rotating in the ED and visiting the OR

[anxiousnadd]

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Hey everyone,

So I'm about to embark on my fourth year audition rotations and sub-i's. So with two 4-week elective blocks, I've decided to go to a program that has both an EM residency as well as a Surgery residency, although my interest in surgery has been very recent (which explains why I'm also doing a surgery month at this particular program). In any case, would it be wise or unwise for me to go spend time with the attendings and/or residents in the surgery program on a few of my off days when I rotate in the ER? In my naive mind I'm thinking it'll give me more face time with the surgeons and maybe show more interest? I dunno...then again, I guess it would depend on if I do my surgery rotation first so that I can get to know the surgeons and not just barge in as a foreigner? Any help/advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone

 

[smq123]

Hey everyone,

So I'm about to embark on my fourth year audition rotations and sub-i's. So with two 4-week elective blocks, I've decided to go to a program that has both an EM residency as well as a Surgery residency, although my interest in surgery has been very recent (which explains why I'm also doing a surgery month at this particular program). In any case, would it be wise or unwise for me to go spend time with the attendings and/or residents in the surgery program on a few of my off days when I rotate in the ER? In my naive mind I'm thinking it'll give me more face time with the surgeons and maybe show more interest? I dunno...then again, I guess it would depend on if I do my surgery rotation first so that I can get to know the surgeons and not just barge in as a foreigner? Any help/advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone

If you tag along with the surgeons during your off-time while you're on this away rotation, isn't that going to raise a lot of awkward questions? Like, "So....shouldn't you stop waffling and pick EM or surg?" People like to see you have picked one or the other, usually.

Also, it's hard to just kind of tag along with the surgery team at another site unless you've already applied to do an away rotation IN THAT DEPARTMENT at that place. There will be a lot of other 4th year students (who've already decided on surgery) and they won't appreciate you taking any opportunities away from them.

 

[SocialistMD]

Hey everyone,

So I'm about to embark on my fourth year audition rotations and sub-i's. So with two 4-week elective blocks, I've decided to go to a program that has both an EM residency as well as a Surgery residency, although my interest in surgery has been very recent (which explains why I'm also doing a surgery month at this particular program). In any case, would it be wise or unwise for me to go spend time with the attendings and/or residents in the surgery program on a few of my off days when I rotate in the ER? In my naive mind I'm thinking it'll give me more face time with the surgeons and maybe show more interest? I dunno...then again, I guess it would depend on if I do my surgery rotation first so that I can get to know the surgeons and not just barge in as a foreigner? Any help/advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone

Here is the beauty of your situation; you are on an EM rotation. That means, you will only work about 20 days (at most) during your rotation. Why is that awesome? Because you can hook up with a surgeon on a surgery consult for one of your patients and ask to come in on your days off from the ED and work with the surgeons. It is a win-win if you play it correctly.

 

[ESU_MD]

One of the most hard-core gunner students I ever worked with did something similar-

he took a medicine rotation, and would come in early to attend surgery morning report, then would stay late and scrub in on cases til late into the night. he would also come up with the best wisecracks to why he hated medicine so much. hardcore. ( I always secretly wonder if it was the misterioso or not)

 

[surgres88]

Hey everyone,

So I'm about to embark on my fourth year audition rotations and sub-i's. So with two 4-week elective blocks, I've decided to go to a program that has both an EM residency as well as a Surgery residency, although my interest in surgery has been very recent (which explains why I'm also doing a surgery month at this particular program). In any case, would it be wise or unwise for me to go spend time with the attendings and/or residents in the surgery program on a few of my off days when I rotate in the ER? In my naive mind I'm thinking it'll give me more face time with the surgeons and maybe show more interest? I dunno...then again, I guess it would depend on if I do my surgery rotation first so that I can get to know the surgeons and not just barge in as a foreigner? Any help/advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone

I did this on my outpatient medicine month. Was up front with my attendings in medicine that I wanted to do something surgical as a career. They were great about it (meaning they didn't fail me in my evaluations), and rearranged my clinic schedule a few times so I could scrub in on some cases. (They were selected by the chief surgery resident, so she could take me through closing and suturing). Be honest and up front about your interest in both EM and Surgery to the staff. That is what 4th year medical school is about, figuring out your career path. Enjoy it. If you get grief about it during an audition rotation...you may not be at the right place to do your residency.