Surgery & Dexterity
- Thread starter txfisher
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Natural dexterity isn't important. You learn to do what you need to do through repetition. I can't play video games or paint a stick figure, and I'm fine.
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I've heard that sometimes PDs will make you carve a bar of soap or suture something to see if you can do it, but I've never actually seen or heard of it happening in real life. It's pretty much across the board that they don't care if you have natural ability as long as you have the ability to tough it out and learn. You aren't supposed to know how to be a skilled surgeon--that's what residency is for.
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Yeah...I think dexterity is probably something that can be learned.
that being said, I've heard that already having great manual dexterity is a plus. We had a resident who said that she was interested in knitting at an interview and they actually asked her to demonstrate it.
Two points to draw from that:
1) If you do have a talent like that, bring it up!
2) If you don't, don't don't don't lie about it because they just might call you on it!!! 🙂
that being said, I've heard that already having great manual dexterity is a plus. We had a resident who said that she was interested in knitting at an interview and they actually asked her to demonstrate it.
Two points to draw from that:
1) If you do have a talent like that, bring it up!
2) If you don't, don't don't don't lie about it because they just might call you on it!!! 🙂
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I've always heard the standard line that attendings could train a monkey to do the basic techniques, so I really wouldn't worry about any perceived lack of manual dexterity. I would assume that most people will do quite well as long as they can tough it out like others have mentioned.
With that said, I'm going to the store right now to get some soap and start practicing. How sick would it be if I could whip out an Al Roker bust on interview day?......take a look at this link. hahahaha
http://www.ivory.com/PureFun_IvoryProjects_AmazingSoapCarvings.htm
With that said, I'm going to the store right now to get some soap and start practicing. How sick would it be if I could whip out an Al Roker bust on interview day?......take a look at this link. hahahaha
http://www.ivory.com/PureFun_IvoryProjects_AmazingSoapCarvings.htm
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mysophobe said:
I had to do it on a couple of my Integrated Plastics interviews several years ago, but not for gen surg.
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Loma Linda plastic surgery has you carve a bar of soap into an ear. And as you are carving, they are quizzing you about the names of the various parts. I was asked by one gen surg PD to suture and tie on a piece of rubber on his desk. He gave me extra long laparotomy tools to do it too. Very odd.
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Bizzare. If anything, I'd think they probably just want to see how you handle yourself in a situation like that more than they actually want to see how good you are.
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I agree. I think he was just watching to see if I got flustered and/or if I knew the basic correct way to throw and tie a suture. i.e. entering the rubber at 90 degrees, holding the forceps and needle driver correctly, etc.
