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I feel like I am going to fail my Gen Surge Rotation. Advice


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I started my gen surge rotation a couple of weeks a go. I was super excited for it because I love doing procedures and hands on stuff  (even though I am an anxious wreck, and it takes me a while to learn how to do things well). Sadly, it is going horrible. Everything I say is wrong, no one spent time showing me SOPs in clinic, I get residentsplained things even when I get answers correct, and for some reason I was just expected to know how to function, including choosing proper note templates, and every time I suture someone it is as if I was pulling my own teeth ( I do practice outside of my rotation, but it is always easier sewing a ruber pad than a human being). The 12 hour days, including 6 hours over the weekends, makes it hard to prepare, partially because I am also studying for the EOR, and I am "FORGETFUL." It takes me a long time to memorize something, and so I need to study every day to be ready for the test. And to answer y'all, I really do not care about the grade at all, I just want to feel comfortable that I am doing what I need to pass, but at this point it feels like I am going to have to choose failing the EORE or failing the rotation, but it is likely I might fail both and it is making me depressed. I am still going to give it my all, even though I am exhausted and have lost a lot of morale--- This all hurts because I just finished 3 amazing rotations in primary care, women's health, and peds and I just feel like the work I have done is all about to get derailed. 

Edited by jusjam123
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Hi!  Sorry you're having such a bad time in surgery.  I feel for you.  What you're describing sounds similar to what I went through with my surgery rotation.  There were a few things that helped me.

1.  Surgical Recall -- small study book packed with stuff to know for EOR, and it will help you in the OR too.

2.  Directly ask your preceptor how he/she thinks you need to improve.  Something like, "Hi, Dr. Whoever, now that we've been together for a couple of weeks, I'd like to get your thoughts how I have been doing and ways that I can improve."  You may or may not get a useful answer, but it could help, and it shows that you don't just want to coast by.

3.  Are any of the nurses or surgical techs willing to take you under their wing a bit in the OR or give you tips on what you need to do and how to prepare?  See if you can get a schedule of what surgeries are coming up in the next day or two so you can study about them beforehand.

4.  Do well in the things you can control, like being on time or early, being polite, learning staff members' names, offering help where needed.

5.  Try not to let the surgeon's blustering or put-downs get to you too deeply.  One of the surgeons in my rotation (incidentally the one who was worst at making me feel about an inch tall) told me that in their training, surgeons get years of yelling, pimping, anger, and insults piled on them--it's what they know.  Unfortunately many aren't interested in changing surgical education to have a more nurturing atmosphere once they become attendings.

6.  "Dr. Scalpel's Guide to the Operating Room" videos.  Yes, the muppets are super cheesy, but there's a lot of good information here that people never bothered to tell me.  Looks like the Surgery 101 channel that made these videos has others too, but I haven't watched them so can't vouch for them.

 

7.  Keep a granola bar or some kind of snack in your pocket if you need to.  During surgery days, my preceptor never took lunch breaks, which meant I didn't either.  Having a snack between cases made a big difference for me.  You need to feel well physically in order to be able to focus and have steady hands.

8.  Remember that your surgery rotation time is temporary.  You won't have to endure this forever.  Do something to celebrate at the end of each week--one more week down!

 

I don't think my preceptor liked me any more at the end of the rotation than he did at the beginning, but he did give me a passing grade.  And I ended up doing well on the EOR, which I hadn't expected.  Keep your chin up and keep trying your best.  Maybe you'll surprise yourself too.

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@Aunt Val has all excellent advice. I’ll add one more, talk to your clinical coordinator about any unfair treatment. I spent a lot of time around surgeons in anesthesia school. I’m not usually a biased person, but surgeons in the south have shown me time and again they are my enemy until proven otherwise. Surgery rotation was my only B in all of PA school because they just could not be pleased. I knew how it was going to end and got ahead of it talking to my coordinator. Write down specific examples. Have a recording going during rounds on your phone.l, though that is just for use if things go really bad. If caught recording then just say it’s so you can recall teaching points later, but don’t get caught.

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