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Surgery as a new grad


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I am heading into my last 2 rotations before graduation and am in sort of a dilemma.  After my surgery rotation, I've come to appreciate the OR and can see myself as a surgical PA.  Most of the PAs that I worked with during my rotation were either first assisting or they were robotics PAs with little patient interaction out of the OR.  I think I enjoyed the OR because it's very hands on.  However, I feel like if I pursue a surgery job out of school, I will forget the medicine itself or lose my opportunity to really learn the most medicine (e.g. in the first few years out of school).

 

For those in surgery, did you go straight into surgery or did you do some kind of medicine prior?  If you switched, how easy were you to switch into surgery?

 

If you went straight into surgery, did you regret not doing some medicine prior?

 

OR time and some floor work would probably be ideal but does it exist in hospitals as a PA without crazy long hours?  Or is the experience worth the long hours?  

 

The PAs I've spoken with do mostly day surgeries and work 36-40 hours a week.  Those hours can't really be beat, but no floor work outside of pre and post op orders.

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I did surgery right off out of school - Ortho. Lots of hand on and I feel it gave me some medicine involvement because I rounded on patient in the floor who had good amount of co morbidities. In regards to the schedule, I think it depends how deep you will look as a new grad it might be difficult to find ideal mix of life-work balance but as years go in and you are willing to be flexible you will find. Right now I am doing neurosurg - no call, no weekend. Pretty much 8-4:30. It is not as exciting and trauma but I have a life to spend with my kids. You have to choose your battles.

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  • 2 months later...

I went into ortho trauma. Lots of hands-on and very rewarding. The hours can be long, and since I don't have a set schedule, certain long days can disrupt my life outside of work. But, then again, when we don't have any traumas, my 2-hour days make up for those long days. A few of my friends in surgery have placed more importance on having a set schedule, so there's always that out there. As for "floor work," I do almost all of the hospital rounds, pre/postop orders, H&P, D/C, have my own clinic schedule (mainly post-ops), and I assist in the OR. I don't regret not knowing the medicine. I find that I'm able to bring back some of what I've learned, and a quick online search refreshes my memory. For what it's worth, I see myself continuing to work in surgery, even if this first gig doesn't work out.

 

Hope this helps. Good luck to you!

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