Surgery Rotation Preceptor or Ward Based?

[68PGunner]

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What are the pros and cons for each situation? I have the option to do my third year general surgery rotation with a preceptor or a residency team. I’m not looking to go into a surgical specialty. But, I want to learn as much as possible from my rotation.

 

[jrlob91]

What are the pros and cons for each situation? I have the option to do my third year general surgery rotation with a preceptor or a residency team. I’m not looking to go into a surgical specialty. But, I want to learn as much as possible from my rotation.

Can’t speak for resident team. Did my surgery rotation with a preceptor in a community hospital. He had me round every morning before him, write all his notes, and then essentially manage them myself. Was always first assist, would close on every patient. N=1 of course but I was thrilled with how much I learned, especially surgical technique wise.

 

[hallowmann]

What are the pros and cons for each situation? I have the option to do my third year general surgery rotation with a preceptor or a residency team. I’m not looking to go into a surgical specialty. But, I want to learn as much as possible from my rotation.

Are you going to have other rotations that are on resident teams? For example, are your IM rotations going to be on resident teams? If not, I'd do the resident team.

The truth is that it really varies, so I'd ask people who have done rotations at the places you are going to. Some preceptors will let you do a ton, others won't. I did my cores with a residency team, then I got stuck doing a GenSurg rotation in 4th year (other rotation got dropped) with a preceptor, where I rounded on floor patients, wrote notes, and saw clinic patients (basically the stuff the surgeon didn't like to do), but literally did nothing in the OR (I just stood there), because he always had a PA with him. I did far more in my resident team based M3 surgical rotation.

Since it varies so much, your best bet will be asking those who've done it. Keep in mind also that they are going to be long hours, so you should keep in mind that you need time to study for shelfs and boards.

 

[moyamoya6]

My surgery rotation was preceptor based and my surgeon let me do as much as I'd like. I would go round on patients with him, help write his pre-op/post-post and clinic notes, first assist on all his cases, and he allowed me to use the laparoscopic tools during lap cases. He didn't have a PA or another first assist, so I was fortunate to have had a great experience.

My significant other went to a different medical school and his surgery rotation was with a resident team, and he wasn't a fan. He didn't get to do much first assisting because all the residents had first dibs, and he got stuck with doing a lot of retracting.

You should ask your upperclassmen to see how their site was and if they had either a good or bad experience in both settings. It really depends on the physician/team you're working with.

 

[68PGunner]

Are you going to have other rotations that are on resident teams? For example, are your IM rotations going to be on resident teams? If not, I'd do the resident team.

The truth is that it really varies, so I'd ask people who have done rotations at the places you are going to. Some preceptors will let you do a ton, others won't. I did my cores with a residency team, then I got stuck doing a GenSurg rotation in 4th year (other rotation got dropped) with a preceptor, where I rounded on floor patients, wrote notes, and saw clinic patients (basically the stuff the surgeon didn't like to do), but literally did nothing in the OR (I just stood there), because he always had a PA with him. I did far more in my resident team based M3 surgical rotation.

Since it varies so much, your best bet will be asking those who've done it. Keep in mind also that they are going to be long hours, so you should keep in mind that you need time to study for shelfs and boards.

So, here's the field report:

Preceptor surgical rotation - shorter hours and thereby more free time to study. First assist on everything and will get to do a crapload of things w/ the doc

Residency team rotation - longer hrs and will mainly work w/ the residents. won't get too much exposure to surgery here.

Transportation is negligible bc one is 15-20 mins drive from my home while the other is 8-10 mins drive from my home.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

So, here's the field report:

Preceptor surgical rotation - shorter hours and thereby more free time to study. First assist on everything and will get to do a crapload of things w/ the doc

Residency team rotation - longer hrs and will mainly work w/ the residents. won't get too much exposure to surgery here.

Transportation is negligible bc one is 15-20 mins drive from my home while the other is 8-10 mins drive from my home.

This is just my MS1 2 cents but if it were me and I wasn’t interested in pursuing a surgical residency and had other resident team based rotations (like IM) I would go with the preceptor rotation where I could simply do the most.

 

[68PGunner]

This is just my MS1 2 cents but if it were me and I wasn’t interested in pursuing a surgical residency and had other resident team based rotations (like IM) I would go with the preceptor rotation where I could simply do the most.

Psych and IM will be with the residency teams for me. I personally also am leaning toward the preceptor option myself. However, I would love to hear other people's opinions on the matter.

 

[Meekor]

If you’re not thinking of doing surgery work with the preceptor, If you are thinking surgery related do the track with residents. Working with residents may not be glamorous but you’ll get a real sense of what residency really entails and how to work with residents as well as building connections and networks for application and interview season.

 

[hallowmann]

Psych and IM will be with the residency teams for me. I personally also am leaning toward the preceptor option myself. However, I would love to hear other people's opinions on the matter.

Yeah, not wanting to do surgery, if I knew I'd get plenty of exposure to surgical stuff AND get to go home early, I'd do that. Now if you leave that rotation thinking you want to do surgery, then I'd do another one with residents. Otherwise, with IM and Psych on resident teams you should be good. They are very different rotations and should give you a decent range of resident responsibilities.

If you’re not thinking of doing surgery work with the preceptor, If you are thinking surgery related do the track with residents. Working with residents may not be glamorous but you’ll get a real sense of what residency really entails and how to work with residents as well as building connections and networks for application and interview season.

Agree completely.

 

[Noisewater-TDX]

MS3s that i worked with who were team based seem to be happier than the ones attached to one doc all day. This is just me looking from the outside in though. They were generally on the wards and ICUs, while the others would be in the OR/Preop/PACU all day.