switching from surgery

[supercut]

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Just wondering if anyone has any idea how many programs would be a good number for someone switching from surgery. I'm in a (boring) city with a pretty well regarded anesthesia program, but would like to explore options elsewhere. I'm acutally looking to start CA 1 in 2009 as I've currently got a pretty cush gig making decent money and want to make a dent in my student loans and get some investments going.

 

[sharkbait]

What's the cush gig you got? I don't mean to pry and you don't have to gimme specifics, but I am also looking for a "cush gig" with my year off. I'm also switching from surg to anesth and looks like I will be taking a year off, just looking to do something with good $. Any advice helps. Thanks. Btw, I applied to ~40, just to be safe; it's not like you're "cool" because you applied to only 5 schools and got in... if you get in, you get in, doen't matter how many schools applied to, just my two cents.

 

[cchoukal]

applying to more programs is WAY cheaper than not matching.

 

[uclalee]

hey sharkbait and supercut

im going into anesthesia, but am always curious about why surgeons leave surgery for anesthesia. whats your reason?

 

[coprolalia]

applying to more programs is WAY cheaper than not matching.

Actually, in ERAS after you get to a certain number, they start to punish you with escalating application fees. So, depending on what you feel is "costly" in other than a rhetorical sense, applying to an excessive number of programs may be unnecessary.

-copro

 

[sharkbait]

For me it's mainly the personality of the field and the work hours. Yeah they say 80 hours, but it's one of those things where people just "magically" work 80 hours EVERY week... amazing. As far as the personality goes, if I didn't get yelled at for a day, then it was a good day. And most of the time I was the innocent bystandard, just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time for the surgeons to blow some steam. They are like big babies, they whine and complaint and throw temper tantrums. Not my gig.