Maximizing surgical internship

[Random Anesthesiologist]

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Hey everyone,

I'm 2 months into my intern year, and it's a surgical internship at a community program. Unfortunately, I won't be able to get any devoted anesthesia time (my advanced program wants me to do an ER and ICU month each instead of an anesthesia elective), so I thought I'd ask what I can do or focus on that will really benefit me come CA-1 time.

I do have the option to spend more time with periop patient management vs always being the retractor-holder or camera-driver on cases, and when I have a TY or student on my service, I try to spend more time in the ICU, PACU and one-day surgery, and handling a lot of the new admits/consults. Anesthesiologists here are very open to teaching and seem interested in those surg prelims going on to anesthesiology.

I feel like I'm coming out of the initial intern shock and starting to get a grip on basic surgical management of patients. I've done a dozen or so central lines/vascaths and art lines. I will do ICU in November and ER in May.

What else can I do? With my advanced program in a geographically different part of the country, I feel kind of at a loss on how to keep up with what "everyone else is doing" (there are 8 categorical and 4 advanced in my program) to try to be up to speed when I start CA-1. Any advice would be great.

 

[G0S2]

Everyone else is doing what you are doing or worse-rounding endlessly followed by 2hrs of mental masturbation. Note writing. You are good.

 

[Per4mer8]

Agree with above. And it's not just your program that wants you to do ED. The ABA requires an ED month, if you don't do it as an intern you'd have to make it up during your anesthesia years.

 

[Dwindlin]

Agree with above. And it's not just your program that wants you to do ED. The ABA requires an ED month, if you don't do it as an intern you'd have to make it up during your anesthesia years.

I believe it's worded as "should" but not actually a hard requirement. I do not have an ED month in my internship and I questioned my anesthesia PD if this was a problem that I would have to correct CA1 and his answer was no.

 

[Mman]

Hey everyone,

I'm 2 months into my intern year, and it's a surgical internship at a community program. Unfortunately, I won't be able to get any devoted anesthesia time (my advanced program wants me to do an ER and ICU month each instead of an anesthesia elective), so I thought I'd ask what I can do or focus on that will really benefit me come CA-1 time.

I do have the option to spend more time with periop patient management vs always being the retractor-holder or camera-driver on cases, and when I have a TY or student on my service, I try to spend more time in the ICU, PACU and one-day surgery, and handling a lot of the new admits/consults. Anesthesiologists here are very open to teaching and seem interested in those surg prelims going on to anesthesiology.

I feel like I'm coming out of the initial intern shock and starting to get a grip on basic surgical management of patients. I've done a dozen or so central lines/vascaths and art lines. I will do ICU in November and ER in May.

What else can I do? With my advanced program in a geographically different part of the country, I feel kind of at a loss on how to keep up with what "everyone else is doing" (there are 8 categorical and 4 advanced in my program) to try to be up to speed when I start CA-1. Any advice would be great.

what to do?

Learn. Take care of patients. Better understand how to treat a certain disease. Keep your sanity.

There is nothing relevant to anesthesia that you will learn as an intern that will make a bit of difference 3 years from now. You'll learn the anesthesia stuff as an anesthesia. As an intern just get better at being a doctor.