Soon starting my 1st surgery, I feel behind

[luvpup]

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Hi, I am currently in my 3rd year and will soon be starting my very first dog spay ever. I feel honestly nervous/scared and behind. My surgery group (and classmates) all seem to have either done spays/neuters before and I have ZERO surgery experience under my belt (I have watched but never done). They are all seemingly excited & confident and I can only express worriness. I am worried this will be the time I show how much I DON'T know and just happened to be riding by discreetly this whole time. I already sucked so much at anatomy in my 1st year and barely passed that class. I am scared what if I don't know what I am doing, or cause something catastrophic?? How can I overcome this? How does one even prepare for their first surgery ever if they do not know much? Has everyone felt this way? What if I fail/mess up big time? 🙁 thx

 

[JaynaAli]

If you’re at the part in the curriculum where your school is having you do surgery, then you’re right where the school expect you to be. It really doesn’t matter if others have more experience, and they may not have *the right* experience the way your course instructor wants things done. They may be more confident but that doesn’t automatically mean they are more capable.

You’ll have plenty of time to prepare. It’s not like your surgery day and the procedure will be sprung on you. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can ask your surgical assistant partner or the instructor. If you make a surgical error, you’ll be given the learning opportunity to correct it in a controlled environment with an instructor that can step in if they truly feel you are in over your head. Obviously we want to never make mistakes, but it’s better to make one in a learning environment with help and guidance than when you’re all alone and have to figure it out by yourself. The instructors have seen lots of things. And obviously every pet we do surgery on is important and we do our best every time, but there’s also a reason first procedures are usually on shelter animals so that there’s not the added emotional complication of an owner attached in case of a negative outcome.

You overcome it by facing your fears and just doing it. Some people never like surgery and that’s okay, but you have to have some baseline competency in it.

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Step 1 breath
Step 2 learn this like everything else. That is the point of school and this class

Also be greatful you wont have to unlearn bad habits your classmates may have from their surgeries they have done probably not up to school standards

You will be fine. Take a deep breath. Ask all the questions. Your professors are there to help you succeed!

 

[pp9]

Hi, I am currently in my 3rd year and will soon be starting my very first dog spay ever. I feel honestly nervous/scared and behind. My surgery group (and classmates) all seem to have either done spays/neuters before and I have ZERO surgery experience under my belt (I have watched but never done). They are all seemingly excited & confident and I can only express worriness. I am worried this will be the time I show how much I DON'T know and just happened to be riding by discreetly this whole time. I already sucked so much at anatomy in my 1st year and barely passed that class. I am scared what if I don't know what I am doing, or cause something catastrophic?? How can I overcome this? How does one even prepare for their first surgery ever if they do not know much? Has everyone felt this way? What if I fail/mess up big time? 🙁 thx

My first jr sx procedure was my first surgery ever. I had assisted in a handful of ortho procedures as an assistant but I think it was my first abdomen ever. I was freaking out BIG TIME. Just watch videos until you can replay the video in your head and practice your suturing, that's really all you can do. You're not expected to be proficient at surgery as a third year, even if you have done some procedures already.

yes, sometimes mistakes/errors/accidents do happen, but that's what jr sx is for. And that's why there are usually multiple clinicians running around to help if something does happen. I am happy to list some of the complications that happened within my class if you want (spoiler, all the animals lived) but that may or may not be reassuring.

 

[breezywonton]

i haven't spayed anything solo yet, but i've done a few steps and found that watching procedure videos was very helpful to understand each step. i mean, there's more than one way to do it obviously, so do what your school tells you. i too am freaking out about doing procedures because i constantly feel incompetent and behind compared to my classmates, but we're just students and it's okay to be nervous and not know what we're doing, that's why we're in school!

 

[luvpup]

Step 1 breath
Step 2 learn this like everything else. That is the point of school and this class

Also be greatful you wont have to unlearn bad habits your classmates may have from their surgeries they have done probably not up to school standards

You will be fine. Take a deep breath. Ask all the questions. Your professors are there to help you succeed!

Well thank you so much! I am hoping the day of, I feel more prepared!

 

[luvpup]

If you’re at the part in the curriculum where your school is having you do surgery, then you’re right where the school expect you to be. It really doesn’t matter if others have more experience, and they may not have *the right* experience the way your course instructor wants things done. They may be more confident but that doesn’t automatically mean they are more capable.

You’ll have plenty of time to prepare. It’s not like your surgery day and the procedure will be sprung on you. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can ask your surgical assistant partner or the instructor. If you make a surgical error, you’ll be given the learning opportunity to correct it in a controlled environment with an instructor that can step in if they truly feel you are in over your head. Obviously we want to never make mistakes, but it’s better to make one in a learning environment with help and guidance than when you’re all alone and have to figure it out by yourself. The instructors have seen lots of things. And obviously every pet we do surgery on is important and we do our best every time, but there’s also a reason first procedures are usually on shelter animals so that there’s not the added emotional complication of an owner attached in case of a negative outcome.

