I'm left handed and so are three of my coresidents. I'm sure probably 10-20% of the other 1000 residents are left handed as well.
The biggest issue in surgery is probably the use of right-handed designed instruments, such as the needle driver. When I was a medical student, I forced myself to use the right handed needle driver to suture, so I could palm the instrument.
Now it feels slightly awkward to suture with my left hand (though I can still do it), but usually will suture with my right.
Tying knots ( the subject of the other thread) is really irrelevant when it comes to handedness.
And in spine surgery, it actually may be helpful as the right handed surgeon will stand on the patients left, for posterior spine surgery, and I will stand on the patient's right, as it makes it more adventagous when "biting" upwards, in a laminectomy, for example.
The one thing I would advise any left handed medical student is to try and learn to use the needle driver in the right hand.
