Work station for residency

[sice4]

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Wondering if it’s necessary to have a good work station (e.g. dual monitor set up) at home for anesthesiology residency? Thinking for work and study at home. Has anyone done this and found it helpful or is it not necessary as you don’t do much at home? Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[GassYous]

I just brought a laptop into the OR and studied there during the case. Home is for chillin

 

[DocVapor]

I would definitely do it if you had the space and budget. I studied at home since if I was at the hospital I was actively working, and I didn't want to be there any longer than necessary.

I had a laptop that I carried back and forth. Just had a monitor on my desk at home that I could run as a second screen off my laptop.

I started using a dual monitor setup ages ago and refuse to go to a single monitor setup for anything I have control over. Unless it's an ultra wide monitor that easily split screens.

 

[deleted641888]

Wondering if it’s necessary to have a good work station (e.g. dual monitor set up) at home for anesthesiology residency? Thinking for work and study at home. Has anyone done this and found it helpful or is it not necessary as you don’t do much at home? Thanks for any thoughts.

I did it during residency and still have dual screens, although not for studying anymore. I would do flashcards on one screen and play video games on the other, doing a few questions between each match. It was the only way for me to hammer through >4000 questions the whole year. I did quite well on the ITEs since I was able to trickle in information throughout the year instead of cramming for a month or two.

 

[GassYous]

Why do you need two screens when you can switch through tabs? Real question

 

[DocVapor]

Why do you need two screens when you can switch through tabs? Real question

The ability to have two tabs open full screen simultaneously is hugely helpful. Think about trying to look at a chart or diagram full screen that isn't quite making sense to you and then having to switch tabs to read the explanation. You have to try and have the image memorized, and then when you're ready to look at it again you have to reorient yourself every time. Then when you switch back to the explanation you have to find where you were again. With two screens (or at least adequately large split screen) it's a matter of just flicking your eyes back and forth.

It may not seem like much if you've never used two screens, but once you're used to it the productivity boost is enormous. You can do literally everything faster and more seamless. I truly believe having the two screens actually helped me retain information over a single screen as well.

It's why I consider 2 screens a bare minimum for anyone that works heavily with computers. My wife, a CPA, currently has 4 monitors all oriented vertically because it means she can have someone's tax documents on one screen, tax software on another, a screen for research if she needs, and a 4th as a miscellaneous email/slack/etc.

 

[Mehd School]

I just brought a laptop into the OR and studied there during the case. Home is for chillin

Can't be real.

 

[psychbender]

Extra monitors are cheap, but hardly necessary. I use a dual monitor setup now, but mostly for group business/accounting purposes.

 

[JiPo]

If you prefer writing notes on one screen while looking at the qbank on another, it can be helpful, but not necessary.

 

[fittipaldi1of1]

all You need is a laptop or table or phone to do questions.. one screen is plenty to read an e-book and lookup your patients

 

[nimbus]

This is all I needed for residency😉

 

[2Fast2Des]

How many of you actually bring your laptop in a case? Couple of my colleagues do, and I don't know... It seems a bit of asking for trouble, especially if a complication happens and you're accused of not monitoring. I've seen locums CRNAs with headphones watching movies on their cell phones because, they dgaf.

 

[banister]

How many of you actually bring your laptop in a case? Couple of my colleagues do, and I don't know... It seems a bit of asking for trouble, especially if a complication happens and you're accused of not monitoring. I've seen locums CRNAs with headphones watching movies on their cell phones because, they dgaf.

I do. Surgeons know me and know I do a good job. I always keep my ear attuned to what's going on around me and have not been in a situation where I have been "caught" being inattentive.

 

[2Fast2Des]

I do. Surgeons know me and know I do a good job. I always keep my ear attuned to what's going on around me and have not been in a situation where I have been "caught" being inattentive.

It's not about being caught, but I'm sure OR staff will be quick to document or point out a situation like that if something bad does arise. I have no problem with it, heck I'd like to browse, keep entertained and get some work done. Maybe I'll get a cheap Surface or something...

 

[banister]

It's not about being caught, but I'm sure OR staff will be quick to document or point out a situation like that if something bad does arise. I have no problem with it, heck I'd like to browse, keep entertained and get some work done. Maybe I'll get a cheap Surface or something...

Yeah I guess that's a risk I'm taking. I only bring it out when things are stable and close it during critical parts of the case and of course, when they're finishing up. In my mind, it's not too different from using a phone during the case, which almost every staff not scrubbed in does at some point or another during a long case.

 

[deleted641888]

It's not about being caught, but I'm sure OR staff will be quick to document or point out a situation like that if something bad does arise. I have no problem with it, heck I'd like to browse, keep entertained and get some work done. Maybe I'll get a cheap Surface or something...

Big reason I don’t do it: optics. I’ll be on my phone occasionally during a case, but people will have difficulty seeing if it’s a text message chain regarding something work related or if it’s SDN sh*tposting. Laptop or tablet would be too obvious, IMO.

I almost never do it for cardiac stuff unless we’re on bypass and cruising. I’ve seen too many things go wrong within 5-10 seconds to try and watch a movie while they’re in the chest.