Personality for anesthesiology

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ZML

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Which type of personality suits it best?
I’m chill most of the time but love the adrenaline rushes.
What makes a good anesthesiologist?
 
It’s a balance of both. Those at the extremes come toward the middle somewhat, but we are who we are.

For example, I’m usually cool and collected and nothing really phases me, but I like to be in the action. But, one of my colleagues goes balls to wall at any hint of action.
 
caligas said:
Impossible speed and agility, ice coursing through veins, and the piercing blue eyes of a Siberian husky.
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hbo-photo-111.jpg



just don't let the surgeon Arya Stark you with their 10 blade
 
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ok see, THIS is why I want to be an anesthesiologist. Look at this community.
IM = too much mindgasms & dealing too much with patients (Hospitalist hours are good I guess), no procedures*
albeit, I do like connections & there's always a chance to specialize

psychiatry = too much crazy
surgery = i want to see my family
radiology = automation
pathology = no patients, without a great program, it'll be just preparing slides for the rest of my life

I hope I get anesthesiology, I'll be as servile as you want me to be
 
The three A’s
Able
Affable
Available

If that doesn’t give you an idea then I like to refer back to my baseball days when I was a catcher. The catcher (anesthesiologist) is the one really controlling the game (operation). They call the pitches. They position the infield. They talk the pitcher down off the cliff when they are screwing up. They are in every game, not just one or two a week (like every surgery, not just on the operating days). But most importantly they are in the background making sure everything is going as planned. The surgeon is like the pitcher, frail and temperamental. Easily rattled. You must be able to handle them. Keep them focused for the pts
The correlation is just so damn perfect in my mind. The catcher and the anesthesiologist are behind the scene, ether screen, mask. While the pitcher surgeon is out there in the spotlight. Demanding all the attention.
 
Lol this thread is so sad/funny
 
I think Jet mentioned the “offensive line” of medicine. No one comes to see you in action, and if you do a good job, people really only notice the quarterback, running back and receivers. Sure they can screw up as well. But without a productive O-line, everyone will look bad. I thought that was a good analogy by him. For those that don’t like contact sports @Noyac, I suppose baseball would be the next best analogy. 😉
 
Noyac said:
The three A’s
Able
Affable
Available

If that doesn’t give you an idea then I like to refer back to my baseball days when I was a catcher. The catcher (anesthesiologist) is the one really controlling the game (operation). They call the pitches. They position the infield. They talk the pitcher down off the cliff when they are screwing up. They are in every game, not just one or two a week (like every surgery, not just on the operating days). But most importantly they are in the background making sure everything is going as planned. The surgeon is like the pitcher, frail and temperamental. Easily rattled. You must be able to handle them. Keep them focused for the pts
The correlation is just so damn perfect in my mind. The catcher and the anesthesiologist are behind the scene, ether screen, mask. While the pitcher surgeon is out there in the spotlight. Demanding all the attention.
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Who willingly signs up to take a beating every night??
 
Be prepared to be called 'anesthesia' every day by surgeons and proceduralists. You won't be addressed as Dr. ZML
 
FFP said:
Also by nurses and every less educated individual in the hospital.

Why? Because they can get away with it. That's how little an anesthesiologist matters.
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It is not as bad as that. Most of my surgeons called me Dr. XXX. Those not are often old dudes who just say Doc.

You need to find another gig less toxic.
 
FFP said:
Also by nurses and every less educated individual in the hospital. That's when they don't call you by your first name.

Why? Because they can get away with it. That's how little an anesthesiologist matters.
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Every time I go on epidural rounds or see a pre-op on the floor, people stop me and ask if I’m “Ortho” or “medicine” or “Urology.” Everyone from MDs to LPNs. I politely say no and walk away, doesn’t bother me much. Happens to all specialties/consultants really.
 
FFP said:
Also by nurses and every less educated individual in the hospital. That's when they don't call you by your first name.

Why? Because they can get away with it. That's how little an anesthesiologist matters.
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I did a GI rotation as an IM resident and the two attendings I worked with always addressed anesthesiologist as anesthesia--not as Dr (Can you do this/that anesthesia?, not Dr ABC). But when these GI docs are talking to other physicians, they addressed them as Dr XYZ... Maybe it's not like that everywhere or maybe these 2 GI docs were comfortable with the group of anesthesiologists that worked in the GI suit...

Frankly, I did not like the interaction b/t these proceduralists and the anesthesiologists... It did not appear to me as physician-physician interaction like when other physicians in different specialties are talking to each other. Again, it might be the culture at the hospital that I am training.
 
does everyone agree in this thread that anesthesia is better than IM
 
I’m a resident but every nurse, scrub tech, residents and other Attending’s including surgery and obgyn refer to me as anesthesia. The only people that refer to me by my first name are some residents and the anesthesia techs. It used to not bother me but as I near my end of the training it has gotten old. When I address people I refer to people as either dr. So and so or by their first name. We are the only physicians in medicine that get addressed in that matter.
 
Just respond to them as “tech” or “nurse”, it isn’t hard. They figure it out pretty fast. That was my residency routine. Surgeons were their specialty, except the staff who I treated with the “utmost respect”.

Now I am called by my first name, as is every nurse/tech/surgeon/other MD around, except in front of awake patients when it is Dr XYZ. They all used the full Dr XYZ until I told them it was fine to go with my first name.
 
