Wow, anesthesia rocks!

[318038]

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This may seem like a strange thread but I am currently an MS1 doing summer research/clinical work in anesthesiology. I have never been this fascinated by a field in my life. There was a time when I was questioning my decision to go into medical school because I really felt as though there was no specialty that truly captivated my interest... but now those worries have been put to rest.

I am stunned at the number of procedures anesthesia can perform on a day to basis. LMAs, nerve blocks, intubation, arterial lines, IVs, central lines, fiber optic scopes, double lumen tubes, and TEE, what an array of procedures. All of the anesthesia staff I have worked with have been so friendly and willing to teach in addition to being some of the brightest doctors I have seen. I love how they are acutely in control of everything on a physiological and pharmacological spectrum. When crisis breaks out in the OR, these are the doctors that step up.

Anyway, that's pretty much all I really have to say. I am so glad I had the opportunity to work in this department this past summer and I hope I am able to match into some program in the future. Truly an underrated yet fascinating field of medicine 🙂

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

This may seem like a strange thread but I am currently an MS1 doing summer research/clinical work in anesthesiology. I have never been this fascinated by a field in my life. There was a time when I was questioning my decision to go into medical school because I really felt as though there was no specialty that truly captivated my interest... but now those worries have been put to rest.

I am stunned at the number of procedures anesthesia can perform on a day to basis. LMAs, nerve blocks, intubation, arterial lines, IVs, central lines, fiber optic scopes, double lumen tubes, and TEE, what an array of procedures. All of the anesthesia staff I have worked with have been so friendly and willing to teach in addition to being some of the brightest doctors I have seen. I love how they are acutely in control of everything on a physiological and pharmacological spectrum. When crisis breaks out in the OR, these are the doctors that step up.

Anyway, that's pretty much all I really have to say. I am so glad I had the opportunity to work in this department this past summer and I hope I am able to match into some program in the future. Truly an underrated yet fascinating field of medicine 🙂

This was my experience also doing clinical research stuff in my year off between medical school/undergrad, and it ultimately lead me to anesthesiology for my residency. I would just say to give your other rotations a chance during 3rd year, because there were aspects of each that I really enjoyed (except OB). At the end, though, nothing came close to the awesomeness that was anesthesia.

 

[G-Man82]

I think that show's been out for a while now. I remember seeing one episode middle of MS 4 while lying on my couch doing nothing. It was really nutty. Some people worry about midwives taking over OB and its implications on patient safety, but that show has women "delivering" in toilets at the local McDonald's. Pretty unbelievable.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

👍

First time I've heard of it. These chicks are ******ed. I guess all women of child bearing age should get a pregnancy test prior to surgery.

Yeah dude, when I heard of that show I just assumed they were all 300+lbs, but the only one I saw was a firefighter, and definitely not over 200.

Only one more year of having to do (intermittent) pelvic exams (at the hospital)! If any of you have done them in your CA-years, let me know now, because I WILL bail.

 

[Sergio99]

Hello,

👍

First time I've heard of it. These chicks are ******ed. I guess all women of child bearing age should get a pregnancy test prior to surgery.

When we instituted that rule in our hospital, the women went bananas! (especially the MDs) "What right do you have to invade a woman's privacy?" and "What a woman does with her body is nobody else's business," and "We are no longer in the Middle Ages," and comments of the sort.

We eventually did pass that rule and everybody does get a pregnancy test now, but at the time we were uncertain that we would be able to.

Sorry for the digression, but I thought it was related.

Going back to the topic of the OP, yes, anesthesia rocks! After 30+ years of anesthesia, it hasn't gotten boring or routine. The challenges are always there,and it is every day more interesting and more satisfying.

Greetings

 

[sunset823]

Hello,

When we instituted that rule in our hospital, the women went bananas! (especially the MDs) "What right do you have to invade a woman's privacy?" and "What a woman does with her body is nobody else's business," and "We are no longer in the Middle Ages," and comments of the sort.

We eventually did pass that rule and everybody does get a pregnancy test now, but at the time we were uncertain that we would be able to.

How rapidly this thread degenerated. I'm not a feminist, but this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, I didn't take what the former poster said seriously until I read this. There are women who don't have a sexual history, and hence could never get pregnant, why should their privacy be invaded? Why can't you just simply ask them about their sexual history and get permission for a pregnancy test (only if necessary!) before you put them to sleep?

I sure won't be getting any surgeries done in that hospital before age 50 :-/

Back on topic (and I'm hoping the thread does get back on topic, I just felt a female perspective was needed here), I'm doing an anesthesia research fellowship between my M1 and M2 year and also love this field. Besides being clinically fascinating, there are also a lot of aspects of it that pique the interest of my social science side, e.g., teamwork and patient safety in the OR, which is my research project.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

How rapidly this thread degenerated. I'm not a feminist, but this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, I didn't take what the former poster said seriously until I read this. There are women who don't have a sexual history, and hence could never get pregnant, why should their privacy be invaded? Why can't you just simply ask them about their sexual history and get permission for a pregnancy test (only if necessary!) before you put them to sleep?

Because people lie about their sexual activity for a whole host of reasons (real and imagined), and the consequences of believing them can be catastrophic. Or, keeping with the redirection of the thread, sometimes people just don't know if they're pregnant or not.

When a female of child-bearing age comes in with abdominal pain, no one ever asks permission to do a pregnancy test any more than they ask permission to get a urinalysis or a CBC. It's just part of the work-up. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be a part of a pre-op work-up, either.

