I chose pediatrics because I'm not big into procedures

[tacoman2493]

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I'll do procedures when its necessary, but in general I'm not a "procedures" guy. If I was a procedures guy, I woulda gone into gas or surgery instead.

So color me confused when everybody in my class is like going bonkers over procedures. On a daily basis I hear stuff liek "ooooh i got to be put in 5 chest tubes on my NICU month." Obviously these people made a bad career choice, because once they are in practice they wont be doing any more chest tubes (unless they do NICU or maybe PICU).

I also resent the fact that my residency program and the ACGME are so focused on making sure I get enough of them. I think the only procedures that should be monitored are LPs and MAYBE intubations. Art lines, UACs, UVCs, central lines, chest tubes are all BS and should not be monitored because they are NOT routine practice and you wont be using them unless you subspecialize.

 

[kristing]

oh, dude I feel your pain. I HATE PROCEDURES!

And finally, on my next to last month of residency, in the PICU, with one of my attendings (who has grown to be my friend), I finally declined a procedure. He asked if I wanted to do an art line and if I had done them. I said - I've attempted 3, I was really damn close on that last one. I really don't want to do it.

Said friend also knew my career choice did not involve inserting said tubes, and said "ok". And I finally didn't have to do one. It's just so hard to get all gung ho about it when you have no desire what-so-ever.

I probably graduated with the least procedures of anyone who graduated in the country that year. But you know what? It's ok. I can suture pretty well. I can do a UVA and UVB if I have my cheaty notes on hand. I can intubate an 800 grammer if need be. (and if you can intubate an 800 grammer, you can intubate anything.) I can do an LP.

I won't even do circs! (But that's for another reason.)

Hang in there. You may do those procedures if you work in a non-urban setting. I was surprised when I started job-searching how much hands-on medicine I was going to have to do in decently large cities, ones I wouldn't call rural, by any stretch.

And my program wanted to see what we did, but it wasn't such a big deal. Obviously where you are training it is a big deal. Sorry!