1. There is data showing you will work more as a vascular surgeon than nearly every other field. Great lifestyle for the most part. Do you find that your peers often feel over-worked and tend to view their job as relatively temporary? With general surgery training, research time and my vascular fellowship combined, I did nine years training post-med school. Kimberly Davis, MD: The intense life of a trauma surgeon. For now, though, study harder than you ever thought possible. I had to follow a private surgeon for a week during my Surgery clerkship. Thanks for reminding myself and probably many others that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and a good reason for the tough, long road ahead. I am about to go into my intern year for surgery, and I unfortunately have not met a lot of surgeons outside of my own med school/residency program whom I can ask about this stuff. Not a fan of the interventionalist stealing all your cases? And read "So You Want To Be A Surgeon" by my friends Kaj Johansen MD and David Heimbach MD. The hormone dose has been doubled, the verbal abuse has dwindled and surgery has been discussed - is the end finally in sight for Juliet Jacques? Please read the rules carefully before posting or commenting. Thanks a lot for any and all info. So surgeons of reddit, do you really work 80+ hours per week? The hard part is trying to determine what my priorities will be and how they might change in the future. While I agree you should study hard, I don't like the "me vs. my classmates" attitude. Toll free: 800-621-4111 (P) 312-202-5000 (F) 312-202-5001 (E) postmaster@facs.org At all levels, residents can participate in both the kidney and liver transplant components of the program in addition to organ retrieval surgery. Given our likely age differences, I have a personal interest in your success: I'll be getting older and might need your help right about the time you finish training. One piece of good advice I got from a surgeon mentor...it's never too late to change your mind. It used to be a book but now it's at the FACS web site: http://www.facs.org/residencysearch/. Good luck, your future patients are rooting for you to be the best doctor you can be. Is it going to be what I do for the rest of my life? Not this good everyday but your freedom outside of the hospital is proportional to your efficiency in the hospital. A Mason 1500? Academic or private? The 5 least healthy were general surgeons, psychiatrists, ob/gyns, pediatricians, and critical care physicians. Did you know if you do a amputation on someone for peripheral vascular disease, their odds of being ALIVE 3 years later are only 50%? r/Askreddit Doctors, surgeons, and nurses reveal the strangest things people have said while under anesthesia. When you finish, you have more control over your schedule. Try it for a year, but be real with yourself. Heart transplant surgery is used to treat the most severe cases of heart disease. But I sure was hoping for more relevant anecdotes about lifestyle than discussions about the shitty stuff I've already come to terms with. This is the type of answer I was looking for. What were the reasons for these choices? Really didn't decide until week of apps. What types of hours do you work, and what sort of pay cut is associated with decreased hours in favor of more personal/family time? I think I might be the naysayer in this group, but YES, I work 80+ hours a week, YES, I'm under constant stress, and NO, I probably wouldn't recommend this job to others. Would you recommend against someone else pursuing a career in a surgery? For me, the answer is arrived at by the utilization of what is called "emotional intelligence." Some time in the research lab can give you a mental health break, and let you publish something to further your career. Study hard. Thanks a lot for all of your encouragement. I obviously understand the realities of being a woman in surgery, and already admitted I should have given more thought to the issue earlier. Clinic days he would round on his hospital patients at 730 then clinic from 9-4ish. I feel I have good enough stats (260+ step 1, AOA, honors in all clinical rotations so far, engineering background) to be a competitive applicant for ortho, but my question is more about lifestyle. Trauma surgeons, on the other hand, are not routinely stationed in the ER, but will come if patients fall into certain categories, such as low blood pressure after a car accident, or if the ER patients need emergency surgery to save their life or prevent long-lasting or permanent damage. Basically, I love surgery and hope to do it, but I'm trying to figure out if the residency lifestyle in all of the surgical specialties is so terrible … There is a 20% drop out rate in general surgery for a reason. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I am starting medical school this fall. That's how sick your patients are. 20 minutes is all I need to get dressed, brush my teeth, pour a cup of coffee, and take breakfast to go. Surgeons of Reddit: can you describe what your lifestyle is like out of residency? Head and neck surgeon here. Do not come into the sub and rail against the evils of plastic surgeons, or the morality of "fooling" people with a rhinoplasty, or whatever. Don't be afraid of the possibility! TL;DR: I'd love to hear about the various hours and lifestyles surgeons lead after graduating residency. How many years out of residency are you? Welcome to the Residency subreddit, a community of interns and residents who are just trying to make it through training! Do you regret pursuing a career in surgery? If he had afternoon cases then it was till 730- 4pm with no clinic. No one really likes people with a Top Gun mentality--where do you think they got the term "gunner"? If you choose surgery as a career, the training is long and challenging. This is a subreddit specifically for interns and residents to get together and discuss issues concerning their training and medicine/surgery. I know an Internist who is ~80 years old and still practicing. Anesthesiologists are medical doctors who specialize in the care of patients before, during and after surgery. 