You overcome it by facing your fears and just doing it. Some people never like surgery and that’s okay, but you have to have some baseline competency in it.

Thank you for your input! That is what I hoping, I am sure I'll be nervous now, but I hope during the process I feel more mentally prepared, especially with instructors near me if I need further assistance.

 

[luvpup]

My first jr sx procedure was my first surgery ever. I had assisted in a handful of ortho procedures as an assistant but I think it was my first abdomen ever. I was freaking out BIG TIME. Just watch videos until you can replay the video in your head and practice your suturing, that's really all you can do. You're not expected to be proficient at surgery as a third year, even if you have done some procedures already.

yes, sometimes mistakes/errors/accidents do happen, but that's what jr sx is for. And that's why there are usually multiple clinicians running around to help if something does happen. I am happy to list some of the complications that happened within my class if you want (spoiler, all the animals lived) but that may or may not be reassuring.

Honestly, I think it might make me feel better to know mistakes/errors/accidents have happened lol! Although it feels a bit tough knowing my surgery group has surgery experience while I don't, so I fear I will look very incompetent. I planned on looking at videos and just practice my suturing skills and hope for the best!

 

[luvpup]

i haven't spayed anything solo yet, but i've done a few steps and found that watching procedure videos was very helpful to understand each step. i mean, there's more than one way to do it obviously, so do what your school tells you. i too am freaking out about doing procedures because i constantly feel incompetent and behind compared to my classmates, but we're just students and it's okay to be nervous and not know what we're doing, that's why we're in school!

That's true! I definitely feel like I will be incompetent but I am hoping with watching procedure vids and practice my suture skills, it will be a bit less daunting!

 

[pp9]

Honestly, I think it might make me feel better to know mistakes/errors/accidents have happened lol! Although it feels a bit tough knowing my surgery group has surgery experience while I don't, so I fear I will look very incompetent. I planned on looking at videos and just practice my suturing skills and hope for the best!

1. splenic laceration during a spay that was so bad, a surgery resident had to get pulled off clinics to come do a stat splenectomy. student could not find the uterus so was really rooting around. once the surgeon took a look they determined the animal had already been spayed.
2. urinary bladder tear/puncture - also needed a surgeon to step in
3. pop off valve being left closed
4. post-op hemoabdomen - slipped suture. I don't call this one a 'mistake' per se because sometimes that happens to experienced surgeons, but sucks regardless
5. mistakes with meds
6. skin incisions falling apart

and those are just the ones I can recall/knew about. I don't think anyone tied off a ureter in our year but I believe someone in the class above mine did. I don't call all of these 'mistakes' per se because complications are complications, things go wrong even for the most experienced surgeons.

 

[Mythical]

In-Person Surgical Mentorship — June Long, DVM

One-on-one, HQHVSN surgical mentorship with Dr. June Long, creator of The Six Minute Spay online course. 25 hours of RACE approved veterinary CE.

www.junelongdvm.com

This is something you may want to consider after graduation if you have a job that will cover the cost (or at least a big chunk) under CE.

 

[TheDogFather]

Two incidents I recall from our first surgical procedure day (we happened to be assigned a smaller male dog). None of our three-person group had ever performed any surgical procedure. The group at the next table over (also doing a neuter) was made of three guys, all of whom had worked in their family-owned clinics. I was nervous, as one would expect and these guys were just laughing and joking around before we all started. I was also the "surgeon" in our group. I kid you not when I tell you that they were done with the surgery while I was still making my initial incision. At that same session, another group composed of three "gunners" also performed a neuter. During recovery, the scrotum started to swell. The student who performed the neuter acted like that was the end of her career and practically had to be talked down off the ceiling. An instructor jumped in, fixed the problem--end of story. She eventually recovered and went on to become an internist. You'll do fine.

 

[overcastkidjuno]

Every doctor who has ever practiced has made a mistake with negative consequences for the patient. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is lying to you. Allow yourself to set reasonable expectations for yourself, and know that you will make mistakes as a surgeon. Use them as learning opportunities for your growth as a veterinarian and as a professional. You will learn how to avoid making the same error again next time and be a better doctor because of it. The fear of failure is a much stronger enemy than failure itself. Every legendary surgeon was once a nervous student making their very first incision.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Honestly, I think it might make me feel better to know mistakes/errors/accidents have happened lol! Although it feels a bit tough knowing my surgery group has surgery experience while I don't, so I fear I will look very incompetent. I planned on looking at videos and just practice my suturing skills and hope for the best!

It's not a competition - having people with more experience in the group can also be a good thing!

