mainiac
08-08-2009, 05:21 PM
http://www.PhysicianAssistantForum.Com/forum353/images/icons/icon10.gif The residency experience -- "Surgical PG PA BLOG"
Hi Everyone,
I'm in a Surgical Residency Program in WI, they only take 2 PA's / year. Just thought I might throw some of my experiences in here as well. As I know this was a tough decision for me to make, to attend a residency program.
I also moved across country to WI; I do not have any ties here & have never been here before I interviewed. I did get a loft apartment within 1 mile of the hospital in a great little town, with underground parking! :rolleyes:
This residency program is affiliated with the Medical School of WI and has 2 very large hospitals: The Childrens hospital is rated #3 in the US and is a Level 1 Trauma Center. At our disposal is online access of the Library with numerous textbooks, videos, Up-2-date, MD Consult. etc; we can access from home.
The residency PA's come in Mid June for 2 weeks of orientation; Specifics on Post Grad. PA orientation: we reviewed high yielding topics for surgery: Antibiotics in Surgery, Complications in Surgery, Blood products, IV fluids, TPN, Wound Healing, Chest Tubes, Surgical Lab Interpretation, Pre-op, Post Op, Billing, ABG's, Vents, DM, RF, Radiological Studies, etc. We were also required to take online exams on most topics at home. We are given 2 Long, White Coats, [-] the ceremony! Throughout the year we meet about 1 time / month to have specialized lectures: burns, etc. also with online exam.
Next, we had 2 days of ATLS with the PGY1's and became certified. Then we started Curriculum with the PGY1's. Curriculum is 4 days of lecture / reading / hands on labs / etc. with exams at the beginning and the end. We are also treated like the PGY1s except that they do have us distinguish ourselves, since were are already professionals with a license and are here to get an additional year of specialized training. We are paid equal to PGY1's. Curriculum meets about every other month throughout the year, for 4 days, covering different topics / labs.
After the orientation and curriculum week, we all broke into our assigned services. The PGY1's do 4 weeks [1 month] rotations, on each service, however we are doing mostly 6 weeks on each service. I think this is mostly do to the fact that the PGY1s go to other facilities / hospitals and we [Post-Grad PA's] do not.
I started my 1st rotation on Peds surgery & trauma with 4 med. students, 3 other PGY1's, a Fellow, a PGY4, 5 faculty PA's & 9 Surgeons.
A Day in the LIFE: We meet most mornings at 5:30a to sign out, then round, write notes then round with the attending and team. Then we do discharges, go to the OR for our assigned cases, answer nursing / pt questions. Then at 5:30p we sign out to the night Post Grad PA/ PGY1 then day people leave. This service is very busy and we do not have much down time. Also 1 Post Grad PA / PGY1, each week for 1 week during the day, carries the "consult / HOT" pager. This means that they are paged for all new consults from the ED - floor - outside hosp/direct admit. They return the call, then go to [for ex] the ED, see the patient, do a H&P, devise an "assessment & plan" contact the "senior" and verbally present the pt, 'senior' sees the pt and then a plan is finalized. May do a consent if surgery in needed, put in orders, admit pt. etc. Two days a week we come in at 5am because we have grand rounds, M&M and conference.
TRAUMA: We respond to Trauma calls to the ED: we are "doctor Right" during the trauma. I've been on 2 so far, a level 2 and Level 1. The level 1 was most similar to what I would say you can see on "Trauma Life in the ER" show on Discovery Health channel -- intense!
THE OR: My 2nd OR experience: 1st Assistant, 1st with this Surgeon: a simple enough procedure: I&D of Abscess. However after the positioning / draping / etc. The surgeon tells the scrub tech: "Scalpel to "me" "I was like "what"? did I hear that correctly? Yes, I did! :D I got to do the majority of the case! How sweet! Never did I anticipate that! The surgeons here are very willing, have patience and are interested in teaching. Nothing that I had experienced, as a PA student, in a surgical rotation! That alone has convinced me that I've made the correct decision; knowing I will continue to gain invaluable experiences over this next year. So very happy that I decided to do this! :cool:
CALL: So we take over night in house call. During the week we have 1 person assigned to overnight call, they start Sun 5:30am and leave Mon. 6am. Then work T-W-Th overnight. They carry the "HOT" pager & do all consults, answer all home calls, nursing calls etc. They are supported by a senior, in house. Weekend Call: is only different in the fact that person comes in 5:30a Fri, Sat or Sun gets sign out, rounds, and stays all day and overnight until the next 5:30am, then goes home: post call; always supported by a 'senior' in house.
Okay, reality check: :rolleyes: it is very hard, long hours: ~80+ / week with day to overnight shifts of 30 hours! We are held to the same hours & expectations of the PGY1's. However I don't think I would have gained this same experience from jumping into a surgical job right out of PA school!
Please feel free to PM me with any questions. I will also try to post as time allows. I hope those of you who are interested in a surgical residency program find this useful!
