Month: April 2019
Becoming Human Again
By Susana Vargas-Pinto Sign out. Rounds. Run the list. Check labs and images. Do the orders, start the notes and check my ‘to-do-list’ boxes for the day. Done! A series of events perfectly orchestrated during years to take care of our hospitalized patients and begin a new relationship with those coming in for their operations that day. As an intern I had my checkbox list to fill so I could make it to the OR on time. I thought of myself as the guardian of our floor patients and prided myself on “getting everything done” for the day. I spent countless hours with the electronic medical record (EMR) but not as much with our patients. A recent observational study using direct time-motion observations of interns from 6 mid-Atlantic internal medicine training programs, participants of the iCOMPARE cluster trial showed that first-year residents spend 10 hours over a 24 hr period...
How soon is too soon?
“Fifty percent of physicians leave their first job within 5 years.” This statistic rang through my head as I sat looking at the computer screen. My mentor from fellowship had emailed me and asked me to come interview for a job. I was only 1.5 years into my first job. Was I really going to consider doing this? Was I going to become a statistic? While I was not actively looking for a job, if I was honest with myself I wasn’t happy at work. I had dreamed of being a burn surgeon and my current job was almost 50% trauma and emergency general surgery. Initially I had been happy to keep and develop my general surgery skills, but was beginning to feel I was not growing as much in my burn practice as I had hoped. However, my family was happy. Was I willing to move them again? I...
The Give and Take of Surgery
By Simone Betchen I recently applied to an executive MBA program and was asked the essay question based on Adam Grant’s groundbreaking TedTalk “Are You a Giver or a Taker?”. He describes three primary personality types in the workplace: givers, takers, and matchers. I was asked “based on your understanding of yourself and our program, how do you intend to give and take as a student…?” Takers in general as constantly tipping the scales in their own favor. They are out for themselves and see the world as an eat what you kill kind of place. Matchers have a great sense of fairness in a tit for tat system. Givers look to see what others need from them and often look out for the common good. Grant explains that in businesses, it’s the givers that end up on both ends of the spectrum as the most and least productive of...
You Matched, Now What?
By Camila Guetter Congratulations! After years of preparation and a long interview trail, you have matched! And although this very important step is finally over, another even more crucial journey is about to begin: residency. And in that sense, many questions certainly arise, especially regarding intern year. If you haven’t done so yet, take advantage of the time you have left until the beginning of your intern year to celebrate and spend time with your family and friends. Be grateful for everyone who has been there for you and supported you through medical school. Also remember to thank you mentors and everyone that contributed somehow in getting you where you are today – be grateful and show recognition! In your first few days of residency, your hospital will likely hold formal orientation sessions on multiple aspects of the hospital and your department. But you might still have questions on how...
Imposter Syndrome: The Dirty Little Secret of Successful Women (and men too)
By Kandace McGuire We were sitting in a bar in Center City, Philadelphia. My co-chief resident and I were being hosted by our attending (and mentor) to wings, beer, and life advice. After he taught us how to deglove a chicken wing for the most efficient gustatory experience, he declared, seemingly out of nowhere, “You know, so many of us think we are doing a horrible job at surgery and life and one day someone will expose us for the frauds we are”. My co-chief and I looked at each other and then back at him and exclaimed, “I thought I was the only one!!!” This was my first exposure to the concept of the Imposter Syndrome. Since then, I have come across many who suffer from it and many who write about it. Beyond that wing and beer-laden explanation, the technical definition of Imposter Syndrome is “a psychological pattern...