 

[FiremedicMike]

How rapidly this thread degenerated. I'm not a feminist, but this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, I didn't take what the former poster said seriously until I read this. There are women who don't have a sexual history, and hence could never get pregnant, why should their privacy be invaded? Why can't you just simply ask them about their sexual history and get permission for a pregnancy test (only if necessary!) before you put them to sleep?

As it relates to healthcare, being pregnant is no more personal than having AIDS, uncontrolled hypertension, Hepatitis, COPD, CHF, previous MI history, AICD surgery, etc. All of these things are critically pertinent to medical care and surgical procedures.

As previously stated "why not just ask them", because people lie.

 

[hoyden]

How rapidly this thread degenerated. I'm not a feminist, but this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, I didn't take what the former poster said seriously until I read this. There are women who don't have a sexual history, and hence could never get pregnant, why should their privacy be invaded? Why can't you just simply ask them about their sexual history and get permission for a pregnancy test (only if necessary!) before you put them to sleep?

I sure won't be getting any surgeries done in that hospital before age 50 :-/

Good Lord, save this country's medical future, if the majority of medical students are so ******ed 😱 Do not mean personal offense against YOU, but reading a lot of similar postings makes me think - do they study medicine or politics?

However, there is hope - since the resident's opinions are usually much more mature 😀

The mandatory pregnancy test in all premenopausal female population has nothing to do with either woman's privacy or her right "to choose".
Do some research and find out why it is mandatory 🙂

 

[cfdavid]

How rapidly this thread degenerated. I'm not a feminist, but this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, I didn't take what the former poster said seriously until I read this. There are women who don't have a sexual history, and hence could never get pregnant, why should their privacy be invaded? Why can't you just simply ask them about their sexual history and get permission for a pregnancy test (only if necessary!) before you put them to sleep?

I sure won't be getting any surgeries done in that hospital before age 50 :-/

Back on topic (and I'm hoping the thread does get back on topic, I just felt a female perspective was needed here), I'm doing an anesthesia research fellowship between my M1 and M2 year and also love this field. Besides being clinically fascinating, there are also a lot of aspects of it that pique the interest of my social science side, e.g., teamwork and patient safety in the OR, which is my research project.

Yeah, sure. People are ALWAYS honest about their histories. Especially social/sexual histories. For sure. You're right, just drug up and cut away after a chat with the patient. O.k., enough BSing, lets get a move on. We've got a stated non-prego here needing a boob job.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

Good Lord, save this country's medical future, if the majority of medical students are so ******ed 😱 Do not mean personal offense against YOU, but reading a lot of similar postings makes me think - do they study medicine or politics?

However, there is hope - since the resident's opinions are usually much more mature 😀

The mandatory pregnancy test in all premenopausal female population has nothing to do with either woman's privacy or her right "to choose".
Do some research and find out why it is mandatory 🙂

As far as I'm concerned, MS1s and 2s might as well be advanced undergrads. There is a ton of stuff regarding the day-to-day operations of health care that you don't learn until you actually start rotations. And/or, a ton of stuff about human nature that you might not have learned if you've been in school all your life.

 

[hoyden]

As far as I'm concerned, MS1s and 2s might as well be advanced undergrads. There is a ton of stuff regarding the day-to-day operations of health care that you don't learn until you actually start rotations. And/or, a ton of stuff about human nature that you might not have learned if you've been in school all your life.

😕

One would think the person doing anesthesia research fellowship is a bit more involved in the field of medicine and not only thinking about a "female perspective" of the hot media-like issue

I just felt a female perspective was needed here ... I'm doing an anesthesia research fellowship between my M1 and M2 year and also love this field. Besides being clinically fascinating, there are also a lot of aspects of it that pique the interest of my social science side, e.g., teamwork and patient safety in the OR, which is my research project.

 

[sevoflurane]

Hola,

This is great to hear. My feelings exactly, although i've been doing it for a fraction of the time you've put in. Love it.

Going back to the topic of the OP, yes, anesthesia rocks! After 30+ years of anesthesia, it hasn't gotten boring or routine. The challenges are always there,and it is every day more interesting and more satisfying.

Felicitaciones.

 

[allover]

"Doctor unknowingly kills baby during surgery because a pre-op pregnancy test was deemed a violations of the mothers privacy."

GO Feminism, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Coastie]

"Doctor unknowingly kills baby during surgery because a pre-op pregnancy test was deemed a violations of the mothers privacy."

GO Feminism, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!

👍

 

[Coastie]

How rapidly this thread degenerated. I'm not a feminist, but this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, I didn't take what the former poster said seriously until I read this. There are women who don't have a sexual history, and hence could never get pregnant, why should their privacy be invaded? Why can't you just simply ask them about their sexual history and get permission for a pregnancy test (only if necessary!) before you put them to sleep?

I sure won't be getting any surgeries done in that hospital before age 50 :-/

Back on topic (and I'm hoping the thread does get back on topic, I just felt a female perspective was needed here), I'm doing an anesthesia research fellowship between my M1 and M2 year and also love this field. Besides being clinically fascinating, there are also a lot of aspects of it that pique the interest of my social science side, e.g., teamwork and patient safety in the OR, which is my research project.

No surgeries before 50?

Are you really gonna miss the pee you put in the cup for the pregnancy test that much?