Is this true about Anesthesiologists?

[SoulinNeed]

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I've interacted with a few Anesthesiologists in my relatively short time in Med School (about to start on the wards soon), and I've noticed that, relative to other specialists that I've interacted with, that they seem to be much more "down to earth" people. A few even come across as being "laid back". Definitely hard working and knowledgeable, but they're not as intense about showing it off as some other specialists that I've encountered. A bit more friendly too than other specialists from what I've seen. I've heard that certain specialties tend to attract certain kinds of people, but I was wondering if my observation is generally true about Anesthesiologists, or am I just meeting the "down to earth" few? Thanks.

 

[GA8314]

I've interacted with a few Anesthesiologists in my relatively short time in Med School (about to start on the wards soon), and I've noticed that, relative to other specialists that I've interacted with, that they seem to be much more "down to earth" people. A few even come across as being "laid back". Definitely hard working and knowledgeable, but they're not as intense about showing it off as some other specialists that I've encountered. A bit more friendly too than other specialists from what I've seen. I've heard that certain specialties tend to attract certain kinds of people, but I was wondering if my observation is generally true about Anesthesiologists, or am I just meeting the "down to earth" few? Thanks.

This is hard to answer. I'd say most would agree with your assessment. Perhaps there is some "self selection", but I honestly think that we are one of the FEW (not the only) medical specialties having very much to do the following:

• work very fast under other people's timeframe
• do the above often with very sick patients
• do the above with often very little notice in advance
• do the above with little to no preop preparation (i.e. a 24 G IV which is subQ) (thus we need to deal with it)
• be very fast under pressure for last minute changes but the timeframe still doesn't change.

I think that with the above, most people just deal with it, and learn to become laid back......

 

[MikeMerk-MtS]

I think a lot of it has to do with self-selection, but overall, I do agree that most anesthesiologists I've worked with are friendly, laid-back people 🙂

 

[Planktonmd]

I think your observations are accurate and apply to the majority of anesthesiologists.

 

[ENFPanesthetist]

I've often described anesthesia as a "low-ego" specialty. Most of your work caring for a patient is done unknown to the patient (padding their wrists, cradling their head, keeping them warm, anticipating what the need for pain control will be before pain is experienced, etc). By nature of that relationship, it attracts people who tend to "need" or desire less recognition for their work. Apart from that, the sheer number of disasters that a well-tuned, astute anesthesiologist avoids beneath the cover of a surgical drape is large. Many of these are unknown even to the surgical team. By selection, anesthesiologists tend to be laid back doctors who draw gratification from pursuits atypical to medicine, not on rounds or in clinic, and thus are inherently more "normal."

All of this, of course, was gathered from my astonishing 3 months of clinical experience...

 

[SoulinNeed]

A friend of mine was telling me that Anesthesiologists have to be prepared for a lot of emergencies, and thus, aren't people who tend to panic and over hype things, so they're typically more laid back than other specialties.

 

[Noyac]

It's true. And everyone so far has put a good spin on why it is this way for most anesthesiologists.

We see things on a daily basis that most physicians, with the exception of trauma surgeons and cardiac surgeons to my knowledge, won't see more than once a year or even less. It is difficult to get worked up after seeing all this stuff. Our ability to see doom coming or to pull a pt out of the sink is unmatched (there is the ego).

Btw, ER docs don't come close in case someone might have thought they did.

 

[bcat85]

It's true. And everyone so far has put a good spin on why it is this way for most anesthesiologists.

We see things on a daily basis that most physicians, with the exception of trauma surgeons and cardiac surgeons to my knowledge, won't see more than once a year or even less. It is difficult to get worked up after seeing all this stuff. Our ability to see doom coming or to pull a pt out of the sink is unmatched (there is the ego).

Btw, ER docs don't come close in case someone might have thought they did.

Definitely. This week alone, I've seen a near arrest, a laryngospasm with sats in the 70's, and a venous air embolism. Noyac hit the nail on the head--we see a lot of rare and incredibly dangerous events, and often the surgeons are none the wiser. Of course, its the crises that don't happen that go the most unnoticed.

