Just matched--scared re:evenings, biomechanics, expectations
By Guest on Thursday, 17 March 2011
Posted in Match Center
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Hey guys.. I just matched and although my initial reaction was extreme gratefulness, that emotion has been supplemented with a lot of worry. I love ortho and that's why I applied.. but I am not the best at it. I've always had trouble with geometry and 3D visualization and stuff. What worries me is that this might prevent me from being successful in residency. Like for instance shoulder version is a simple concept, but it often takes me awhile to actually be able to visualize the angles--they doesn't come intuitively, just as biomechanics doesn't. I was if anyone else faced a similar challenge and how they worked to improve on it.

Also, my other worry is how did you manage your time during evenings? If you got off at say, 8 PM...and you have to show up the next day at 5 AM--how do you structure your evenings so that you have time to read for the next day's procedures, workout, and spend time with family?

Finally, what books should I be reading now? I was planning on just sticking with Netter's and Hoppenfeld's (both the phys exam and the surgical exposures books), Handbook of Fractures, and Miller's for now. Or, should I already be reading Campbells, Turek's etc? What are you expected to know solid as an intern? Should you already have read through Miller's as a med student already and have had Netter's down solid? I've seen that posted in a variety of places on the internet and that kinda freaks me out.

Thanks in advance for advice..congrats to everyone who matched, and for those that didn't... keep the faith, we're all sending good vibes and much encouragement your way.
Chill... the...frig...out!

Your job as an intern will not be to know anything, your job will be to make everyone else's job easier. Think of it this way, the surgical team is a fine tuned machine with each member a gear or cog with their specific responsibilities that all fit together to get the job done. Except the intern. The intern is the grease.

If you REALLY want to make your intern life easier, I recommend getting a Master's degree in social work. I wish I was joking...
Guest
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15 years ago
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I'll trade you my surgery prelim for your ortho.


Dick
Guest
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15 years ago
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You would never get off at 2000 and be expected to be back at 0500, because that would be a work hours violation, and those never happen.

You'll be told what to read. You'll be told what you should know, or at least be pointed in the direction of where you can find it. You'll be told where to be, and when.

Until then, you gotta chill out or your head is gonna explode.
Guest
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15 years ago
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You would never get off at 2000 and be expected to be back at 0500, because that would be a work hours violation, and those never happen.

You'll be told what to read. You'll be told what you should know, or at least be pointed in the direction of where you can find it. You'll be told where to be, and when.

Until then, you gotta chill out or your head is gonna explode.



haha...work hours violation...haha. That doesn't even exist.
Guest
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15 years ago
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Agree with everything said above, including the tone

My first thought when you said spend time with family, work out, and read about the cases - was to picture a man making love to his wife from the back while jogging onto a treadmill with an open Hoppenfelds' propped up.

But seriously, you should already have Miller's cold at this point and prob have 2/3rds of Campbell's read by the time you arrive in July, or don't even bother showing up.

And by a cold Miller - grab a brew and chill-ax.
Guest
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15 years ago
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hey man you have legitimate concerns, just work hard as a resident, the same things that got you a spot will make you successful as resident. For now enjoy your 4th year.
Guest
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15 years ago
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I havent seen this kind of immature, socially-aggressive, pile-on against a genuinely nervous and eager individual since playing pogs with a bunch of girls in 4th grade. Grow up
Guest
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15 years ago
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I'm sure everyone's experience is different, but at my (university) program we'll end up working 60-90 hours per week, with a realistic 70 or so hour average. Of course, it depends on your rotation and year-level.

Also, we take home call which sort of varies, depending on the season. In the wintertime, it's pretty light and you can do some sleeping at home. In the summertime (especially when on call at our local children's hospital), it usually consumes most of your night.

The point is that being a physician/surgeon IS YOUR NEW LIFE. And when you're not working, you're going to be worrying about work/xrays/patients/surgeries, but while that doesn't really ever go away, you do seem to get back to be able to enjoy the "other stuff" in your life like family, hobbies, etc.. Fortunately, my wife is very understanding and she makes it work well, but if your spouse doesn't "get it" that you're a surgeon first (not in a bad way) and THAT is your priority (whether desired or forced (damn pager)), you're going to be absolutely miserable and almost certainly divorced.

The good news is that, hopefully, you'll enjoy your work, and while much of residency sucks, the next 30 years of your life will be rewarding... especially when you see some little kid in the grocery story with a healed arm whose BBFF you reduced and casted 2 months before.
Guest
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15 years ago
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I forgot the part about books. Even though I thought I knew some stuff coming in. I didn't. Learn through experience/reading. The only advice I can give is to get a Fx Handbook and skim through it the last week or so of June while you're having a few beers by the pool, as we got pimped Week #1 at Fx Conference. They're just feeling you out... ;-)
Guest
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15 years ago
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You would never get off at 2000 and be expected to be back at 0500, because that would be a work hours violation, and those never happen.

You'll be told what to read. You'll be told what you should know, or at least be pointed in the direction of where you can find it. You'll be told where to be, and when.

Until then, you gotta chill out or your head is gonna explode.


