Weird surgery rotation question

[redwings54]

Hey guys, I have kind of a weird question. I am a fourth year and will be applying to peds this fall. I am trying to schedule a 4 wk surgery elective for this spring and have limited it to two rotations: ENT surgery or Cardiothoracic surgery. I am hoping to do peds then go onto a PICU or Peds cards fellowship. This will be one of my last rotations of medical school and I will have already matched prior to doing the rotation. ENT would be great for looking in ears and dealing with something you would see on a daily basis as a general pediatrician and during residency. CT surgery would be great prep for fellowship and would be a great experience, but is substantially more time intensive. What would you guys do? Any and all advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

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[FlowLimited]

ENT.

I did a pediatric ENT rotation and it was great. The surgeries are usually very short, you often don't scrub, and it's pretty interesting too. A good time all around, and I'm also going into peds.

 

[J-Rad]

ENT. Very practical for peds residency and CTS is a little too abstract and far off to be all that useful as a med stud. ENT is actually a very cool field IMO.

 

[Apollyon]

ENT. Very practical for peds residency and CTS is a little too abstract and far off to be all that useful as a med stud. ENT is actually a very cool field IMO.

Yeah, I was thinking that about CTS. As it is, CT surgeons do adult surgery, then adult CT, and THEN another year or two of pediatric CT. Doing a month of it as a student going into peds would (very) likely be (very) low yield.

 

[deleted311769]

Make sure you get to do a couple of clinic only days on the ENT rotation and aren't just in the OR. Lots of general peds exposure with some idea of what you should be referring (chronic sinusitis, lots and lots of looking in ears, etc).

 

[redwings54]

Thanks all. I am probably going to do ENT. It is my understanding that it is 4 days a week with 2 of those days being OR days. The reason I contemplated CTS is because I am interested in peds cardio and PICU, and because the attending that I would be doing it with, at a smaller community hospital, offered me the spot when I went sailing with him this past weekend. First time ever sailing! That and my 3rd year surgery experience was cake and consisted of only doing procedures; no rounding, no notes, no call, no scut...so I was/am a little worried about peds surgery during residency. Anyway, thanks for the input.

 

[deleted311769]

Thanks all. I am probably going to do ENT. It is my understanding that it is 4 days a week with 2 of those days being OR days. The reason I contemplated CTS is because I am interested in peds cardio and PICU, and because the attending that I would be doing it with, at a smaller community hospital, offered me the spot when I went sailing with him this past weekend. First time ever sailing! That and my 3rd year surgery experience was cake and consisted of only doing procedures; no rounding, no notes, no call, no scut...so I was/am a little worried about peds surgery during residency. Anyway, thanks for the input.

Most programs don't have peds surgery during residency, and if they do, my impression is that it is an easy "just to get some exposure" rotation with very little in the way of clinical responsibilities.

 

[J-Rad]

Make sure you get to do a couple of clinic only days on the ENT rotation and aren't just in the OR. Lots of general peds exposure with some idea of what you should be referring (chronic sinusitis, lots and lots of looking in ears, etc).

But talk to the anesthesia people for the OR days. A T&A room with q30 min turnover is rife with the opportunity to intubate and get IVs.

 

[mytirf]

Most programs don't have peds surgery during residency, and if they do, my impression is that it is an easy "just to get some exposure" rotation with very little in the way of clinical responsibilities.

This is not excatly true. There are a number of small or medium sized residencies that have pediatric surgical rotations where the pedi resident is a vital part of the team and not infrequently scrubs in for procedures. I have known residents to first assist on GTUBEs and appys. Certainly it is to give the resident exposure, but in a very hands on way.

As to the original question....I would consider CT surgery if it was with the pedi team, not the adult team. Pediatric congential cardiac surgery is vastly different than the adult world. As far as prep for possible pediatric cardiology fellowship, do adult cards. Very useful.

- my 2c

 

[J-Rad]

...As to the original question....I would consider CT surgery if it was with the pedi team, not the adult team. Pediatric congential cardiac surgery is vastly different than the adult world. As far as prep for possible pediatric cardiology fellowship, do adult cards. Very useful.

- my 2c

Agree with the former, though still somewhat consider ENT a higher yield rotation for an MS.

But am curious as to the latter half of your statement. I never did an adult cardiology rotation and don't think I missed much out of it. What is it that you see as useful (I presume that you did so may have more insight than I do into the matter).

 

[Sweet Tea]

I voted for "easiest surgery rotation you can do", which at my school would have been ENT. The goal here is to learn a little bit but really, you're probably going to be a bit checked out at this point in your med school career. And that's okay; most people are checked out at that point. Enjoy 4th year!

 

[redwings54]

I ended up taking ENT. It is 4 days a week with 2 days of surgery. Its at a community hospital and the attendings are supposedly very nice and good teachers. Thanks all for the input.