Good Luck! :cool:
-V [post grad surgical PA]
PS. Not sure if you want make this a separate Sticky? for Surgical Residency?
Hi Everyone,
I'm in a Surgical Residency Program in WI, they only take 2 PA's / year. Just thought I might throw some of my experiences in here as well. As I know this was a tough decision for me to make, to attend a residency program.
I also moved across country to WI; I do not have any ties here & have never been here before I interviewed. I did get a loft apartment within 1 mile of the hospital in a great little town, with underground parking! :rolleyes:
This residency program is affiliated with the Medical School of WI and has 2 very large hospitals: The Childrens hospital is rated #3 in the US and is a Level 1 Trauma Center. At our disposal is online access of the Library with numerous textbooks, videos, Up-2-date, MD Consult. etc; we can access from home.
The residency PA's come in Mid June for 2 weeks of orientation; Specifics on Post Grad. PA orientation: we reviewed high yielding topics for surgery: Antibiotics in Surgery, Complications in Surgery, Blood products, IV fluids, TPN, Wound Healing, Chest Tubes, Surgical Lab Interpretation, Pre-op, Post Op, Billing, ABG's, Vents, DM, RF, Radiological Studies, etc. We were also required to take online exams on most topics at home. We are given 2 Long, White Coats, [-] the ceremony! Throughout the year we meet about 1 time / month to have specialized lectures: burns, etc. also with online exam.
Next, we had 2 days of ATLS with the PGY1's and became certified. Then we started Curriculum with the PGY1's. Curriculum is 4 days of lecture / reading / hands on labs / etc. with exams at the beginning and the end. We are also treated like the PGY1s except that they do have us distinguish ourselves, since were are already professionals with a license and are here to get an additional year of specialized training. We are paid equal to PGY1's. Curriculum meets about every other month throughout the year, for 4 days, covering different topics / labs.
After the orientation and curriculum week, we all broke into our assigned services. The PGY1's do 4 weeks [1 month] rotations, on each service, however we are doing mostly 6 weeks on each service. I think this is mostly do to the fact that the PGY1s go to other facilities / hospitals and we [Post-Grad PA's] do not.
I started my 1st rotation on Peds surgery & trauma with 4 med. students, 3 other PGY1's, a Fellow, a PGY4, 5 faculty PA's & 9 Surgeons.
A Day in the LIFE: We meet most mornings at 5:30a to sign out, then round, write notes then round with the attending and team. Then we do discharges, go to the OR for our assigned cases, answer nursing / pt questions. Then at 5:30p we sign out to the night Post Grad PA/ PGY1 then day people leave. This service is very busy and we do not have much down time. Also 1 Post Grad PA / PGY1, each week for 1 week during the day, carries the "consult / HOT" pager. This means that they are paged for all new consults from the ED - floor - outside hosp/direct admit. They return the call, then go to [for ex] the ED, see the patient, do a H&P, devise an "assessment & plan" contact the "senior" and verbally present the pt, 'senior' sees the pt and then a plan is finalized. May do a consent if surgery in needed, put in orders, admit pt. etc. Two days a week we come in at 5am because we have grand rounds, M&M and conference.
TRAUMA: We respond to Trauma calls to the ED: we are "doctor Right" during the trauma. I've been on 2 so far, a level 2 and Level 1. The level 1 was most similar to what I would say you can see on "Trauma Life in the ER" show on Discovery Health channel -- intense!
THE OR: My 2nd OR experience: 1st Assistant, 1st with this Surgeon: a simple enough procedure: I&D of Abscess. However after the positioning / draping / etc. The surgeon tells the scrub tech: "Scalpel to "me" "I was like "what"? did I hear that correctly? Yes, I did! :D I got to do the majority of the case! How sweet! Never did I anticipate that! The surgeons here are very willing, have patience and are interested in teaching. Nothing that I had experienced, as a PA student, in a surgical rotation! That alone has convinced me that I've made the correct decision; knowing I will continue to gain invaluable experiences over this next year. So very happy that I decided to do this! :cool:
CALL: So we take over night in house call. During the week we have 1 person assigned to overnight call, they start Sun 5:30am and leave Mon. 6am. Then work T-W-Th overnight. They carry the "HOT" pager & do all consults, answer all home calls, nursing calls etc. They are supported by a senior, in house. Weekend Call: is only different in the fact that person comes in 5:30a Fri, Sat or Sun gets sign out, rounds, and stays all day and overnight until the next 5:30am, then goes home: post call; always supported by a 'senior' in house.
Okay, reality check: :rolleyes: it is very hard, long hours: ~80+ / week with day to overnight shifts of 30 hours! We are held to the same hours & expectations of the PGY1's. However I don't think I would have gained this same experience from jumping into a surgical job right out of PA school!
Please feel free to PM me with any questions. I will also try to post as time allows. I hope those of you who are interested in a surgical residency program find this useful!
Good Luck! :cool:
-V [post grad surgical PA]
PS. Not sure if you want make this a separate Sticky? for Surgical Residency?