career development
Difficult Conversations: a Resident’s Perspective
By Dr. Kathryn McElhinney One of the most challenging aspects of our careers as surgeons is delivering bad news to patients, but it is also one of our most important jobs. No matter the subspecialty, every surgeon has to have frank conversations about unexpected outcomes or diagnoses with their patients. There are a number of different formal and informal curriculums that have been proposed on how to teach residents how to navigate difficult conversations with patients and their families but no singular method prevails. As a resident, it is the ultimate opportunity to learn how to master these communication, empathy, and leadership skills. 1. Embrace the opportunity to learn and be uncomfortable No one enjoys telling a family that the diagnosis is likely terminal or that the next best step in care may not be the surgery that they have been told would solve all their problems. It is okay...
Awake Surgery
By Dr. Barbara Buccilli My initial exposure to neurosurgery was through awake surgery. I began my internship in the department, and I immediately joined an ongoing research project on awake surgeries for arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). This may seem unusual, but when considering my fascination with this type of surgery and my overall obsession with the nervous system, it becomes less surprising. These factors drew me closer to the field and motivated me to pursue that internship. The significance of awake procedures in neurosurgery extends beyond the remarkable experience of having our hands on a patient's brain while they engage in activities like reciting Shakespeare, answering questions, or singing a tune. Brain tumors, AVMs, and other lesions can often be located within or near eloquent areas of the brain, necessitating a delicate balance between efficient removal of affected tissue and preservation of function. Asleep-awake-asleep procedures have transformed these operations from a...
Empowering Success: Initiatives to Support International Medical Graduates in U.S. Surgical Training
By Carolina Torres Perez-Iglesias International Medical Graduates (IMGs) currently make up 25% of all licensed physicians in the United States and a fifth of all first-year residency positions annually.1-3 In general surgery, IMGs commonly start training as non-designated preliminary residents (NDPR). Unfortunately, less than 50% of these residents will complete surgical training.4-6 What makes IMGs different? A potential contributor to the low success rate in surgery could be that IMGs are often perceived as less desirable than US medical graduates (UMG) . A study that polled members of the Association of Program Directors of Surgery found that 87% preferred offering positions to USMG over IMGs despite having equal qualifications.7 More than half also reported purposefully avoiding IMGs, in part because of the perceived potential for language barriers, the concern for substandard quality and abilities compared to USMG, and the lack of familiarity with educational standards at non-US medical schools. A...
Representation in social media matters: interview with Dr. Betsy Grunch, MD, FAANS, FACS
Interview by Agata A. Szulia, MD This series of interviews seeks to amplify the voices of female surgeons who are actively engaged on social media. Through sharing their perspectives, expertise, glimpses into their professional and private lives - including both challenges and moments of levity - these remarkable women contribute to creating an accurate and authentic portrayal of women in surgery. By engaging with millions of people on social media, they help to dismantle barriers for women in surgery and serve as a profound source of inspiration for aspiring and current surgeons alike. Dr. Betsy Grunch is a board-certified neurosurgeon at Longstreet Clinic in Gainesville, Georgia. She received her degree in Biology from the University of Georgia and graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Dr. Grunch completed her residency at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, where she also completed her fellowship training in spine...
Power of Affirmation
By Hemu Yeluru “You have a future in surgery…” Six words that I never thought I would hear, and I never knew how badly I needed to hear before that night. It was 7:30 PM on a hot summer Tuesday evening on my first day of my first third year rotation: general surgery. By the luck of the draw, I got randomly assigned to cover the first 28-hour trauma call shift. I was trailing a resident on rounds when alarms blared throughout the hospital: ALPHA ALERT, ETA 5 MINUTES. The resident did a 180 and charged down the nearest stairwell; he hoisted himself up by the railings, skipping 4 stairs at a time down 6 flights. I sprinted to keep up, staying close to avoid being stranded in an unknown hallway. When we reached the ED, I stood back and studied as the trauma team danced through their well-rehearsed survey....
Making the Most of Your Research Year
By: Charlotte Berry Research years during medical school are becoming increasingly popular, particularly among students interested in surgical subspecialties. Data support the notion that medical students who take research years are more likely to remain academically productive throughout their careers. As a student between MS3 and MS4, currently wrapping up the first year of a two-year research fellowship, I have been reflecting on what has worked well for me, the best advice I have received, and what I wish I had known when I first started. Balance productivity and personal well-being Compared to the structured environments of lecture halls or hospital wards, research time offers more flexibility and allows you to take leadership over your schedule. While it's important to be dedicated to your research, do not neglect your personal well-being. Taking care of yourself will contribute to your overall productivity and happiness during your research year. When you are...
From Sewing Circles to Mentorship Triangles
By: Morgan Hopp, Anjna Kalya and Lily Foster During the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college, I completed an internship with a private practice plastic surgeon. I learned about surgery, operating rooms, staff interactions, and the inner workings of a private practice. More importantly, I solidified my understanding of mentorship. The experienced and compassionate office manager’s circuitous life provided many memorable conversations about relationships, especially with a mentor. She believed that a woman's strength and ensuing success was instilled from the support of other women in their lives. As she pointed out, prior generations had sewing circles that provided three types of women to support the next generation’s values and future: an older woman to give her wisdom and perspective, a woman her own age to give her belonging in the current stage of life, and a younger woman to observe her own growth and contributions to...
The Association of Women Surgeons National Medical Student Committee
By Charlotte Smith, Gopika SenthilKumar, Paulina Gutkin Fostering a community intended to elevate women medical students is vital not only for increasing representation within surgery, but also building and strengthening professional and interpersonal connections among the future generation of surgeons. The AWS National Medical Student Committee (NMSC) is a collaborative of 27 medical students from across the United States and five international regions. We are incredibly excited to introduce the 23’-24’ NMSC members. The committee plans and coordinates national and local initiatives designed to engage medical students with the parent AWS organization and its values: engage, empower, and excel. Our main projects can be divided into the following categories: Research and Resource Development We use our strength as a diverse committee to brainstorm and execute research projects related to the main mission of AWS. In 2022, we published our paper “Comparison of Male and Female Surgeons' Experiences With Gender Across...
Forget About Perfectionism; Instead, Strive for Excellence
By Fara Bellows, MD As surgeons, we are high-level performers who expect specific results from precise planning and execution. Throughout our education, we developed a keen awareness of the requirements for a particular outcome. Some of us may have even over-prepared during our academic years in order to ensure success. The stakes are much higher when practicing medicine, and we may now strive for perfection, as we know that a single misstep can result in a devastating patient outcome. Fortunately, we remain inherently detail oriented, thorough, and conscientious when providing patient care. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we have bad outcomes. Even a patient who undergoes a technically flawless operation can have complications. So how do we reconcile our desire for perfection in an uncontrollable world? Essentially, we must learn to comfortably co-exist with our negative outcomes and accept the fact that bad things will happen. The only way to...
THE MATCH EQUATION: AN IMG’S PERSPECTIVE
by: Anjani H Turaga, IMG The day starts at 5 am on an unusually cold morning in Los Angeles, where we see our protagonist, an IMG (International medical graduate) brushing her teeth furiously, trying her hardest to pay attention to the video lectures playing in the background, all while checking her clock to make sure she has enough time to reach the hospital before her preceptor. The physical exhaustion that comes with having only a few hours of sleep is overwhelming, yet she remains focused on her goal: matching into a residency program in the United States. While at first glance, the scene above seems overwhelming, it is a reality that every medical student, irrespective of their location, experiences in the year leading up to the Match. Our protagonist's journey is made more complicated, however, with her decision to to pursue a surgical residency program as an IMG. The uphill...
