Interview question

[Ventil8]

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Now that you've probably mastered answering the "why anesthesiology" question, I would like to hear how people answer... I've got to do it next year.

For me it will include: immediateness of work, procedural work, physiology based, and mathematical (math background). I don't know if its good to say that I don't like to manage patients on the floor, but that is certainly true. I can't think of anything I despise more than "rounding".

What am I leaving out? Any advise/better wording is appreciated.

 

[BubbleHead]

How about washing cold canned spinach down with warm milk? I think that is worse than rounding. I remember sitting at the table when I was 8 and not being able to leave until I finished.

I mean rounding is boring, but even CTU agent Jack Bauer would crack if forced to swallow cold canned spinach and warm milk.

 

[erasmus31]

I wouldn't say that you don't like managing patients on the floor or rounding because you may be talking to an anesthesia trained intesivist who likes those things.

One popular motive is that the patient contact is meaningful pt contact...when they are most vulnerable and when education and a caring doc with good bedside manners can go a long way.

That being said, stay true to the real reasons, because you WILL get asked this on EVERY interview, and some people are very good on finding out the truth. ie.) "so you like procedures and using your hands? why not surgery??"" "because it's TOO procedural??? then why not Cards or GI?"" "does lifestyle have anything to do with it?"

 

[rugtrousers]

On the interview trail, I was asked about the pros and cons of anesthesia. For me:

Pros:
1) Physiology: you have to have a good handle on how all the body systems work together to provide the safest anesthetic for your patient (you're the "internist of the OR").

2) You get to affect how the patient views their operative experience; what the patient remembers most is whether they were anxious, nauseated, and in pain.

3) You have very intense interactions with your patients (part of #2).

4) Procedures.

5) Professsional satisfaction (most of the anesthesiologists I've talked to would make the same career choice in a heartbeat; I can't say the same for internists).

6) Anesthesiologists have a history of being very involved in patient safety initiatives.

7) Pharmacology: You have to understand pharmacology and pharmacokinetics and get to see drugs in action.

8) Codes: You are the "go to" person to secure the airway in critical situations.

NB: The chair of my department told me not to emphasize the physiology and pharmacology bit, because it's kind of hackneyed.

Cons:
1) No continuity of care (except for pain)
Counter #1) you can follow-up with your patients in the short-term, and the intensity of interaction partially makes up for no continuity

2) Not being the top dog in the OR
Counter #2) you know how important the anesthesiologist is, and that's all that matters 🙄

Things not to mention:
1) Lifestyle - hours, scheduling flexibility, rarely being called at home (this is a touchy one; if you bring it up at all, be careful about how you do it).
2) Money.
3) No rounding.
4) No clinic, except for pain (this one's a judgment call, I think).

Hope that helps!

 

[VentdependenT]

CHeck the FAQ

 

[Idiopathic]

Not mentioned here, but the one I use the most is:

"Having a plan and seeing it through"

The overriding part of anesthesia, regardless of the subspecialty, is the import of having a clearly defined plan and managing the case within that plan, being able to adapt should the plan fail (a necessary consideration) and having things ultimately wrap up and being able to rate your performance/target improvement areas (we all have them) immediately.

Those of us who relish structure and order and enjoy preparing for and completing tasks within a reasonable framework are naturally drawn away from medicine/chronic problems and naturally drawn toward the OR and anesthesia.

Keeping in mind you can look a little too OCD when describing this, but its a good basic tenet that I like about the field in general.

I always try to avoid things like "procedure-oriented" and "lifestyle" because all of these are inherently variable.

 

[VolatileAgent]

try to be creative. say something appropriately clever. this will make you stand out because, trust me, they've heard the "physiology, pharmacology, brief but intense patient contact, blah, blah, blah..." a million times already over the years and years of interviewing candidates by the time they've gotten to you.

 

[Ventil8]

Thanks for all the input! GL to all current applicants.

 

[Induc(junc)tion]

Anyone else have any tips for us currently writing personal statements and going on interviews (hopefully)?

 

[badgas]

Anyone else have any tips for us currently writing personal statements and going on interviews (hopefully)?

Bump. Help some of us out there with writers block?

 

[supahfresh]

do some introspective journal writing. ask yourself what you want to do with your life. ask yourself what you liked and disliked about every single rotation you did. the thing will practically write itself.

 

[Idiopathic]

I wrote about playing Barbie's with my 5 year old daughter. Every interview I went on, someone commented on it, and they remembered it. Be creative and only touch on medicine when you have to. Talk about a camping trip you went on, a life-altering experience, being a parent/husband/wife/son, whatever. Tie it up using medicine, but refrain from allowing that to dominate the discussion.