How to be a surgery student

1. How to be a surgery student Guide to getting an A…and learning about surgery along the way

2. Be assertive • If you’re not doing something, figure out something to do. • Be a volunteer to do whatever is asked

3. Be professional • Wear nice clothes to all clinics and conferences • Don’t wear tongue rings to work • Do what is asked and don’t complain

4. Read before each case • This is the key to learning surgery • A little bit goes a long way • Ask the resident what they are reading to prepare for the case • Also read after the case because everyone learns a little more each time

5. Help out • Move patients in the OR • Help prep the patient and put in the foley • If an extra note needs be written, write it • Ask to write the orders

6. Surgery is a hierarchy • And you are on the bottom • Start with your intern for a question or help then gradually move upwards • Don’t call the attending directly • Have respect for your superiors. They’ve earned it

7. Decide on a specialty • This is the most important career decision to make • If it’s surgery, we’ll like you more • If it’s not, we’ll joke that you aren’t part of the team/culture, but really you will be respected for knowing what you want to do and being honest

8. Be honest • Enough said • Liars get Fs for grades

9. Be eager to learn • All residents and staff can tell which students want to learn and which ones are just trying to get through the day • This is YOUR education that you are paying for and will be important in YOUR career

10. Practice tying and suturing outside the OR • Be ready when your chance arrives • People don’t appreciate you practicing on their patients

11. DO everything for your patients • This is why we went into medicine. If you went into it for money, you made a bad mistake • Walk with them, talk with them, and sympathize with them

12. Know and follow up with your patient • See them in clinic, in preop holding, and for a post op check • If they have an interesting test, go watch it so you can learn and report back quickly to the team with the results • It’s better to know everything about 1 or 2 pts than nothing about a lot

13. Go with what you know • No blank stares • Give a guess with a reason, you probably are right • No one expects you to know anything • If you’ve really got nothing, say “I don’t know. I’ll find out and tell you tomorrow”

14. It’s a team game • Be in the OR the whole time with your patient from when they go to the holding area to the recovery room • Don’t go sneak off and eat while your residents are working • We’ll go sneak off and eat together

15. Go above and beyond • Figure out what might be important for your patient and ask if that might be a good plan • Learn about your patients and surgeries. YOU may figure out the answer to their problems. Then you get an A for sure

16. Accept blame • Everyone respects you more if you just say you made a mistake • Say you’ll do it differently next time • Don’t waste everyone’s time arguing why you aren’t wrong. Guess what, you’re wrong

17. Realize what is going on • It may be busy or critical in the OR. Now may not be the time to ask the attending about the paper you read last night • DO not talk (especially when with a patient) if your resident or staff are talking. They know what to say and do. It is rude to try and “help”

18. Don’t go it on your own • Don’t decide you can put a central line in yourself and not tell anybody • Say you would like to try it and ask for help when there is an opportunity

19. Don’t make the residents look bad • Don’t answer questions in front of them when they don’t know the answer unless you are asked • They are the main people you work with and will not like you if you show them up

20. We know what’s going on • Don’t BS the residents and staff • They’ve all done everything you’ve done and a whole lot more • If you try to pull a fast one, we’ll know

21. Don’t stand out in a bad way • Don’t anger the attending or resident • Don’t do something bad to a patient • Don’t be mean to patients and nurses • Don’t be arrogant

22. Be focused and efficient • Present briefly. Tell what is asked of you. Don’t elaborate • Know everything but give the important details. If someone then asks you what the toenail exam is, you can say, “Medium length, curved, with a small piece of cotton at the medial aspect”

23. Oh by the way…. • Surgery is not special • Do all of this stuff on all of your rotations • We’re just more willing to yell at you about it

24. Famous surgery sayings • See one, do one, teach one • Eat while you can, sleep while you can, and don’t F with the pancreas • There are three “S” of surgery. Sex, Scotch, and surgery. The key is to be able to do all three at once