Surgery Rotation. Friday "optional". Go in or not?

[Rendar5]

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I'm not really sure what to do here. So wanted some extra input. A lot of attendings told us that we should get Friday off at our site even though the hospital is running, but that it is really up to our chief resident. Unfortunately on Monday he said that we should go in. Fine, that annoyed me, but it's his decision. Then on Wed. he told us it was "optional". Now that I didn't like because it's very vague. Honestly, just say yes or no. Optional puts us in a bad position. Will we be rewarded for coming in? Will we be looked down on for not coming in? Does he really not care either way? (If the last Chief gave us that answer he wouldn't care. Can't read this one, though) Well, I spoke with the other students. One isn't that close for Thanksgiving and desparately needs to study, so she's not going in. The other is going in in the morning and hoping to get out early if they're nice. They're both fine with me doing whichever one. So I decided to be practical. I want to go into EM and hopefully a good one, so I'm just not sure if the surgery grade is important for EM. Gonna research and find that one out.

But I want to know what you guys would suggest?

 

[efex101]

Dude or dudette if you know for sure that surgery is not your thing then do not go in....

 

[Rendar5]

Dude or dudette if you know for sure that surgery is not your thing then do not go in....

Yeah, but i'm just saying surgery grade might affect my EM residency if it's one of the ones that is looked at by directors.

 

[Anka]

I'd go. Then again, I'm going into surgery. But even on Ob/Gyn, which I hated, I went in on the day it was optional. A lot of times, when you show enough interest to show up when not absolutely required, they'll let you do more and teach you more. As far as your chief, my guess is he got word from on high that he should let you guys off, but doesn't really believe that medical students should have the day off when the team is on. While it might not affect your grade, if this guy is even remotely old school, it'll affect what you get out of the rotation.

Best,
Anka

 

[jojo14]

If this chief is in charge of your grade, and you are worried it will change your grade, just go in. You don't want to worry about "what if" forever. Most people are pretty nice, but you never know who will decide to be mean, you know? Eliminate all possible reasons for him to give you a bad eval.

Surgery and IM grades are important for EM, or so I've been told by multiple people. Honestly, grades in required clerkships are pretty important to many specialties.

I'm applying for EM right now, to give you some perspective. hope this helps.

 

[Entei]

Look, all of your third year grades are important, but IM and surgery are the most important. You've been told that you don't have to go in tomorrow if you don't want to. You should take that at face value and make an easy decision. If you feel motivated and want to learn something, then go in. But if you just want to be a phony, grade-grubbing kiss-@$$, then make sure you pick up some coffee and donuts and a shiny apple for each of your attendings on your way in. Be sure to tell them that you brewed the coffee and baked the donuts all by yourself too. Also make sure that you remind them that it was "completely optional" for you to come in that day. I'm sure they'll quickly realize what a star student you really are and adjust your grade accordingly. 🙄

Man, I should have known better than to check SDN on Thanksgiving. What a downer.

I'm not really sure what to do here. So wanted some extra input. A lot of attendings told us that we should get Friday off at our site even though the hospital is running, but that it is really up to our chief resident. Unfortunately on Monday he said that we should go in. Fine, that annoyed me, but it's his decision. Then on Wed. he told us it was "optional". Now that I didn't like because it's very vague. Honestly, just say yes or no. Optional puts us in a bad position. Will we be rewarded for coming in? Will we be looked down on for not coming in? Does he really not care either way? (If the last Chief gave us that answer he wouldn't care. Can't read this one, though) Well, I spoke with the other students. One isn't that close for Thanksgiving and desparately needs to study, so she's not going in. The other is going in in the morning and hoping to get out early if they're nice. They're both fine with me doing whichever one. So I decided to be practical. I want to go into EM and hopefully a good one, so I'm just not sure if the surgery grade is important for EM. Gonna research and find that one out.

But I want to know what you guys would suggest?

 

[efex101]

I truly find it hard to believe that "one" day will affect your grade that much.....specially if this was an optional type of thing. Sure all grades are important but if it was *that* important would if not be mandatory? to go in on Friday? anyways do what you think is best.

 

[chintu]

Man, you'd be crazy to go in on a SURGERY rotation as this might be one of the very few days you get to sleep in and do whatever you want. I'd go ONLY if I wanted a surgical residency or was dying to learn something that I normally wouldn't, otherwise use the time to just relax and then start fresh next week.

 

[mdphd2b]

Man, you'd be crazy to go in on a SURGERY rotation as this might be one of the very few days you get to sleep in and do whatever you want. I'd go ONLY if I wanted a surgical residency or was dying to learn something that I normally wouldn't, otherwise use the time to just relax and then start fresh next week.

finally, the voice of reason!!!!!

Personally, I chose to do a rotation in November that I knew I'd hate, mainly so I could miss the extra days w/ Thanksgiving Thurs & Fri 😉

 

[Hard24Get]

It does suck that you guys didn't all agree on doing the same thing, which is generally what med students on teams should try to do. It's not that you would intentionally be punished, but that psychologically you are compared with your classmates and having a particular face around to help out would help that person shine above the others, esp if it is close to the end of the rotation and there are few other opportunities to stand out.

What did you end up doing, anyway? 🙄

I'm not really sure what to do here. So wanted some extra input. A lot of attendings told us that we should get Friday off at our site even though the hospital is running, but that it is really up to our chief resident. Unfortunately on Monday he said that we should go in. Fine, that annoyed me, but it's his decision. Then on Wed. he told us it was "optional". Now that I didn't like because it's very vague. Honestly, just say yes or no. Optional puts us in a bad position. Will we be rewarded for coming in? Will we be looked down on for not coming in? Does he really not care either way? (If the last Chief gave us that answer he wouldn't care. Can't read this one, though) Well, I spoke with the other students. One isn't that close for Thanksgiving and desparately needs to study, so she's not going in. The other is going in in the morning and hoping to get out early if they're nice. They're both fine with me doing whichever one. So I decided to be practical. I want to go into EM and hopefully a good one, so I'm just not sure if the surgery grade is important for EM. Gonna research and find that one out.

But I want to know what you guys would suggest?

 

[pillowhead]

When it comes to the major holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving), your school should really have a policy about how these things are handled. We have three protected breaks during 3rd year--spring break, winter break, Thanksgiving break. Those times are protected in the sense that even the most malignant teams can't make you come in. Period. You're still a student for goodness sake.

That is crappy of the other students to be doing different things IMHO. It was always really important during third year to me that all the students on my team were generally doing the samer thing.

 

[Megalofyia]

What did you end up doing?

 

[Llenroc]

God damn surgeons. I've yet to meet one that didn't deserve to be pistol whipped and thrown off a cliff.

If you, a skinny lad half their age, don't act like you're absolutely desperate to be exactly like them (i.e. become a surgeon), it's as if you've reached into their chest and ripped their heart right out, making them stand broken and humiliated before the whole world. As such, they play these stupid ****ing games to test you.

On one of my surgery electives, coming in on the weekends was "optional" we were told. "It has absolutely no bearing on your final evalution, it is absolutely optional". Bull****. Pure bull****. If you look up "lying sack of ****" in the dictionary, it has a picture of a surgeon. I was so sick from my prior General Surgery rotation, of having come in each weekend to round or be on call each weekend, I decided during that elective to not come in on the weekends, as it was optional and had practically zero educational value. But when I got my evaluation, all they did was bitch about the fact that I didn't come in on the weekends.