Operating Room

[yjj8817]

Have you guys ever volunteered in the operating room? How was the experience? I am trying to decide if I should turn in my app or not...

thanks!

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[Charles Darwin]

Have you guys ever volunteered in the operating room? How was the experience? I am trying to decide if I should turn in my app or not...

thanks!

I would love to have the opportunity to volunteer in the OR. If you're interested in a surgical specialty or just want to have the experience of being in an operating room, go for it. Will you get to observe surgeries?

 

[mimelim]

How does one exactly 'volunteer' in an OR?

 

[Ironmandoc]

Do it

 

[yjj8817]

oh really? I'm just a bit worried because it says "no patient contact" while the ED (I have volunteered there for a while and would like to switch) says "Yes patient contact"

Also, this is the description for the OR volunteering

The goal of placing volunteers in the OR is to provide exposure to the inner workings of the surgical setting and the many different roles that come to together in order provide surgical services to patients. When appropriate, volunteers are able to observe surgeries. Volunteers gain experience working alongside patient support technicians and anesthesiology technicians by assisting with cleaning rooms and equipment, setting up equipment, running errands for nurses, getting supplies, etc.

 

[DAPI]

oh really? I'm just a bit worried because it says "no patient contact" while the ED (I have volunteered there for a while and would like to switch) says "Yes patient contact"

Also, this is the description for the OR volunteering

The goal of placing volunteers in the OR is to provide exposure to the inner workings of the surgical setting and the many different roles that come to together in order provide surgical services to patients. When appropriate, volunteers are able to observe surgeries. Volunteers gain experience working alongside patient support technicians and anesthesiology technicians by assisting with cleaning rooms and equipment, setting up equipment, running errands for nurses, getting supplies, etc.

In my experience, well what I have heard from my friends as I never did it, is this is mostly what you will be doing. I would do the ED as you will likely have more time to chat with nurses, build a strong reputations with them, and then be able to have more patient interaction instead of just stocking shelves.

 

[kpcrew]

It sounds like it would be okay to turn in your app but if you want to see what an operation is like, try shadowing a surgeon or an anesthesiologist. It might be difficult to get a proper viewing if you're going to constantly be running errands throughout the procedure.

 

[Bacchus]

Do the ED volunteering.

 

[Bacchus]

How does one exactly 'volunteer' in an OR?

Offer to move the Mayo for the scrub tech, no?

 

[mimelim]

The goal of placing volunteers in the OR is to provide exposure to the inner workings of the surgical setting and the many different roles that come to together in order provide surgical services to patients. When appropriate, volunteers are able to observe surgeries. Volunteers gain experience working alongside patient support technicians and anesthesiology technicians by assisting with cleaning rooms and equipment, setting up equipment, running errands for nurses, getting supplies, etc.

This is a waste of time. If you want to see what surgeons do, shadow a surgeon. If you want to see what an anesthesiologist does, shadow an anesthesiologist. Volunteering to be a janitor does nothing for you. At a decent academic hospital, if you are shadowing a surgeon, you will be allowed to scrub into the procedure. You won't be able to do anything, but you will be able to be 6 inches to 2 feet from what is happening. You want to be reviewing films before the OR. You want to be with the surgeon/residents in the PACU. You want to run around the floor with the surgeon, fellows or seniors to see what they are doing. You don't want to be a janitor that maybe gets to see 10% of a case. You don't know what to look for or even where to look. You need to be attached to the MDs doing the case, not listening in as the assistant to the circulator.

 

[Sabio23]

I think I know which hospital you are talking about. Each OR is different, some you get to see surgeries while others you just help clean instruments with no possibility to scrub in. However for this particular hospital I doubt you'll get much experience seeing actual surgeries.

 

[yjj8817]

However for this particular hospital I doubt you'll get much experience seeing actual surgeries.

You mean while I'm volunteering in the operating room, right? If I do shadowing instead, I should be ok?

 

[Sabio23]

Yes while volunteering. PM me to make sure its the same hospital, I don't want to say something that may not be true. But I agree with the others, its much better to shadow to get a feel for the surgical setting.

