Surgery questions, I am a MS1

[maxim728]

Hi everybody, I have a few questions and I was hoping some upperclass students , residents, or even practicing physicians can help me out.
I am a 1st yr. student. I recently had surgery performed on me in June. I saw how the surgeon gave me a better quality of life and he produced immediate results. These things have increased my desire to pursue the profession. I also understand that you give a lot of yourself, yet you receive much much more. These are things I want.
How can I go about, now, as a 1st year, to strengthen my desire in the surgery? Should I call the physician who operated on me and ask to shadow him during christmas vacation? Should I contact faculty at my school (MSU-COM) and ask to follow along maybe 1 day every two weeks or so? I ask this b/c I want to be involved and I am sick and tired about reading bulls**t for class. I want to be involved, yet be ceratin that this is what I want. Thanks.
Anthony

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[mpp]

Contact the faculty at your school or the surgeons at the school's affiliated hospitals. That is what they are there for. That is why you pay tuition. This is the best part of being an MS-1. You can sit it on surgeries and not get grilled about the boundaries of the Triangle of Calot (although as an MS-1 you might know this better than a PGY-4 surgery resident). ..you can plead the old "We haven't covered that yet..."

 

[njbmd]

Originally posted by maxim728
Hi everybody, I have a few questions and I was hoping some upperclass students , residents, or even practicing physicians can help me out.
I am a 1st yr. student. I recently had surgery performed on me in June. I saw how the surgeon gave me a better quality of life and he produced immediate results. These things have increased my desire to pursue the profession. I also understand that you give a lot of yourself, yet you receive much much more. These are things I want.
How can I go about, now, as a 1st year, to strengthen my desire in the surgery? Should I call the physician who operated on me and ask to shadow him during christmas vacation? Should I contact faculty at my school (MSU-COM) and ask to follow along maybe 1 day every two weeks or so? I ask this b/c I want to be involved and I am sick and tired about reading bulls**t for class. I want to be involved, yet be ceratin that this is what I want. Thanks.
Anthony

Hi there,
Most medical schools have a Surgery Society that will hook you up with other students at all levels who are interested in surgery. Our Surgical Society at my medical school put together shadowing experiences for MS- 1s and MS-2s. We also made arrangements for the MS-2s to attend morning rounds with the various surgical teams so that they could get used to learning how to present a surgical patients. We sponsored suture workshops and held tip sessions for academics, USMLE I & II and residency applications. The Surgery Chief residents also lent some time to help advise folks about the academics needed for surgery. We also had surgical attendings in university-based and private practice come for dinner meeting sessions to speak with students on the lifestyle of various surgeons and surgical specialties. To that end, many of our members matched well at places like Stanford, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic (neurosurgery) and others. Our surgery department chairman was also available to get to know the students and help steer them toward good fellowships and research opportunites. The Surgery Residency Program Director also visited to help with choosing good residency programs.

If you don't have a Surgical Society, you can always start one. It is a good way to interact with your Surgery Department attendings and chairman. Good luck!

njbmd

 

[neutropeniaboy]

Originally posted by maxim728
ask this b/c I want to be involved and I am sick and tired about reading bulls**t for class.

You've got to pee with the puppies before you can run with the dogs.



Find a surgical interest group at your school. If there isn't one, start it. Call the surgery department and ask if you can shadow. Spend the summer in the OR (after you take a trip or something, of course).

 

[maxim728]

Thanks everybody for the replies. My school does have a surgery club, however, everytime a surgeon comes and speaks, literally 20 -25 students ask to "shadow". I have asked a surgeon if I could shadow him, either in the clinic or OR. He told me "Call my nurse, i have to see if you can come on certain days because there may be other students with meand the OR will be full". He made it out as if students are always in the OR w/ him, and i have to be lucky to find that right day where there aren't any. Likewise, he said to call his nurse instead of giving me his number. I dont know, i figure if he wanted to help, i shouldn't have to look in a phonebook for his name and #.
Also, should I call or meet the surgeon that performed on me? I am hesitant b/c i feel he would not want to mix business with students.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I see no reason you shouldn't call the surgeon who operated on you if you have a good relationship with him.

Frankly, I see nothing wrong with the other surgeon you mention telling you to call his secretary/nurse; I'm sure she keeps tabs on the comings and goings of the students - why should you expect that he would, or give you his number? You asked to shadow and he was providing you with the best way to find out when you could be alone with him in the OR. Seems perfectly reasonable to him - you have MUCH more free time than he does to find out this information and make the arrangements.

If you aren't comfortable with your surgeon see if your PCP can recommend someone, or if the Surgery Society has a list of surgeons who are known to allow students to shadow.

I don't know whether or not shadowing makes any difference in your application, although I guess it would give you an earlier insight into whether or not you really liked surgery before 3rd year. You've got a lot to learn these next 2 years, consider simply taking the time and allowing learning more about surgery in-depth until 3rd year.