Wow, I wish you were right on any of those accounts. I've had more than a few nights I just slept at the hospital even when not on call. Got out of the OR (at least it was an ortho case) at 2-3 AM and started rounds at 6:30 AM. Officially, no it doesn't happen. Realistically, this is what you want to do and you're happy to be there. Honestly, my ortho trauma rotation was the best mont of my intern year despite 1 day off on the month and working 15-20 hours more per week than other rotaiton. It's what I signed up to do and was a spectacular experience.

Relax about intern year though. You're not expected to know anything and you'll be amazed with how much you learn (you really don't know anything to start the year, so it's all learning).
Guest
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15 years ago
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Chill... the...frig...out!

Your job as an intern will not be to know anything, your job will be to make everyone else's job easier. Think of it this way, the surgical team is a fine tuned machine with each member a gear or cog with their specific responsibilities that all fit together to get the job done. Except the intern. The intern is the grease.


not all programs are like this. at my program the intern and 5th year are equal in day-to-day responsibility (ie one staff, one resident (may be intern, 2, 3, 4, or 5 - but that resident rounds on that staff's patients, works in that staff's clinic, does that staff's cases etc)). an upper-level would NEVER even consider taking a case from the intern OR have an intern round on his/her patients etc.... has not happened in at least the last 5 years that i know of..... so the intern is expected to know how to do the case (within reason).

my first day in the OR (as an intern) we were about to start our first case (bilateral TKA) and my staff said "watch me do the left, and then you can do the right...and i did (with lots of help....OBVIOUSLY)>....just FYI> ..... have fun,...its a great 5 years!!!
Guest
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15 years ago
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You would never get off at 2000 and be expected to be back at 0500, because that would be a work hours violation, and those never happen.


happens all the time
Guest
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15 years ago
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not all programs are like this. at my program the intern and 5th year are equal in day-to-day responsibility (ie one staff, one resident (may be intern, 2, 3, 4, or 5 - but that resident rounds on that staff's patients, works in that staff's clinic, does that staff's cases etc)). an upper-level would NEVER even consider taking a case from the intern OR have an intern round on his/her patients etc.... has not happened in at least the last 5 years that i know of..... so the intern is expected to know how to do the case (within reason).

my first day in the OR (as an intern) we were about to start our first case (bilateral TKA) and my staff said "watch me do the left, and then you can do the right...and i did (with lots of help....OBVIOUSLY)>....just FYI> ..... have fun,...its a great 5 years!!!


I'm not talking about stealing cases (we often have attendings uncovered) or rounding on extra patients. It's all the little scut crap that has absolutely zero medical educational value that the intern gets stuck doing. If your chiefs will scrub out of a cases to go do that stuff instead of you, then bless them!

The worse scut months are usually not the ortho ones, its the Gen surg ones, especially services with lots of fellows, ugh! Even when you get in the OR it can be painful. I once got called into a Gen surg case to retract for 2 hours, then was literally dismissed. That's it. I scrubbed out while the fellow and attending closed. Major Suckage
Guest
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15 years ago
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not all programs are like this. at my program the intern and 5th year are equal in day-to-day responsibility (ie one staff, one resident (may be intern, 2, 3, 4, or 5 - but that resident rounds on that staff's patients, works in that staff's clinic, does that staff's cases etc)). an upper-level would NEVER even consider taking a case from the intern OR have an intern round on his/her patients etc.... has not happened in at least the last 5 years that i know of..... so the intern is expected to know how to do the case (within reason).

my first day in the OR (as an intern) we were about to start our first case (bilateral TKA) and my staff said "watch me do the left, and then you can do the right...and i did (with lots of help....OBVIOUSLY)>....just FYI> ..... have fun,...its a great 5 years!!!


I'm not talking about stealing cases (we often have attendings uncovered) or rounding on extra patients. It's all the little scut crap that has absolutely zero medical educational value that the intern gets stuck doing. If your chiefs will scrub out of a cases to go do that stuff instead of you, then bless them!

The worse scut months are usually not the ortho ones, its the Gen surg ones, especially services with lots of fellows, ugh! Even when you get in the OR it can be painful. I once got called into a Gen surg case to retract for 2 hours, then was literally dismissed. That's it. I scrubbed out while the fellow and attending closed. Major Suckage


def scut stuff as an intern on other services (gen surg etc)...no doubt..my fault for ignoring that.....

but an intern on ortho at my program doesnt do any more or less day to day scut (discharges, dressing changes, discharges, rounding etc) than a 2,3,4, or 5 (im a 5). our program is pretty unique (i think). each staff has a resident and that resident (intern, 2,3,4 or 5) rounds on all of that staff's patients in the am, goes to that staffs clinic, and does ALL of that staffs cases with the staff....

no doubt things get easier as you move up the ladder - no primary call as 4 or 5, 2s and 3s take most call, 2s and 3s do dissections, 2 and 3 get asked questions at fracture conference, 2s and 3s present most articles at journal club etc...no doubt easier overall....but im still doing all of my day to day scut as a 5 - if i told an intern to do it they would look at me like im crazay......
Guest
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15 years ago
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