 

[yjj8817]

Yes while volunteering. PM me to make sure its the same hospital, I don't want to say something that may not be true. But I agree with the others, its much better to shadow to get a feel for the surgical setting.

I sent it...hope you got it!

 

[45408]

This is a waste of time. If you want to see what surgeons do, shadow a surgeon. If you want to see what an anesthesiologist does, shadow an anesthesiologist. Volunteering to be a janitor does nothing for you. At a decent academic hospital, if you are shadowing a surgeon, you will be allowed to scrub into the procedure. You won't be able to do anything, but you will be able to be 6 inches to 2 feet from what is happening. You want to be reviewing films before the OR. You want to be with the surgeon/residents in the PACU. You want to run around the floor with the surgeon, fellows or seniors to see what they are doing. You don't want to be a janitor that maybe gets to see 10% of a case. You don't know what to look for or even where to look. You need to be attached to the MDs doing the case, not listening in as the assistant to the circulator.

It would be a bit surprising if he scrubbed in, and review the films beforehand? Come on, really? That's what a resident should do, the med student should probably do, and the pre-med should not even bother.

Besides, doing a little volunteering is probably a good way to meet the surgeons/anesthesiologists.

 

[yjj8817]

ok thanks for your replies. So for shadowing a surgeon, how are the working hours? Do they work after 5 PM during the night? or maybe during weekends? If they do, it would be pretty convenient for me since I probably would have classes in the morning and afternoon.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Do the ED volunteering.

Yep, ED volunteering + OR shadowing is the way to go.

 

[Omppu27]

This is a waste of time. If you want to see what surgeons do, shadow a surgeon. If you want to see what an anesthesiologist does, shadow an anesthesiologist. Volunteering to be a janitor does nothing for you. At a decent academic hospital, if you are shadowing a surgeon, you will be allowed to scrub into the procedure. You won't be able to do anything, but you will be able to be 6 inches to 2 feet from what is happening. You want to be reviewing films before the OR. You want to be with the surgeon/residents in the PACU. You want to run around the floor with the surgeon, fellows or seniors to see what they are doing. You don't want to be a janitor that maybe gets to see 10% of a case. You don't know what to look for or even where to look. You need to be attached to the MDs doing the case, not listening in as the assistant to the circulator.

This all sounds do freakin sweet!!!!!

 

[yjj8817]

so how are their working hours? Do they work in the evening or weekends?

 

[penguinism]

Yep, ED volunteering + OR shadowing is the way to go.

Agreed - more to do in the ED as a volunteer, and the patients are (usually) awake!

so how are their working hours? Do they work in the evening or weekends?

Most surgeries, barring emergencies, will probably be during the weekdays, and they often start very early. You might be able to find some surgeons that operate on weekends, but don't hold your breath. Finding a weekend shadowing position in the OR will be difficult. ED shadowing/volunteering on the weekends is very plausible, though!

 

[UnclePhil]

ok thanks for your replies. So for shadowing a surgeon, how are the working hours? Do they work after 5 PM during the night? or maybe during weekends? If they do, it would be pretty convenient for me since I probably would have classes in the morning and afternoon.

if you are trying shadow a surgeon, weekdays are probably best. Just skip a morning of lecture or something unless you have something really important. At our hospital here, cases start at 7 am. The problem with shadowing at nights is that you don't really want to be shadowing a doc who is on call. It's stressful for them and a lot of them will not be particularly engaging because they have more emergent things to deal with than talking to a premed.

 

[mimelim]

It would be a bit surprising if he scrubbed in, and review the films beforehand? Come on, really? That's what a resident should do, the med student should probably do, and the pre-med should not even bother.

Besides, doing a little volunteering is probably a good way to meet the surgeons/anesthesiologists.

At the hospital attached to my med sxhool and the hospital I am at now I have seen hs and pre-meds scrubbed in watch gen surg and vascular cases. And he should be with the resident or surgeon reviewing the films. I did not mean by himself. Having someone explain the radiografic findings and then correlate them in the OR is rather rewarding.