- Joined
- Jun 8, 2003
- Messages
- 26
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Well, let me start by saying that I am in my last 22 days of my anesthesiology residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I can vividly remember 5 years ago when I was deciding to either pursue residency in anesthesiology, ENT, or Ob/Gyn. I am sooooooo happy I chose anesthesiology. What are the top 10 things that make me happy to be an anesthesiologist?
10. I always go home post-call at 7 AM
9. There are more jobs than I could ever imagine
8. Typical attending anesthesiologists get 6 - 12 weeks of vacation.
7. No one is paging me at home
6. Residency is tolerable
5. All of my patients are compliant!
4. I have to be very skilled in the basic sciences, clinical sciences, and with procedures (TEE, lines, EP monitoring, etc.)
3. Paperwork is minimal.
2. I focus on one patient at a time giving my 100%.
1. I love my patient interaction because they are ALWAYS positive! I relieve their anxiety, I take care of their pain, and I keep them alive!
I did not fully appreciate these factors when I made my decision 5 years ago, but I am reminded of them every day. I could not imagine doing anything else but anesthesiology. I look forward to taking care of each of my patients and I have a very high satisfaction from their appreciation of my care.
So, what does it take to be an anesthesiologist? Well...
1. A bit of paranoia. Anesthesiologists are always concerned that something may go wrong, and thus they are constantly preparing and expecting a disaster.
2. You need to be very annal. This avoids being unprepared when things go wrong.
3. You need to be a great time manager. OR management require that you are constantly pushing to stay on time and get things done faster.
4. You need to be able to cope with a lot of stress. A 40 hour week in anesthesia feels like an 80 hour week in medicine (honestly).
5. You need to be able to think very fast and act on it. A few seconds of delay can lead to death.
6. A team player attitude. This is not about the surgeon vs anesthesiologist picture you are used to seeing. In private practice and many other settings, the goal is to do what is best for the patient. You are usually the most important part of that team.
7. You have to be very good with your mind and your hands. Far beyond the intubations are the TEEs, bronchoscopies, regional anesthetics, etc. that will take years to master.
I could go on. I am so happy to see the level of interest in the specialty. I'll post something on choosing a residency program. Until then, feel free to email me([email protected]) and post here.
10. I always go home post-call at 7 AM
9. There are more jobs than I could ever imagine
8. Typical attending anesthesiologists get 6 - 12 weeks of vacation.
7. No one is paging me at home
6. Residency is tolerable
5. All of my patients are compliant!
4. I have to be very skilled in the basic sciences, clinical sciences, and with procedures (TEE, lines, EP monitoring, etc.)
3. Paperwork is minimal.
2. I focus on one patient at a time giving my 100%.
1. I love my patient interaction because they are ALWAYS positive! I relieve their anxiety, I take care of their pain, and I keep them alive!
I did not fully appreciate these factors when I made my decision 5 years ago, but I am reminded of them every day. I could not imagine doing anything else but anesthesiology. I look forward to taking care of each of my patients and I have a very high satisfaction from their appreciation of my care.
So, what does it take to be an anesthesiologist? Well...
1. A bit of paranoia. Anesthesiologists are always concerned that something may go wrong, and thus they are constantly preparing and expecting a disaster.
2. You need to be very annal. This avoids being unprepared when things go wrong.
3. You need to be a great time manager. OR management require that you are constantly pushing to stay on time and get things done faster.
4. You need to be able to cope with a lot of stress. A 40 hour week in anesthesia feels like an 80 hour week in medicine (honestly).
5. You need to be able to think very fast and act on it. A few seconds of delay can lead to death.
6. A team player attitude. This is not about the surgeon vs anesthesiologist picture you are used to seeing. In private practice and many other settings, the goal is to do what is best for the patient. You are usually the most important part of that team.
7. You have to be very good with your mind and your hands. Far beyond the intubations are the TEEs, bronchoscopies, regional anesthetics, etc. that will take years to master.
I could go on. I am so happy to see the level of interest in the specialty. I'll post something on choosing a residency program. Until then, feel free to email me([email protected]) and post here.
