Is it possible to scribe or volunteer with surgeons or anesthesiologists?

[mrh125]

what exactly would volunteering with them or scribing with them entail if it's ? I've scribed and volunteered with doctors in a variety of other specialities, but i'm wondering if I can do anything more than observe procedures/shadow.

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[sunflower18]

I've personally never heard of scribes for surgeons, and especially not anesthesiologists. Even if a gig like that existed, it's not like you would bring your computer into the operating room, so you'd likely either be scribing with the surgeons in clinic or recording their recollections of the procedure after it was over. I'm not sure that the latter would be that great of an experience, and the former would be similar to any other clinic scribing opportunities.

Hope that helped. Good luck.

 

[Spinach Dip]

When I was shadowing a couple anesthesiologists, they gave me full power over the "silence alarms" button. (but nothing else.)



But as for something helpful, I doubt you will find what you are looking for. You should look for 'standard' OR shadowing opportunities.

 

[mrh125]

When I was shadowing a couple anesthesiologists, they gave me full power over the "silence alarms" button. (but nothing else.)



But as for something helpful, I doubt you will find what you are looking for. You should look for 'standard' OR shadowing opportunities.

Drat I was hoping for some more hands on type experience, what you did sounds better than nothing though 🙂. Thanks. What was shadowing an anesthesiologist like for you? It's one of the disciplines that I've always been really interested and I have the possibility of shadowing two anesthesiologists (one from baylor who has been an anesthesiologist for 40 years) and another who is a friend of a friend.

I've personally never heard of scribes for surgeons, and especially not anesthesiologists. Even if a gig like that existed, it's not like you would bring your computer into the operating room, so you'd likely either be scribing with the surgeons in clinic or recording their recollections of the procedure after it was over. I'm not sure that the latter would be that great of an experience, and the former would be similar to any other clinic scribing opportunities.

Hope that helped. Good luck.

Thanks. That's what I thought :/. I was hoping for more. Oh well. Though shadowing surgery and anesthesiology sounds really cool. I doubt it'd be a unique EC. There was a program I applied that was a surgical internship, but I got rejected. This topic and your post just reminded me that I should apply for it again this fall lol. You deserve extra kudos for that 🙂.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Drat I was hoping for some more hands on type experience, what you did sounds better than nothing though 🙂. Thanks. What was shadowing an anesthesiologist like for you? It's one of the disciplines that I've always been really interested and I have the possibility of shadowing two anesthesiologists (one from baylor who has been an anesthesiologist for 40 years) and another who is a friend of a friend.

My experience was a little different from the norm. I shadowed an attending at a university hospital, and he basically had me shadow his residents while he did "attending stuff".

I liked it because I got to shadow a different person every day, so I was able to pick the brains of multiple anesthesiologists. Whoever you shadow, you should try to pick the brains of anyone who will talk to you. And maybe you can sneak in with some of their colleagues and observe a couple extra inductions/recoveries (the part of surgery where the anesthesiologist does the most).

Also, as for shadowing anesthesia in general... I saw a wide range of procedures from multiple medical disciplines. If you were shadowing a single cardiologist/gastroenterologist/orthopod/etc, the variety you would see would be smaller, but you would be able to learn things in greater depth.

 

[mrh125]

My experience was a little different from the norm. I shadowed an attending at a university hospital, and he basically had me shadow his residents while he did "attending stuff".

I liked it because I got to shadow a different person every day, so I was able to pick the brains of multiple anesthesiologists. Whoever you shadow, you should try to pick the brains of anyone who will talk to you. And maybe you can sneak in with some of their colleagues and observe a couple extra inductions/recoveries (the part of surgery where the anesthesiologist does the most).

Also, as for shadowing anesthesia in general... I saw a wide range of procedures from multiple medical disciplines. If you were shadowing a single cardiologist/gastroenterologist/orthopod/etc, the variety you would see would be smaller, but you would be able to learn things in greater depth.

I really like the way you think about shadowing. It's so much more efficient and informative than just shadowing one doc. No wonder you did so ****ing well on the mcat 🙂.

 

[Spinach Dip]

I really like the way you think about shadowing. It's so much more efficient and informative than just shadowing one doc. No wonder you did so ******* well on the mcat 🙂.

The MCAT is a test which requires a breadth of knowledge rather than a depth of knowledge.

 

[Bobcat18]

I was a medical scribe for a surgeon- they are pretty rare but they are out there. Typically, scribe positions are found in the ER because the patient volume is so high but they're not limited to that specialty.

 

[mehc012]

what exactly would volunteering with them or scribing with them entail if it's ? I've scribed and volunteered with doctors in a variety of other specialities, but i'm wondering if I can do anything more than observe procedures/shadow.

Wait, I'm confused...you're fine with shadowing, but you want to do something active...in the most controlled environment in the hospital?

If you want to be exposed to a lot more surgeries and surgery-related things, there are some great resources out there.
If you want to scribe, you are more likely to do it elsewhere.
If you really want to be a part of the surgical team, try becoming a surgery tech.

 

[Osteoth]

Oddly enough my experience has been the exact opposite of alot of these people.

I shadowed an anesthesiologist at an academic hospital and he let me help with intubations and a few other procedures throughout my time. Not sure if he knew I was a pre-med or maybe he assumed I was a medical student though...

 

[Spinach Dip]

I shadowed an anesthesiologist at an academic hospital and he let me help with intubations and a few other procedures throughout my time. Not sure if he knew I was a pre-med or maybe he assumed I was a medical student though...

Uhmmmm.... What was the level of this help? Was it applying cricoid pressure? Or were you the one actually passing the tube?

The closest I got to that was looking down a couple tracheas while the person I was shadowing held the laryngoscope.



EDIT: Oh yeah, I also intubated some pigs, but that was in an experimental setting with the vet standing 2 inches away, so that's a different story.

 

[Osteoth]

Uhmmmm.... What was the level of this help? Was it applying cricoid pressure? Or were you the one actually passing the tube?

The closest I got to that was looking down a couple tracheas while the person I was shadowing held the laryngoscope.



EDIT: Oh yeah, I also intubated some pigs, but that was in an experimental setting with the vet standing 2 inches away, so that's a different story.

I am still a lowly pre med so the terminology is still foreign to me, but he lifted the guy's jaw up and let me push the tube down his throat

 

[mehc012]

Uhmmmm.... What was the level of this help? Was it applying cricoid pressure? Or were you the one actually passing the tube?

The closest I got to that was looking down a couple tracheas while the person I was shadowing held the laryngoscope.



EDIT: Oh yeah, I also intubated some pigs, but that was in an experimental setting with the vet standing 2 inches away, so that's a different story.

This is why I love video scopes. When I scribe, I set myself up as the 'dispensable' person during codes and whatnot, which leads to me being the one to fetch and set up the scope, so I have front-row seats to the vids. Also works for the US - I get to twiddle the dials for them while they FAST or attempt to place a central line.

 

[mehc012]

I am still a lowly pre med so the terminology is still foreign to me, but he lifted the guy's jaw up and let me push the tube down his throat

Dude, if you were allowed to participate in something like that, you should at least make the effort to learn the terminology ASAP.

 

[Spinach Dip]

I am still a lowly pre med so the terminology is still foreign to me, but he lifted the guy's jaw up and let me push the tube down his throat

Uhhhh... yeah. You probably don't want to brag about that during interviews.

And plz learn what cricoid pressure and laryngoscopes are.