Sicu

[nvshelat]

What exactly is the role of the anesthesiologist in the SICU? Is it to act as the attending in an intensive care unit for surgical pts (trauma, infxn, organ failure, etc)?
If this is the case, for those of you who work in the SICU, was it then difficult to make the transition from the OR to the SICU? (juggling several pts at the same time, ROUNDING, different presentation of cases, non-OR atmosphere)
Finally, do you like working in the SICU?

Thanks,
nvshelat, MSI

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[VolatileAgent]

What exactly is the role of the anesthesiologist in the SICU? Is it to act as the attending in an intensive care unit for surgical pts (trauma, infxn, organ failure, etc)?

yes.

If this is the case, for those of you who work in the SICU, was it then difficult to make the transition from the OR to the SICU? (juggling several pts at the same time, ROUNDING, different presentation of cases, non-OR atmosphere)
Finally, do you like working in the SICU?

Thanks,
nvshelat, MSI

you do not do both at the same time. if you are attending in the sicu, you do not have OR responsibilities while you are "on service" in the sicu. usually you get one week of attending responsibilities, at least in my former institutions model. during that week, you are not scheduled to do anesthesia cases in the OR.

the job in the sicu involves everything that a normal intensivist job does (eg, antibiotic management, nutrition, ventilator management, placing invasive lines, working to get the patient's care upgraded, etc.).

 

[nvshelat]

I understand. What I meant was, was the transition from residency (primarily OR environment) to fellowship (an IM environment) a easy one, or a difficult one for you to make, and how do you like the CC environment vs the OR?

Also, does anyone know of any programs where you're allowed to split time between the SICU and the OR?

 

[Trisomy13]

I understand. What I meant was, was the transition from residency (primarily OR environment) to fellowship (an IM environment) a easy one, or a difficult one for you to make, and how do you like the CC environment vs the OR?

Also, does anyone know of any programs where you're allowed to split time between the SICU and the OR?

I think the obvious answer is that if you like CCM so much that you choose to do a fellowship, the transition from the OR to SICU will not be difficult. I would not necessarily describe a CCM fellowship as an IM environment.

As far as programs (assuming you mean fellowships) allowing you to split the time - what is the point of that? you have one intensive year as your CCM fellowship, and that time is spent in the ICU...

 

[nvshelat]

I think the obvious answer is that if you like CCM so much that you choose to do a fellowship, the transition from the OR to SICU will not be difficult. I would not necessarily describe a CCM fellowship as an IM environment.

As far as programs (assuming you mean fellowships) allowing you to split the time - what is the point of that? you have one intensive year as your CCM fellowship, and that time is spent in the ICU...

Sorry, meant hospitals

 

[cfdavid]

The PD of the program where I shadowed yesterday commented on how PAs are somewhat taking over the SICU at their hospital. She seemed cynical about this direction in terms of efficiency of the SICU....

 

[Trisomy13]

Sorry, meant hospitals

I think pretty much any hospital that hires you as a critical care trained anesthesiologists will expect you to split your time as you described.

 

[Trisomy13]

The PD of the program where I shadowed yesterday commented on how PAs are somewhat taking over the SICU at their hospital. She seemed cynical about this direction in terms of efficiency of the SICU....

that's just bad news for the patients, period.