If you could shadow in any specialty, which would you choose?

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BirdBrain

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Title pretty much says it. Which would you choose and why?

Which were your favorites in the past but also which would you want to see in the future if you had the opportunity?
 
Would love to see neurosurgery.
 
any kind of surgery
i've been in an operating room a few times and it's always been interesting. time seems to just fly by.
 
I've shadowed an interventional cardiologist before, it was pretty cool.

I'd love to shadow any surgery specialties, interventional rads, anesthesia and neonatology.
 
CT/trauma surgeon would be intense. I've shadowed a general surgeon and that was pretty awesome.
 
Transplant surgery, I want the whole experience. Helicopter and all at 3AM.
 
For my own interest, general surgery. But for application purposes, family practice.
 
So far, I've shadowed a neurosurgeon, orthopedic surgeon, geriatrician, and a general physician.

Surgery was great. I absolutely loved orthopedics, and neurosurgery was really interesting. The only downside was that the latter was hard to see and lasted about 4 hours per patient, which gets pretty taxing if you're just standing there hoping for a peek of the brain. The times he performed spinal surgeries, it was impossible to see anything without breaking the sterile field (I couldn't scrub in due to shadowing rules). So I spent hours standing in a corner, feeling in the way until the surgeon felt sorry for me and let me wear a gown for a few minutes.

Geriatrics was nice, but I could see how it was taking a toll on the physician I shadowed. Almost every patient who came in was taking multiple medications, had several things wrong with them, and were depressed about their lives and how no one in their family loved them and just wanted them to die so they could get the inheritance money, etc. It was kind of depressing, but I'm sure the physician was used to it because she'd been in the practice for 20 years.

And the family physician was just a family physician. Nothing out of the ordinary, but I still enjoyed it.

Specialties I'd like to shadow: Trauma surgeon, general surgeon, cardiologist
 
i shadowed cardiothoracic surgery. it was bomb <3 time flew by! and those hearts! you just want to pick them up!

i'd want to shadow: transplant surgery (because one of the ct surgeries got bumped for a transplant and my surgeon was a bit grumpy over that), heme/onc, maybe psych?
 
I'd love to see any type of surgery, especially Neuro - hence my name 🙂

ORlive.com is a great way to check out surgeries. It isn't live, which is always best, but sometimes I like to check out the new surgeries they've done. I've seen a ton through them, and they've all been fascinating.
 
i shadowed cardiothoracic surgery. it was bomb <3 time flew by! and those hearts! you just want to pick them up!

I shadowed a CT surgeon as well. Definitely the most interesting thing I have ever seen. The leg cramps are killer, though, after several hours :laugh:
 
After I listened to the most recent season finale of radio rounds with Dr. Patch Adams, I'd forego watching any major surgery live to have an opportunity to follow Dr. Adams around for a day.

An absolutely amazing individual.
 
I would love to observe a surgery. I know that a lot of pre-meds have had such an experience, and I am so jealous! I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to network my way into being able to do that. I've seen loads of spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations, and a chest tube insertion -- but only one of those was in a legitimate operating room in which we had to scrub in. I'd love love love to see something surgical (even though I have no intention of going into surgery) just because I think it'd be such a great learning opportunity. I guess I will keep cold-calling (or faxing?) surgeons until one of them bites 🙂

Other than that, the specialty that I am most interested is the one I have been shadowing with -- pediatric heme/onc. I would also like to see pediatric physiatry and rheumatology.
 
I would love to observe a surgery. I know that a lot of pre-meds have had such an experience, and I am so jealous! I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to network my way into being able to do that. I've seen loads of spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations, and a chest tube insertion -- but only one of those was in a legitimate operating room in which we had to scrub in. .

😱 I'm half-jealous and half-not. I've seen a few of those on TV, like on Discovery Health, and all you could hear were screams. How did that go over?
 
