapter at home and spend the rest of the night goofing off.

2) Ask to do the biggest cases as soon as they will let you. Don't shy away because its scary. It is scary, but you have backup and you are there to learn.

3) Talk to the surgeons or surgical residents about the case. Pay attention to the field. Don't use your downtime in the OR to text your girlfriend.

4) Call is where you learn the most. Keep your eyes open and learn from your seniors.

5) Find the best attending in your program and copy them.

6) Know why you do everything. Knee-jerk reactions are for crnas. Labetalol is not always the answer.

7) In between cases, visit your co-residents. See what cases they are doing, have them teach you something. Ask why they are using one technique over the other. This is like multiplying your case numbers in half the time.

8) Run TO codes not away. If it looks handled, watch and learn.

9) Develop a few good shticks for getting kids to blow through that mask.

10) Clean, clear charting implies clean clear thinking.

11) Don't be cocky, they'll be people who will want to see you fail if you are.

12) I don't agree with the Ho recc. The book has a TON of errors since he never got it professionally edited. Same with Big Blue. Stick with the edited stuff. Worry about the boards later.

 

[CambieMD]

The fact that you want to be the best is half the battle. Many residents just want to make it through, get a job and make a lot of money.

Remember you are a physician and not a technician. Baby Miller is a great place to start for learning the nuts and bolts about how anesthesia works but learning to be a good anesthesia physician is about seeing the big picture and not just Prope,Sux, Tube, Gas.

Things to do:

1) Read about the case before you do it, ask questions during and read again when you get home. Review the interesting comorbidities, medications the patient takes and why your attending chose one technique over another. This is easier when you see something interesting but should be done for most cases. You can do this before you leave work, read one chapter at home and spend the rest of the night goofing off.

2) Ask to do the biggest cases as soon as they will let you. Don't shy away because its scary. It is scary, but you have backup and you are there to learn.

3) Talk to the surgeons or surgical residents about the case. Pay attention to the field. Don't use your downtime in the OR to text your girlfriend.

4) Call is where you learn the most. Keep your eyes open and learn from your seniors.

5) Find the best attending in your program and copy them.

6) Know why you do everything. Knee-jerk reactions are for crnas. Labetalol is not always the answer.

7) In between cases, visit your co-residents. See what cases they are doing, have them teach you something. Ask why they are using one technique over the other. This is like multiplying your case numbers in half the time.

8) Run TO codes not away. If it looks handled, watch and learn.

9) Develop a few good shticks for getting kids to blow through that mask.

10) Clean, clear charting implies clean clear thinking.

11) Don't be cocky, they'll be people who will want to see you fail if you are.

12) I don't agree with the Ho recc. The book has a TON of errors since he never got it professionally edited. Same with Big Blue. Stick with the edited stuff. Worry about the boards later.

This is a great thread. These suggestions are good ones.

Here are a few of my suggestions

1. Never sttle fot just be a good physician, work to be a great physician.

2. Never forget that our patients are why we have jobs. treat them them
with the utmost of respect and compassion.

3. Neglecting small details can cause big problems especially in managing
the airway. Positioning is vital.

4. If you don't feel comfortable with an idea put forth by a surgeon stand
your ground. You will be left holding the bag if something bad goes down.

5. Read the first 16 chapters of M and M before you start your residency.

6.Seek feed back on your performance early one. seek help early if you
perceive a problem.
7. Have fun !!!

Cambie

 

[pgg]

10) Clean, clear charting implies clean clear thinking.

It sure does. Illegible charting pisses off everyone who has to read it, too.

I believe this matters in court, too. I bet messy or incomplete charts tell juries you're incompetent. (If I'm ever lucky enough to be on the jury for our cardiologist who writes his "cleared for surgery" note on a Rx pad and staples it to the chart, he's going down.)