Residents in ICU????????????

[maxim728]

Hi everyone! I recently visited a relative of mine in the intensive care unit at a hospital and I noticed tons of residents and "clerks"(assume they were 3rd or 4th years due to the short white coat). I have absolutely no idea what program these residents and clerks were in to be in ICU? Can someone please tell me what dept. that was for. Likewise, when I start on rotations , ICU would be something I would like to devote my time to, to learn how to interact with families a little better and to learn to be more patient and compassionate.

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[Chris_Topher]

Hey Maxim728.

Assuming this is a general ICU, they were probably IM residents and students. This is a common rotation, and is required by some schools during the 4th year. You may carry some ICU patients during a general 3rd year IM rotation, but they usually want you to focus on the basics first.

Alternatively, they could have been Anaesthesiology residents, or critical care fellows, cardiology fellows, nephrology fellows....(a fellow of any one of the medicine specialties).

If this was a SICU (surgical ICU), they could have been surgery students and residents, if this was a NICU (neonatal ICU), they could have been pediatric folks, neonatal intensivists, yadda, yadda, yadda. Likewise there are Pulmonary ICUs, Nephrology ICUs, Cardiology ICUs, Peds ICUs, all with their attendant specialists, and so on.

In short, there are many opportunities to work in the ICU, and it is FUN! So...go for it.

 

[Hskermdic]

At some programs as a resident and student you follow your patient into the ICU no matter what service you are on (Family Medicine, Peds, Surgery etc) As well at some programs there is a set rotation where you do a month or so of just Critical CAre. We do that during our 4th year. At the Kirksville Hospital all of the interns do a critical care rotation(s) as well as the IM residents. I don't know about the other programs