Splenda88 said:
I did a GI rotation as an IM resident and the two attendings I worked with always addressed anesthesiologist as anesthesia--not as Dr (Can you do this/that anesthesia?, not Dr ABC). But when these GI docs are talking to other physicians, they addressed them as Dr XYZ... Maybe it's not like that everywhere or maybe these 2 GI docs were comfortable with the group of anesthesiologists that worked in the GI suit...

Frankly, I did not like the interaction b/t these proceduralists and the anesthesiologists... It did not appear to me as physician-physician interaction like when other physicians in different specialties are talking to each other. Again, it might be the culture at the hospital that I am training.
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It's not. It's pretty widespread. It's the relationship between master and servant. Whoever brings the business is the master.
 
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ZML said:
does everyone agree in this thread that anesthesia is better than IM
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Absolutely not. In a normal medical system, not this country, I would say the opposite.

The only people I respect for choosing anesthesia nowadays are the people who couldn't have done better for themselves (because of scores, resume, medical school etc.), or who are obsessed with the specialty and love it despite knowing exactly what they are getting into.
 
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ZML said:
does everyone agree in this thread that anesthesia is better than IM
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No. This thread is about personality types. IM is huge field that can accommodate a variety personalities. Do you think the rheumatologist and the interventional cardiologist have the same personality type?
 
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FFP said:
Absolutely not. In a normal medical system, not this country, I would say the opposite.

The only people I respect for choosing anesthesia nowadays are the people who couldn't have done better for themselves (because of scores, resume, medical school etc.), or who are obsessed with the specialty and love it despite knowing exactly what they are getting into.
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I’m the very later. I LOVE doing hearts but I’m also blessed with 2 cardiac surgeons with good personalities and have good skills. It makes doing pump cases a blessing but, and this is something my money loving partners don’t understand, and that is I would still do hearts for half or even 1/3 the units because I LOVE doing hearts <———-residents, that’s how you pick a fellowship btw, not “will it get me a job” or “will it increase my salary”
 
Twiggidy said:
I’m the very later. I LOVE doing hearts but I’m also blessed with 2 cardiac surgeons with good personalities and have good skills. It makes doing pump cases a blessing but, and this is something my money loving partners don’t understand, and that is I would still do hearts for half or even 1/3 the units because I LOVE doing hearts QUOTE]

Ummm.. sure.. but feels like a moot point if an year’s investment into fellowship gives you neither of the two
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The point is that in medicine, especially Anesthesiology, you must absolutely love what you’re doing. The money can change very quickly. It’ll still be good money but probably lower than in the past.
 
I just loved people I worked with in anesthesiology during my rotation. EVERYBODY was super chill and cracking jokes and a joyful environment. The lifestyle and pay for anesthesia is good too.

I liked the physical exams and finding signs of particular diseases in IM rotation. The paperwork and the hard to deal patients were a pain.

A lot of people took offense about titles and I see where people are coming from. I'm not particularly concerned about it (that doesn't mean I don't like titles).

Meaningful work + meaningful relationships w/ pay + lifestyles that pays off loans ASAP is what i want and anesthesiology looks really enticing

I don't have time to do more away rotations for anesthesia so I need to make a decision IM or anesthesia and I'M STILL NOT SURE
 
Twiggidy said:
The point is that in medicine, especially Anesthesiology, you must absolutely love what you’re doing. The money can change very quickly. It’ll still be good money but probably lower than in the past.
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Hmmm. It gets routine pretty quickly. I love what I do because I am reasonably compensated for a reasonable amount of work. People who do it for the “love of the game” usually do not go into anesthesia....
 
Twiggidy said:
The point is that in medicine, especially Anesthesiology, you must absolutely love what you’re doing. The money can change very quickly. It’ll still be good money but probably lower than in the past.
Click to expand...

Love is way too strong of a word. I don’t mind going to work everyday, but if I didn’t have to, I could easily think of 500 places I would rather be. However, I do hate call and I don’t even think that word is strong enough to describe my feelings toward call.
 
GravelRider said:
Love is way too strong of a word. I don’t mind going to work everyday, but if I didn’t have to, I could easily think of 500 places I would rather be. However, I do hate call and I don’t even think that word is strong enough to describe my feelings toward call.
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That’s true. “Love” is a bit strong.

Most tolerable, I guess and 1000% agree with you regarding call
 
SaltyDog said:
In Europe it's pretty common for docs to drink during lunch - including surgeons and anesthesiologists.
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AND they (anaesthetists) don't wear masks in theatre.....no clip board nurses with a badge and a gun...
 
FFP said:
They have even emancipated their physicians, I hear.
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From chest thumping CRNAs you mean? Sometimes, when I read this forum, I think Norway is a utopia for anesthesiologists' and nurse anesthetists' coexistence. Mind you, a Norski anesthesiologist might feel otherwise, but in my world we tend to respect our attendings. Neither of us get lunches, though*.

* Except today, when all involved in the sleeve/bypass OR got free lunches from the reps.
 
norski said:
From chest thumping CRNAs you mean? Sometimes, when I read this forum, I think Norway is a utopia for anesthesiologists' and nurse anesthetists' coexistence. Mind you, a Norski anesthesiologist might feel otherwise, but in my world we tend to respect our attendings. Neither of us get lunches, though*.

* Except today, when all involved in the sleeve/bypass OR got free lunches from the reps.
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Free lunch from the reps? Oh how I miss those days. That is highly frowned upon in the US these days.

They have CRNAs in Norway? Please do tell us how you all coexist so wonderfully.
 
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