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funny post. you are out of touch.
Totally!
I'm sure those that know me would agree as well.
funny post. you are out of touch.
Agree with gypsydoc. Outside of an academic dept with a strong chair, the squeaky wheel gets squashed. I worked at a small group, did big cases, was requested by most of the staff to give their gas to them or their family members. Even in that situation we were expected to not complain, not cancel cases, just do the work. I didn't accept this, cancelled cases if the patients weren't fit for surgery and was given crap for it.
Money wins, and in a "service field" you have to do what is expected or be replaced. No matter how good you think you are, no matter how much you "own your patients" you are easily replaced. There were GIs who loudly proclaimed how they prefer the crnas because they never cared about preop ekgs or lab work, they just did the case. Needless to say, I no longer work there.
I thought that's what the surgeons always like to tell the medical students.....
As a follow up to some of your questions,
I'm in private practice, mostly ambulatory work, some OB, some healthy peds, no hearts, no heads.
Surgeons tell us if you are considering anything other than surgery then don't do surgery.
Man, then perhaps you're just not doing something right. Sure, I'm all wet behind the ears and naive etc. etc. (the predictable response) but I know a lot on this forum as well as many anesthesiologists personally, who love their jobs, get an adequate amount of "respect" (earned mind you), and feel well compensated and challenged.
So, what is making you, and a few others, so different? How can Noy say one thing and you another?
Maybe it IS time to change groups if it's that bad. OR, maybe you could look in the mirror and see if their's anything in your day to day behavior that may warrant a change?
Why are some more or less happy (with realistic expectations) with their careers and others so miserable. Is it REALLY the job, or is it the individual and that individual's ATTITUDE TOWARDS the job?? We should all reflect on this.
I see some dudes on this forum really embrace their measely positions as anesthesiologists (too many to name but we all know who they are). They embrace responsibility. They take ownership of their patients. They work to establish good report's with surgeons. They earn the respect of others by doing a good job, and MOST IMPORTANTLY adding value to the perioperative process. Whatever that means, and it surely means something different in different practices/institutions.
It's all up to us, people.
And let me speak to the future, for any fellow PGY1's or med students out there. I hear all the time how "impressed" people are with the quality of the anesthesiology interns. WE are currently working to EARN the respect of folks in the hospital. This isn't that hard, and it WILL translate into a more amiable environment in the OR when we work hard during our surgical months. When we take good care of post-op patients (OF SURGEONS WE'LL BE WORKING WITH very soon) in the SICU. When, on our various months, doing whatever, we work hard, take interest, CONTROL our attitudes (even when working crappy ER shifts kind of blows), taking INTEREST (even if you have to fake it and I mean that) in other specialties (thus in other specialISTS) etc. etc. It's really not that ****ing difficult. Have an attitude. Get some confidence. Do whatever it takes.
Do you know how valuable it is as a junior resident to walk up and INTRODUCE yourself to a well known/respected surgeon (or any other specialist for that matter, including those of our own specialty)???? This can be huge. Make a good first impression. Take an active role and itnerest in the care of their patients and I will gaurantee you will earn respect.
cf
Since no one bit on my social prestige inquiry, let me ask this . . . why does the field of anesthesia suffer from lack of respect? It doesn't make much sense to me.
Everyone in the anesthesiology forum always talks about the lack of respect. I know you're referring to respect from colleagues and hospital staff, but what about when you're walking about town. Correct me if I'm wrong, but anesthesiology sounds pretty studly to the average person you meet at a BBQ. Right? That's got to count for something.
Imagine being a dermatologist or radiologist. A lot of professional respect, but out in the real world, everyone thinks you're a beautician or you put the lead apron on people getting a dental exam. Holy sh.t that would be frustrating. Half of your social interactions would turn into some bizarre attempt at qualifying your credentials to a Subaru mechanic or sandwich artist. And we all know they'd never really believe you anyway*.
*until they saw your car, but by then it's too late, you're leaving
What are you talking about?
Who cares what the schmuck at the barbecue thinks?
And why the heck does the fact that you are a doctor enter in the conversation with the mechanic or the guy fixing the sandwich for lunch?
I am not worried about what anyone thinks about my car, partly because it is a beat up hunk of junk (that is paid for).
Every time I read a thread like this, I wonder about the lack of respect people are talking about. Are the people who complain about constant disrespect actually dysfunctional people who need constant ego stroking? Maybe it's me that's dysfunctionally oblivious to disrespect flung in my direction. Maybe the nurses and surgeons are snickering at me when my back is turned? That seems unlikely.
I'm totally comfortable being in a "service" specialty. I know the patients come to the hospital for surgery, not anesthesia. I rarely cancel cases and when I do the surgeons don't give me crap or demand that a bully-able CRNA do the case instead.
Some surgeons are friendly and appreciative; great, we talk during the cases. If they view themselves as the most important person in the room and me as a cog in their surgical support machine, so what? Others are jerks and I'm happy to sit there silently the whole time while they bitch and moan about alimony to wife #2 or dull scissors.
A safe comfortable patient in the PACU and a paycheck are all the personal or professional recognition I need to get through the day. Anesthesia's not a good field for people who need daily reaffirmation of their worth from other people.
Outside of residency, which sucks no matter who you are, I've been treated well. I really can't see myself in any other field of medicine. I hate clinic. I hate inpatient work. I tried out path and rads as a student and again as an intern - maybe could've been happy in path, but pushing propofol in endo has got nothing on staring at pap smears all morning.
I know a lot of people reading this are thinking that I just need to suck it up and deal with it but I am with narcotized, I am ready to get out.
Half of your social interactions would turn into some bizarre attempt at qualifying your credentials to a Subaru mechanic or sandwich artist.
Well you know that the smackdown is coming if I post a reply:
Great post UTSW.. people like you are the ones I will be looking for when it comes time to leave my pp job and start my own group.So you want to hire UTSW?
How about dental school. Drilling for dollars. Seriously.
I would rather be a wino sleeping in a cardboard box under the freeway than to be almost any other kind of doctor.
I am an ER attending switching to anesthesia. This discussion makes me think medicine is becoming an unpleasant field for a lot of people. A lot of people view ER as a lifestyle field, but believe me it is not. Just like the original poster there are many things that cause ER to be a high burnout specialty. I work half the weekends and holidays, I literally do not have time to pee during a shift, the busiest times in the ER are in the evenings and overnights so the bulk of the scheduling is during that time so I am not home with my family for dinner and I still feel like I am on call multiple times a week when I am pulling into my driveway at 3am after a long shift.
My point is, it is very hard to see the details and intricacies of what the "real world" work life of a specialty will be like as you are drudging through med school and when you get on the other side it is often a surprise as to what it is really like.
Great post UTSW.. people like you are the ones I will be looking for when it comes time to leave my pp job and start my own group.So you want to hire UTSW?
I'm expensive.