 

[Baller MD]

Definitely. This week alone, I've seen a near arrest, a laryngospasm with sats in the 70's, and a venous air embolism. Noyac hit the nail on the head--we see a lot of rare and incredibly dangerous events, and often the surgeons are none the wiser. Of course, its the crises that don't happen that go the most unnoticed.

When, heavens forbid, a patient is unable to be resuscitated, is there a blame game that goes on like as seen in the case of Joan Rivers?

 

[criticalelement]

When, heavens forbid, a patient is unable to be resuscitated, is there a blame game that goes on like as seen in the case of Joan Rivers?

In a word.. Usually.

 

[Baller MD]

In a word.. Usually.

Shame...

 

[bashwell]

In my experience, the vast majority of anesthesiologists are totally cool and chill people. However, there's a very small minority who are total douchebags in the hospitals I've been to. Not sure why. Maybe it's just where I am.

 

[GA8314]

In my experience, the vast majority of anesthesiologists are totally cool and chill people. However, there's a very small minority who are total douchebags in the hospitals I've been to. Not sure why. Maybe it's just where I am.

Hard to say why. They exist in all specialties. Probably one or a combo of being insecure, totally disgruntled about life in general, or not cut out for the stress of the job which most people can't understand until they are actually RESPONSIBLE for the things anesthesiologists need to do on most days (i.e. shadowing can't compare).

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this gig is NOT for everyone.

Oh, and for those NEEDING to be stroked somehow, well, as others have said, wrong profession. We do all of this and at the same time most people we interact with have zero idea of how much hustle can go into our job.

 

[drmwvr]

Humility comes with being an anesthesiologist because an awful lot of what we do are things other physicians write orders for other people to do. Along with complex medical management, we empty Foleys, give antibiotics, put monitors on patients, pass NGT's, place piv's, suction ett's , give nebulized aerosol therapy and so forth. I even bring our transport monitor back after bringing patients to the ICU. Others see that and it makes us more human and approachable. As mentioned, what really separates us from the rest is poorly understood by others and for the most part, largely hidden.

 

[Wolverines83]

This is definitely what I've observed (as a student). I told a radiologist that I wanted to do anesthesia and he said "damn man, you must have nerves of steel to want to do that!" So apparently some people realize it's a tough gig!

 

[DrMaximus]

I told a radiologist that I wanted to do anesthesia and he said "damn man, you must have nerves of steel to want to do that!"

Very similar thing was told to me on my radiology rotation by one of my attendings. N=2 of radiologists recognizing this speciality.

The personality of the anesthesiologists that I worked with are honestly one of the things that drew me to anesthesia. I just felt like I related to them and fit in with their chill, laid back attitudes.

 

[Mad Jack]

It's true. And everyone so far has put a good spin on why it is this way for most anesthesiologists.

We see things on a daily basis that most physicians, with the exception of trauma surgeons and cardiac surgeons to my knowledge, won't see more than once a year or even less. It is difficult to get worked up after seeing all this stuff. Our ability to see doom coming or to pull a pt out of the sink is unmatched (there is the ego).

Btw, ER docs don't come close in case someone might have thought they did.

Critical care can be pretty ugly at a high-acuity place. Still, their patients circle the drain slowly for the most part.

 

[Noyac]

Critical care can be pretty ugly at a high-acuity place. Still, their patients circle the drain slowly for the most part.

True, but after I brought my airway case that I posted here down to ICU in the middle of the night a couple weeks ago, the very experienced CC doc basically echoed what's been said here about anesthesia. Things just move a bit slower in the unit and they always seem to have someone to bail them out. We don't!

 

[Noyac]

I thought only surgeons had the god complex. 😛

No way man. We all have it. It's just that the surgeons feel the need to flaunt it.

 

[vector2]

Would agree the stereotype is mostly true with the n=40-50 attendings I regularly work with. Exceptions tend to be the occasional super-intense cardiothoracic or peds guy, and the ob fellowship trained person who takes ob anesthesia way too seriously.