Is anesthesiology right for me?

[EthylMethylMan]

---

Members do not see this ad.

.

 

[vector2]

Current PGY-2 EM resident. I've grown to really dislike EM. I find myself freezing up when undifferentiated crashing patients come in, and really hate the overwhelming patient numbers. Anesthesiology seems like a really great field for me on paper, since I enjoy physiology, physics, and (believe it or not) critical care. I figured I'd potentially do better in this field since it looks like there's a bit less unpredictability, and you can focus on your one patient on the table in front of you. Am I wrong in these assumptions? Thanks for any input.

Yes, you are very wrong. There is a high likelihood that you will end up in a supervisory anesthesiology practice where you have to juggle multiple pts, and it's also quite likely that during residency and in practice you will have to deal with very time sensitive undifferentiated intraop disasters where if you freeze up the pt dies. I'd stick it out in EM- this year will be much better for you now that you have your intern knowledge and experience under your belt. Talk with your program director and discuss your concerns before you do anything rash.

 

[Prehealth1011]

Why not stick it out with EM then applying to Critical Care fellowships? Seems like a less complicated pathway. You can even apply to Pain from EM where you don't have to worry about freezing.

 

[NICMAN]

Finish EM, then do a neurocritical care fellowship. Freezing when the action starts might just be inexperience but just as likely in Anesthesia.

 

[anbuitachi]

Current PGY-2 EM resident. I've grown to really dislike EM. I find myself freezing up when undifferentiated crashing patients come in, and really hate the overwhelming patient numbers. Anesthesiology seems like a really great field for me on paper, since I enjoy physiology, physics, and (believe it or not) critical care. I figured I'd potentially do better in this field since it looks like there's a bit less unpredictability, and you can focus on your one patient on the table in front of you. Am I wrong in these assumptions? Thanks for any input.

anesthesiology is not the field for you. it's probably even worse than EM for you......

There will be many emergencies and crashing patients in your career in anesthesiology. Imagine when a patient is crashing and then all of the attention is on YOU, at the head of the bed, to save the patient.. Unlike ED, a lot of times you are on your own until back up shows up (if they do). Because we do a lot of airway stuff, seconds count. Also the expectation in the OR is nothing should go wrong. A lot of things are automatically recorded (vitals, ventilatory stuff) so it could also make you look pretty bad. if something goes wrong, prepared to be blamed by everybody even if its not actually your fault.

 

[chocomorsel]

Current PGY-2 EM resident. I've grown to really dislike EM. I find myself freezing up when undifferentiated crashing patients come in, and really hate the overwhelming patient numbers. Anesthesiology seems like a really great field for me on paper, since I enjoy physiology, physics, and (believe it or not) critical care. I figured I'd potentially do better in this field since it looks like there's a bit less unpredictability, and you can focus on your one patient on the table in front of you. Am I wrong in these assumptions? Thanks for any input.

Finish your EM residency and go on to CCM fellowship. Then you can do full time CCM and minimal EM.
No point in wasting a year if you like CCM.
We have crashing patients in the OR too. Just not as much as y'all probably.
Anesthesiology is full of CRNAs who are constantly wanting to take over your job and think they know it all.

 

[coffeebythelake]

Current PGY-2 EM resident. I've grown to really dislike EM. I find myself freezing up when undifferentiated crashing patients come in, and really hate the overwhelming patient numbers. Anesthesiology seems like a really great field for me on paper, since I enjoy physiology, physics, and (believe it or not) critical care. I figured I'd potentially do better in this field since it looks like there's a bit less unpredictability, and you can focus on your one patient on the table in front of you. Am I wrong in these assumptions? Thanks for any input.

agree with all the other posters.
you are unlikely to end up doing solo practice
more likely you will be running ACT model care, and expecting to put out fires with incomplete information

 

[dabears505]

Go into psych, make 300k, never stress your whole life

 

[Twiggidy]

Finish EM like everyone is saying. Not all emergency rooms are episodes of "ER" where nurses are doing ACLS while straddling a patient and Dr. Green is cracking a chest in trauma bay while delivering a baby in another. And as others have mentioned, you have other options when finished with residency.

 

[GA8314]

Go into psych, make 300k, never stress your whole life

Seriously. Psych is so underrated.

 

[Twiggidy]

Seriously. Psych is so underrated.

More so now that Telemedicine is going be more and more of a thing. I think pain medicine may follow suit.

 

[Planktonmd]

Current PGY-2 EM resident. I've grown to really dislike EM. I find myself freezing up when undifferentiated crashing patients come in, and really hate the overwhelming patient numbers. Anesthesiology seems like a really great field for me on paper, since I enjoy physiology, physics, and (believe it or not) critical care. I figured I'd potentially do better in this field since it looks like there's a bit less unpredictability, and you can focus on your one patient on the table in front of you. Am I wrong in these assumptions? Thanks for any input.

You know in anesthesiology you are not allowed to freeze up under any circumstances. So the answer is no, do something else, how about dermatology?

 

[We'llBeDoneIn15Minutes]

A very wise man once told me, Your worst day in the OR is still better than your best day in the ER... And this very wise man worked many years in ER at many diverse locations and many years in the OR at many diverse locations.

 

[Ronin786]

Just a piece of advice: if you have an issue such as "freezing up", don't run away from it. Figure out why this happens, the catalysts for it and face your fears and move through it. Get help if you have to. Switching to another field or quitting your job won't be the answer.

Just ask David Goggins: "Your fears will always find you"

 

[Lidolover]

Freezing up wears off with studying studying and ... studying! When you obtain an adequate and ORGANIZED knowledge foundation nothing will freeze you up. And if you freeze up when in need of procedures remember don’t hesitate to try even if you fear failure. #my2cents