2nd best is fine--actually it's great. Treat med school like Top Gun in that you don't give yourself points for second best. July 10, 2012. I am an orthopedic surgeon on the east coast. Since the days of her childhood in Larchmont, N.Y., Kimberly A. Davis, MD, has had a penchant for taking things apart, finding out what’s wrong with them, and putting them back together. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. A vascular surgeon called 'getridofwires' eh? Do I get satisfaction from what I do? Overall a pretty good schedule for a General Surgeon, He made a ton of money and drove a brand new Tesla. He is board-certified in general surgery and critical care and has re-certified in both several times. When I was training to be a plastic surgeon, everyone thought it was glamorous. But I am absolutely fascinated by surgery and I would hate to give up on my dream just because I was uninformed and afraid of what my future lifestyle might be like. So far. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Unfortunately, for many a surgeon it’s that career choice that always seems to trump the others, creating stress for us and everyone around us. But I think there may have been more people who went into medicine for the wrong reasons (e.g., money, prestige) than there are now, probably because so many of them realized it and then told us about how we shouldn’t do medicine/should think twice about going into medicine. One of my 4th year classmates who is going into surgery, in a year where we only have 3 required rotations, has done 5 extra rotations in trauma surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and the ICU. ), and I really think that although I love working a lot now, I'm going to value my personal time much more once I have a family, i.e. Caption from LIFE. Now currently in bed at 9pm. I know a lot can change in the next couple of years and I still have A LOT to learn in terms of different medical careers but I am considering pursuing career in a surgical specialty. Inspiring brosef. If I can't, I may consider transferring to a different specialty, because I think I'm going to value doing something I like and having time with my family over doing something that I love that doesn't allow me to see my family without large sacrifices that leave me feeling unsatisfied no matter what I do. This is essentially my plan. Am I good at it? It takes a lot of very unglamorous training to become a plastic surgeon. /r/medicine is a virtual lounge for physicians and other medical professionals from around the world to talk about the latest advances, controversies, ask questions of each other, have a laugh, or share a difficult moment. Me too :/. You can go from common cataract surgeries, to very sensitive retinal surgery, to big surgeries like doing retrobulbar removal of tumors, vascular malformations. I want to be around for a lot of the daily stuff, and I want to know that I can have flexibility in my life as a surgeon once I'm out of residency. 10 days of home call a month. Know anatomy, pathophysiology and pharmacology better than you know your own name. You either die mediocre...or you live long enough to die a workaholic. I've talked to some plastic surgeons who say their 7 years of residency were tough, but now they work "bank hours" and absolutely love the lifestyle. once I have children. What specialty are you in? Lol, I really hate hearing that. With that said, overwhelmingly, I've only heard of examples where people leave surgery (of any type) instead of the other way around. Whereas with our generation, we a) already tend to value lifestyle over income a bit more and b) already know there are way better ways to become rich. Medscape's 2013 Physician Lifestyle Report provides physicians insights on how burnout may affect or not affect their lifestyle choices and experiences. A lot of people quit. If you do something along these lines, we will assume you are lost on Reddit and will guide you to the exit. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. Skeptical Scalpel is a retired surgeon and was a surgical department chairman and residency program director for many years. This is all just anecdotal, but it’s the impression I get. Other than that, good advice. Do you regret pursuing a career in surgery? We’ll explain the procedure, recovery time, follow-up, and outlook. Ha, I guess that sort of answers my question huh lol. 10 Worst Medical Specialties For Lifestyle Published on April 26, 2017 at 1:07 am by Madison Morgan in Lists Share Tweet Email Admittedly, I have never met a surgeon that is that old (although I don't know many surgeons). Rural general surgery, only 65 bed hospital for the county with 2 partners. I am about to go into my intern year for surgery, and I unfortunately have not met a lot of surgeons outside of my own med school/residency program whom I can ask about this stuff. And you can always change jobs if the current one doesn't work for you or your family. CATCH ME IN THE HOSPITAL (VLOG): https://youtu.be/LzpCldPiT0cIn this SR I will be chatting with you guys about published videos, medical topics, and more. I suppose for most residents, the hours also depends a lot on which rotation you're currently in. I am trying to get a better sense of the lifestyle of urology vs. ENT vs. ortho DURING residency and afterwards. The life of a surgeon is all about choices, starting with the career we chose, then the partner(s), both personal and business, that we select, or who select us, and finally the priorities we establish. Press J to jump to the feed. What is the scope for rural orthopaedic surgery in the US? I pick the lifestyle of general surgery: operating, constantly improving my skills, and giving my patients the opportunity for a better life. Thank you! I had a huge dilemma during my MS4 year leading into applications as well. We are understaffed at my program, which is an academic program, so most of the surgeons I know do