How was your transition of EM resident to EM attending?

[Painter1]

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Alright, so it's now hitting me that I will be an EM attending very soon.

I guess as a resident, you have the safety blanket of being able to have someone you can count on in case the **** hits the fan SO the thought of running the SHOW completely independant makes me a little anxious.

Can anyone share their experience transitioning from residency to being an attending?

 

[southerndoc]

I work in an ER that has double coverage except 4 hours out of the day. So I have somebody I can ask questions if needed.

 

[Jeff698]

Mine was a little bumpy. I think this was, almost entirely, because I went to a single coverage shop. I went from having Daddy there to offer me a warm blankee to swinging all on my own.

I'm about 6 months out now and the road is much smoother. My nose is no longer bleeding from when I ran into the steep slope of my learning curve. I think going solo was (now that the painful adjustment is over) probably the best thing I could have done.

And, in case anyone wonders, yes... I moonit as a resident.

I think the 1st 6 months of each year is going to be painful. That's the worst part of your intern year, your PGY2, PGY3 and so on. Hopefully, it ends with the first year out.

FWIW, I can't imagine working as a resident again. Having to justify everything I do and try to ESP my way into my attending's practice style just seems like torture. I'm also MUCH faster now than when I was a resident.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[GeneralVeers]

I had a slightly different experience. As my new job didn't start until July 15, I did moonlighting for two weeks in a single coverage E.D. in Alice, TX within the same hospital system that I did my residency. Knowing the computer systems, consultants, local EMS and referral systems helped a lot. It was still tough being the only one there, but I knew I could pick up the phone and call my old attendings for help.

Now I work mostly in double/triple coverage situations so there's always someone to bounce stuff off of.

 

[docB]

The first year out is tough. It's mainly two things that get you. First is the system change from where ever you've been to where ever you go. That is disorienting even to veterans. To the new guys it's insult to injury. Use your resources to help you out. Ask the secretaries and the nurses to help you figure out who is supposed to admit your patient, what level they should go to, etc. Remember that there is no shame in admitting you don't know the system. Shame is in getting the call from your director saying how you annoyed every PMD in town because you've admitted their patients to the wrong docs.

The second thing is getting used to flying solo. You know when to pull the trigger and shock or intubate or float a TVP or whatever but you've got to get used to not looking over your should for that reassuring nod from the attending. That really boils down to an experience thing but remember that you know the medicine.