Back at the end of last December, within a period of 48hrs, our monthly scheduled rotations changed three times. Between you and me, it was all still pending changes needing implementing prior to our program’s site visit... which then happened just two weeks later. But better late than never I guess. One of these new rotations is at a community hospital up in Poughkeepsie, NY. A good hour drive away from Westchester. I am scheduled there for the month of March.
It’s been an interesting rotation thus far. There are two residents scheduled for MidHudson Hospital up in Poughkeepsie each month, however, that’s as far as the clarification goes. The hospital was operating well without residents, so then to suddenly and at a moments notice throw residents into the mix, no one is quite sure what to do with us. What we are or are not expected to do. Responsibilities, etc. However, if you leave that up to us residents, it’s pretty simple... let us operate. So for the most part that’s what James and I have busied ourselves with this month. Every morning we head to the OR and only leave it when the cases are done. It’s a community hospital so there are not cases 24/7 like at the large academic centers like Westchester. There’s even some days were there are no general surgery cases, but the fantastic part about that is we are the only residents there so we can have our pick of Urology cases or Orthopedic cases or Gynecology cases if we desired. In other words, the OR is our oyster. I know some of my colleagues will prefer to occupy themselves elsewhere on those days, but last week when it happened I choose to take out a few kidneys! As I mentioned, it was fantastic!
All of the Attendings that we have had the opportunity to work with have been excellent. As we previously had with St. Vincent’s hospital in Bridgeport, the community hospital is a different pace and practice of medicine and surgery than at the academic center. I argue that it is incredibly important to a resident’s education to see and experience the different settings in which we could potentially work one day. The pace at a community hospital is much more relaxed and yet believe it or not, it’s faster as well. The Attendings also play a large part of that education.The thing that I love most is that in the community setting is where you will find the “General Surgeon” in the old true sense of the title. The surgeon who trained to operate on the whole body, and still could if you asked him to. The surgeon who asks what the name of every obscure vessel is. The surgeon who will yell at you if he sees one drop of blood, you’d better leave the OR, get in your car and never come back to Poughkeepsie! And he’s serious too!
Got it! Not a drop of blood! Hand me the knife! ;)
Much Love.
No comments:
Post a Comment