not have a great work-life balance. Wow I came to hear about the lifestyles and this whole thread got derailed. If your career is not your #1 priority, surgery may be a pretty rough ride. But not a surgeon. Surgery intern. Thank you. Your patients are also super sick. I wish I had thought more seriously about this a year ago, but I was so caught up with how much I loved surgery, I didn't really give anything else a chance. And what year of training/out of training? Do you guys have any questions about medicine, surgery, medical school … I know that /u/Nysoz beat me to the punch, but I will try to add some thoughts and give a little bit of a different perspective as our experiences while similar have some differences.. Background: I am a PGY-8, about to be PGY-9 (the flair only goes to 6 on this forum) surgery fellow. Are you under constant stress? Hey all, I'm a current M3 and have narrowed down my specialty choice to three fields, with ortho being one of them. What a great reminder to keep working hard. They're all too busy to be responding to posts on here. The first two weeks see the new nurse inducted into the ethics of her profession. Got home today at 530, cut the grass and worked out. Thank you for your honesty It's not easy to speak up like this, but it's really appreciated, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. On his OR days he was in the OR from like 730- 12, with clinic in the afternoon. So surgeons of reddit, do you really work 80+ hours per week? How does a CT surgeon maximize his or her life so that when the senior years arrive there are no regrets about a life and career as a cardiothoracic surgeon? Thanks. My god, man. your future patients are rooting for you to be the best doctor you can be. Vascular surgery: Another very tough lifestyle. I think it's important to remember that the training years, though tough, are not just for you but also for your patients. 99 votes, 201 comments. Unfortunately, the lifestyle of a surgeon is infamous and I have often heard it said that you should not pursue a career in surgery unless you absolutely cannot find anything else you might enjoy. Orthopedists are a very healthy group, at least according to their self-reported scores. what kind of mower you got? People like you are the reason why I am still subscribed to this subreddit. What did you do for money during all that time? I snooze once, then I get up to start my day. Long hours, demanding situations, and an immense body of knowledge to master. Your classmates aren't the average college student, they are the best of the best. Some people consider lifestyle when deciding what specialty to choose. Retina surgeons and Occuloplastics surgeons are pretty busy but still have decent lifestyles. You have an obligation to those sick people that will need your help in the future to learn as much as possible and do your best. Absolutely. The surgeon started going off again about how this was a waste of time, and then he decided to put us all the spot. General surgery is known for an intense residency: 30 hour calls and four days off in a month. Whether the anesthetic is routine and easy or emergent and life-threatening, the anesthesiologist is with the patient the whole time they are in the operating room. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon office usually 1-4 pm, Friday usually 4 colonoscopy and 1-2 cases. Usually have to go back in for emergent cases 5-10 times a year. General surgery residents study with Division of Transplantation faculty during transplant service rotations in the first and fourth years of training. Transplant surgeons work long hours and perform complex surgeries that are often life preserving. I have recently started thinking about what I want my future to look like (I know, it's pretty late in the game to be thinking about this after I've already matched, but better late than never? Fellowship, if you choose to do one, is similar, but for me the chance to take care of patients and do cases I loved made the hard work more bearable. Did you get a fellowship or go straight into practice? But he also told me he hated medicine and told me I was making a mistake becoming a doctor lol. This is true in both the context of training in surgery then leaving, or vice versa. American College of Surgeons 633 N Saint Clair Street Chicago, IL 60611-3295. He pointed his finger at each … He blogs at SkepticalScalpel.blogspot.com and tweets as @SkepticScalpel. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Surgeon at a university hospital. Be more dedicated than you thought you could be. Day in the Life of a Surgery Resident 4:30am: My alarm clock goes off. The people going into surgery are usually the kind of people who will always select the more miserable lifestyle option because they’re addicted to work. Hell no. I post my schedule pretty regularly but it’s changed recently. It's better to have went the long way around for a couple years, than to be stubborn and stick it through and be unhappy. Hello reddit! Or quit. I am a practicing adult cardiac surgeon in a large multi-institution health system with a very busy cardiothoracic surgery program. This is a highly moderated subreddit. But I am absolutely fascinated by surgery and I would hate to give up on my dream just because I was uninformed and afraid of what my future lifestyle might be like. But I want to give surgery a chance since I love it so much. Are you under constant stress? You pick the job you take, so of course you know the hours and the situation. Tbh, I kind of expected some sort of mention about how women people who wanted better lifestyles should just stay away from surgery, but I've already heard all about that from a few of my asshole classmates and the internet. He used to take call but the hospital just hired Emergency General Surgeons so he was pissed about that cause it decreased his income by 50K. Good surgeons are in demand everywhere. You can also do bracytherapy in ophtho which is very cool. Thanks. 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