😱 I'm half-jealous and half-not. I've seen a few of those on TV, like on Discovery Health, and all you could hear were screams. How did that go over?

Well, most of them were on young kids (youngest I saw was 2), so they were put under with a light anesthetic. They sometimes shifted a bit or moaned slightly, but they weren't actually conscious. I did see one in a teenage boy who had too much fluid in his chest from his tumour to be given anesthetic, so they had to put in a chest tube and do a bone marrow aspiration / spinal tap with only local anesthetic. He was definitely screaming and that was definitely unpleasant to hear. That one was in an OR.

The most nervewracking part about the procedures where the kids were under was that the parents would sometimes be in the room. They would ask to watch. This one mother was taking cell phone pictures of her 7 year old on the table, and then with the doctor about to put the needle in, etc. She just was like, hovering around and photo documenting it. It was weird.... But if it helped her deal with the situation that her son had cancer, I guess I can't complain! Everyone has different coping mechanisms I suppose.
 
Well, most of them were on young kids (youngest I saw was 2), so they were put under with a light anesthetic. They sometimes shifted a bit or moaned slightly, but they weren't actually conscious. I did see one in a teenage boy who had too much fluid in his chest from his tumour to be given anesthetic, so they had to put in a chest tube and do a bone marrow aspiration / spinal tap with only local anesthetic. He was definitely screaming and that was definitely unpleasant to hear. That one was in an OR.

The most nervewracking part about the procedures where the kids were under was that the parents would sometimes be in the room. They would ask to watch. This one mother was taking cell phone pictures of her 7 year old on the table, and then with the doctor about to put the needle in, etc. She just was like, hovering around and photo documenting it. It was weird.... But if it helped her deal with the situation that her son had cancer, I guess I can't complain! Everyone has different coping mechanisms I suppose.

That's really interesting to see a mother taking cell phone pictures of a procedure like that. To each his or her own, I guess!

And see, that's where I have an issue, is the screaming. I've said it before on other posts, but it's the one problem I have. Hearing people in pain definitely gets me, especially children. The fight or flight response just begins for me. I'm sure it's different when you're the one doing the procedure and that's your focus, but to just stand there and watch and hear that.. I'm afraid that will interfere with my learning. How did you cope with that?
 
That's really interesting to see a mother taking cell phone pictures of a procedure like that. To each his or her own, I guess!

And see, that's where I have an issue, is the screaming. I've said it before on other posts, but it's the one problem I have. Hearing people in pain definitely gets me, especially children. The fight or flight response just begins for me. I'm sure it's different when you're the one doing the procedure and that's your focus, but to just stand there and watch and hear that.. I'm afraid that will interfere with my learning. How did you cope with that?

It was hard, especially since I know kids his age. But I sort of just tried to focus on the fact that these measures were necessary to make him better, and he'd feel much worse (or die) if the procedures weren't being done. I am sure that it is not always such a clear distinction, but that's a main reason I want to work in pediatrics -- because I truly believe that extreme measures are one hundred person worth it for kids. But, for adults, quality of life enters into the equation. Do you give an 80 year old man chemotherapy for his particularly aggressive cancer when it'll make him sick and bedridden? It's a tough choice to make. Do you give an 8 year old chemotherapy for the same cancer? Absolutely yes.

That's a bit of a tangent, but I guess that's my overarching feeling about all of those kinds of things. The only way to make it all worth it is by believing that it is the right thing to do and that it can truly make a difference. 🙂
 
It was hard, especially since I know kids his age. But I sort of just tried to focus on the fact that these measures were necessary to make him better, and he'd feel much worse (or die) if the procedures weren't being done. I am sure that it is not always such a clear distinction, but that's a main reason I want to work in pediatrics -- because I truly believe that extreme measures are one hundred person worth it for kids. But, for adults, quality of life enters into the equation. Do you give an 80 year old man chemotherapy for his particularly aggressive cancer when it'll make him sick and bedridden? It's a tough choice to make. Do you give an 8 year old chemotherapy for the same cancer? Absolutely yes.

