What do attending surgeons DO all day?

[toxic-megacolon]

Just curious, but I was looking at our OR schedule for the week (academic institution) and noticed most of the surgeons usually operate 2 to 2.5 days per week. What are they DOING the rest of the time? They always talk about how they work more now than they did in residency. I guess they could be in clinic for another 2 days a week (but clinic is 8-4), are they really sitting in labs doing research for 40 hours a week in addition to clinic/OR? I'm referring to the non-trauma surgeons who rarely get called in for emergencies.

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[Winged Scapula]

Well...let's see...

reviewing pathology reports from the OR

calling patients with above

returning calls from patients

reviewing radiological studies ordered on patients

calling patients with above

rounding on patients

checking up on residents; making sure they are telling him/her the truth about patient lab results, etc.

entering stealth labs into electronic ordering system which the residents will get called about

seeing patients and telling them "X" but telling residents "Y" to mess with resident's mind

preparing talks to give to students, other disciplines (although this generally only needs to be updated from year to year)

reading current literature in specialty

perhaps writing chapter in book in specialty

writing letters of recommendation for students and residents applying for jobs or fellowships

attending conferences, faculty meetings

fielding phone calls from nurses complaining about residents

fielding phone calls from residents complaining about nurses

working on call schedule for service (at some places)

dictating records, OR reports, clinic visits

staying in clinic - is your surgery clinic really over at 4 pm? I've never heard of such a thing!

discussing interesting cases with colleagues, getting advice, input about management

checking out current application pool for "hot chicks/dudes" 😉

reading latest DuPont for dream car stats

 

[dpmd]

Don't know if this is true anywhere else, but at my institution the attendings have their own private offices and see patients as well as operate at private hospitals nearby. This isn't reflected in the schedule because they don't have the residents go there. This is in addition to those surgeons who are at the university hospital (our private hospital) and do have residents with them.

 

[watermen]

seeing patients and telling them "X" but telling residents "Y" to mess with resident's mind

Haha...this one makes me laugh. I wonder if the residents do that to the students?

Few more things to add:

- Bitching or gossiping with other surgeons or nurses.

- Some may have to go to court.

- Hide inside his/her own office and study for the board.

 

[toxic-megacolon]

seeing patients and telling them "X" but telling residents "Y" to mess with resident's mind

I knew it! 😉
Very interesting info...
Yeah, I've seen private clinics end at 4 or 5
Is it fair to say that over 50% of an attending's time is spent not operating or in clinic then? 😕

 

[Winged Scapula]

I knew it! 😉
Very interesting info...
Yeah, I've seen private clinics end at 4 or 5
Is it fair to say that over 50% of an attending's time is spent not operating or in clinic then? 😕

Yes, it would be fair to say that an academic surgeon may spend 1/3 of his time operating, teaching and seeing patients, 1/3 time on administrative duties, and 1/3 time on research. Surgeons who have active research grants may be required to spent a certain percentage in their lab; I am acquainted with one physician who is required to do a 70: 30 split (70% in lab, 30% clinical duties).

 

[supercut]

Do not underestimate the time that phone calls from pts can suck from an attendings day. The more I hear about this the less I like it. They call about all kinds of stuff..for pain med refills, to ask if it's OK to take the 2 week old dressing off, to complain about feeling knots through their skin, etc

Also calling pts with path results can be very time consuming. They frequently have lots of questions, especially if it's a bad or unexpected report.

 

[TigerLily46]

I have one attending that must spend a fair amount of time trying to figure out where I will be dozing off in a chair on a post call morning while I'm prerounding. He has caught me like four times.

 

[Dr JPH]

Many of the surgeons I have worked with spend more time seeing patients in their outpatient office than they ever spend in the OR.

2 days/week in the OR from 7a-5p (round on patients before this)
1/2 day/week in the OR from 7a-12n (round on patients before this)
2 days/week in the office from 8a-8p (round on patients before this)
1/2 day/week in the office from 1p-7p

50-60 hours/week. Any day has the potential to run late...or very late.

That, of course, does not include the barrage of phone calls from residents at different hospitals all night...does not include weekend phone calls...does not include weekend call and weekend rounds.