I would tell them straight up "Hey guys, I'm nervous because I don't have a lot of experience and I haven't been in surgery like you guys have - are there any tips or tricks you guys have learned about how to feel comfortable and approach it? "

If a fellow student came to me like that I would happily support them and be a good teammate and try to give them confidence (including during the procedure itself).

I came into vet school having never even performed a jug stick, let alone a surgery of any sort, even as assistant. I did fine. You will too!

 

[MomVet]

I am a faculty member who teaches these third year surgeries, and trust me when I say we’ve seen it all. Unless you are someone with executive dysfunction or true issue with motor control, you will do fine. Practice all skills that have been taught to you prior to this and that is all that anyone can ask of you. Practice tying square knots until you don’t have to think about it, know how to gown in and toweling/draping in your patient. Know what a spay procedure is. Some schools prepare you better than others prior to the junior surgery lab, but whatever that preparation is would be universal to your peers. You are either all under or well prepared. Don’t compare yourself to others. No one cares if you are the last one standing. A lot of that is out of your control anyways. Don’t look around the room to see how far others are. Don’t look at the clock. Don’t ask your anesthesia partner how long it’s been. None of that is helpful. If you are actually struggling and you find the instructor saying the same things over and over about something you aren’t doing right, instead of getting even more nervous/rigid/frustrated and continuing to do the same wrong thing, stop what you’re doing and take a breath, and calmly ask the instructor to help you change something because you aren’t getting what they’re asking you to do. I love it when students do that with me because it means they are in a growth mindset and we can all reset and try something new in a way that resonates with you. It is our responsibility to safely get everyone through surgery with the assumption that you have had no more surgical training than was part of the core curriculum in earlier years. As long as you have done what you were supposed to and learned the skills you were asked to, the rest is our responsibility. If the curriculum wasn’t designed well, then it’s an uphill battle for everyone… but that wasn’t your doing.

 

[MomVet]

Also, don’t be embarrassed that you aren’t as surgery savvy as your group mates. And even if you are, don’t let that embarrassment make you keep asking your group mates for help instead of the instructor. You will not be getting your tuition’s worth from learning from another noob. I suspect your instructor’s been doing this for years and teaching a dog spay is a very specific skill set, even more so than performing a spay. They will be much more likely to pinpoint the issues you’re having and support you through developing proper technique. Just come in with a good attitude and be as prepared as you can be. That’s all we can ask for.

 

[luvpup]

Also, don’t be embarrassed that you aren’t as surgery savvy as your group mates. And even if you are, don’t let that embarrassment make you keep asking your group mates for help instead of the instructor. You will not be getting your tuition’s worth from learning from another noob. I suspect your instructor’s been doing this for years and teaching a dog spay is a very specific skill set, even more so than performing a spay. They will be much more likely to pinpoint the issues you’re having and support you through developing proper technique. Just come in with a good attitude and be as prepared as you can be. That’s all we can ask for.

Thank you so much for your kind words! This is really helpful advice!

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

I had never done a surgery prior to my surgical skills spay in 3rd year. I'd scrubbed into some ER stuff at one of my summer jobs but had never done anything significant. I used to have to leave the OR within 10-15min of starting to go put my head between my legs before I would pass out; it took about 6 months of consistent OR time before I could make it through a whole surgery.

Your surgery lab will have people there ready to assist if needed, that is what the lab is for. They have 100% had events happen (see all the previous posted story examples) and will not judge. Surgery experience beforehand can be a bonus but also can let people develop bad habits depending on where/what type of experience they got. Just be honest about your level of experience and soak up as much as you can! None of my surgically experienced classmates were judgmental about mine or others lack of exposure.

I hated surgery and never planned on doing it again after my mandatory school spays. Fast forward 5-6 years and I now cut ER cases commonly and actively do enjoy keeping up my surgery skills (although I am still inwardly a wimp and always get anxious afterwards). Point being, if you are not comfortable or do not enjoy it during the lab that is okay!

 

[luvpup]

I had never done a surgery prior to my surgical skills spay in 3rd year. I'd scrubbed into some ER stuff at one of my summer jobs but had never done anything significant. I used to have to leave the OR within 10-15min of starting to go put my head between my legs before I would pass out; it took about 6 months of consistent OR time before I could make it through a whole surgery.

Your surgery lab will have people there ready to assist if needed, that is what the lab is for. They have 100% had events happen (see all the previous posted story examples) and will not judge. Surgery experience beforehand can be a bonus but also can let people develop bad habits depending on where/what type of experience they got. Just be honest about your level of experience and soak up as much as you can! None of my surgically experienced classmates were judgmental about mine or others lack of exposure.

I hated surgery and never planned on doing it again after my mandatory school spays. Fast forward 5-6 years and I now cut ER cases commonly and actively do enjoy keeping up my surgery skills (although I am still inwardly a wimp and always get anxious afterwards). Point being, if you are not comfortable or do not enjoy it during the lab that is okay!

Thank you so much for your kind words, this is really reassuring!