That's a bit of a tangent, but I guess that's my overarching feeling about all of those kinds of things. The only way to make it all worth it is by believing that it is the right thing to do and that it can truly make a difference. 🙂

Thank you so much for your informative response. I hope that I will have the same mindset should I be privy to something like that. And I can see why Peds is something you would work towards. I love children, I just don't like to see them hurt/sick. Maybe my mindset will change, and I will end up loving Peds in rotations, despite the sad times. 🙂
 
Thank you so much for your informative response. I hope that I will have the same mindset should I be privy to something like that. And I can see why Peds is something you would work towards. I love children, I just don't like to see them hurt/sick. Maybe my mindset will change, and I will end up loving Peds in rotations, despite the sad times. 🙂

I'm glad I could help!! 🙂 Are you interested in neurology / neurosurgery?
Yeah! You never know what you'll end up liking in med school 🙂 That's why I'm so excited for all of the experiences!!!
 
I'm glad I could help!! 🙂 Are you interested in neurology / neurosurgery?
Yeah! You never know what you'll end up liking in med school 🙂 That's why I'm so excited for all of the experiences!!!

Neurosurgery is definitely my thing. It definitely combines being able to do something with my hands, and working with the brain/spine. I'm pretty interested in that, but I'm open to anything that I see in medical school.
 
Neurosurgery is definitely my thing. It definitely combines being able to do something with my hands, and working with the brain/spine. I'm pretty interested in that, but I'm open to anything that I see in medical school.

I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to shadow a neurosurgeon. I think that that would be a depressing career, though.... Still, it'd be fascinating.
 
I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to shadow a neurosurgeon. I think that that would be a depressing career, though.... Still, it'd be fascinating.

You should pick up the book that I named in my siggy. Fascinating read, and empowers me, being a female, to not stop if I want a career in Neurosurgery!
 
You should pick up the book that I named in my siggy. Fascinating read, and empowers me, being a female, to not stop if I want a career in Neurosurgery!

I'm way ahead of you -- I read it in 2006! 🙂 It's very very good. One of the books that urged me on the path to becoming a physician.
 
Either CT/Trauma surgeon or Ortho surgeon. Neuro surgeon would be nice, but I can't see my self doing the hours.
 
haha Awesome!

Just to make sure you didn't get the wrong impression -- I didn't mean to imply I read it before you, just that I already saw that it was in your signature and love the book. You might very well have read it first! I didn't mean any rudeness or disrespect, and my phrasing certainly could have been better. So I hope there was no misunderstanding! 😀
 
Just to make sure you didn't get the wrong impression -- I didn't mean to imply I read it before you, just that I already saw that it was in your signature and love the book. You might very well have read it first! I didn't mean any rudeness or disrespect, and my phrasing certainly could have been better. So I hope there was no misunderstanding! 😀

Oh, no misunderstanding at all! I'm happy you read the book; it's a really awesome read and extremely informative 🙂 I've had the book for a while, but I honestly can't remember when I first read it.. only that I read it for the 18 millionth time the other day. :laugh:
 
Oh, no misunderstanding at all! I'm happy you read the book; it's a really awesome read and extremely informative 🙂 I've had the book for a while, but I honestly can't remember when I first read it.. only that I read it for the 18 millionth time the other day. :laugh:

Have you read "When The Air Hits Your Brain"? I haven't yet; been meaning to though. My personal favourite doctor-writer memoir is "A Map Of The Child". 🙂
 
Have you read "When The Air Hits Your Brain"? I haven't yet; been meaning to though. My personal favourite doctor-writer memoir is "A Map Of The Child". 🙂

I haven't read either of them, but I will definitely look them up!
 
I'd probably cycle through a few internal medicine specialties. Heme/onc, cardiology, pulmonology are the three most interesting to me right now.
 
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