education
What is the surgeon’s role in preventing gun violence?
During my pediatric surgery rotation, I distinctly remember taking care of a teenage girl who presented with a thoracic cord transsection and paraplegia after a drive-by shooting; she had previously lost both her parents to gun violence as well. It was disheartening to watch someone so young lose so much. In honor of National Safety Month, I have decided to devote this blog to a topic surgeons are unfortunately well familiar with: gun violence. On average, 96 Americans, including 7 children/teens, are killed with guns each day, and the numbers increase each year in the United States (US). Compared to other high-income countries, the US has 25.2 times more firearm related deaths. As surgeons, we are ready to respond with medical and surgical resources once gun violence victims enter our ED doors. However, we are limited with medicine/surgery alone to combat the detrimental effects of gun violence, as exemplified by...
An Intern’s Advice on Thriving through Fourth Year
As I was entering my last year of medical school, I did not feel like I had a good source of information for navigating the demands fourth year, so I decided to write this post in hopes of providing my advice on how to be successful as a female medical student entering surgery. I have attempted to touch on all aspects of fourth year from away rotations to ERAS to interviews. I have also attempted to stress the importance of staying true to yourself as you conquer the exciting, yet challenging, year ahead of you. Define your role. Be straightforward in asking what is expected of you. Rotations as a fourth year student can be frustrating because you’re dying to show that you can take on more responsibility, but you’re limited by what you can do as a medical student. Try to see the positive in getting to focus on...
Summertime Safety
As a trauma surgeon, there are days of the year that we know will be busy calls. New Year’s Eve, Halloween, and the upcoming Fourth of July. It’s a good reminder that we all need to be safe and keep our loved ones safe over the summer. It’s also a good reminder that no matter what kind of physician or surgeon you are, you have a unique opportunity to bring messages of safety to your patients. As healthcare practitioners, the respect we get from the public and the position we have at anchor institutions in our communities puts us in the position of being able to spread public health messaging. For me, this includes safety messaging, but even if you’re not a trauma surgeon, take the opportunity to say, “Hey, it’s warm out. Don’t forget to be safe at the pool and to wear a bike helmet.” Or, print off...
Dear Pat Responds to Surgeon-Mother-to-Be
Dear Pat, I’m a second-year surgery resident and somewhat older than my co-residents. I am considering getting pregnant during residency, but I am unsure if my co-residents will be supportive. I don’t want them to be mad at me. What should I do? Sincerely, Surgeon-Mother-to-Be For this month’s “Dear Pat”, AWS Council Member Dr. Simone Betchen shares her strategies in response to “Surgeon-Mother-to-Be”. Dear Surgeon-Mother-to-Be, How exciting! No one can tell you when is the best time to start a family, but since you asked, here’s what I think. The best time to start a family is when the timing is right for YOU and your family. While it is kind of you to think of your co-residents, your co-residents will step up and survive without you during maternity leave because no one is indispensable. And it goes both ways, If any one of them had an issue in future,...
Is taking time to do research right for me?
Is a professional development year right for me? Should I do research? What is the benefit? These were some of the questions raised during the last “hang-out” session hosted by the Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons (RAS ACS) on May 7th. “Hang-outs” are informal conference calls designed to help medical students navigate various aspects of surgery such as work-life integration, academic development years, residency interviewing tips and more. Our last discussion with the medical students got me thinking about the reasons I am spending (two or maybe three) years in the middle of general surgery residency dedicated to research: 1) a desire for an in-depth understanding of basic science research, and 2) to increase my probability of matching into the fellowship of my choice. I’ve always had a passion for basic science research. As a chemistry major in college, I made Cisplatin, a cancer drug,...
The Transition: Adding to the Picture of Surgical Care in India
My fourth trip to Nanakpur but my first in a hospital setting. We had five cases posted for the day: open inguinal hernia repair; open cholecystectomy; renal stone removal; bladder stone removal; and diagnostic cystoscopy. The surgeon arrived at 9 AM, asked for the list of patients and began to order the cases based on complexity and tool requirements. This was different from the U.S. where elective cases were scheduled for a time slot. The first patient was already in the OR getting prepped but the anesthetist was unable to gain access. Instead of using an ultrasound to find the vessel, the anesthetist told the patient to to return after two of the other cases. The surgeon had to complete all 5 cases before the staff left at 2 PM and did not have the luxury of time. We moved on. The next patient walked himself to the table and...
“Cure Sometimes, Treat Often, Comfort Always”
Six years ago, I was attending a Pain and Palliative Care Symposium when I heard a medical oncologist say, “We treat disease. We do not treat emotion.” She was an outspoken advocate for palliation in all aspects of care, be they spiritual, mental, or corporeal, and during all stages of illness ranging from curative treatment to terminal care. Initially, her words struck me as false, almost antithetical to the entire profession of medicine. Today, they resonate as precise if not true. In understanding what palliative medicine is, it is imperative to know what it is not, and what it could be. Coincidentally, the recent death of our former first lady, Barbara Bush, known to be receiving “comfort care” in her final days, prompted the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) to release a statement clarifying the nomenclature and respective roles of palliative care, comfort care, and hospice. According to...
Earth Day: Reducing OR Waste
By Shaleen Sathe The Association of Women Surgeons hosts an annual “Greening the OR” Contest to celebrate Earth Day and to bring innovative proposals for environmental sterwardship in the field of surgery. More information about Greening the OR can be found here. The deadline for this upcoming year will be in June 2018. Last year, Pawarissara Osathanugrah, Varsha Muralidhar, and Alexus Skobodzinski, medical students at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), proposed a procedural change in the operating room (OR) at Boston Medical Center (BMC) to reduce the amount of recyclable material that is discarded as hazardous waste. Although many operating rooms separate recyclable waste from waste contaminated by bodily fluids during a procedure, there is a high risk for cross-contamination that reduces the amount of recyclable material that is actually recycled. The proposal to green the OR was to have only one waste receptacle in the OR at a...
Diversity & Inclusion in Surgery
By Shree Agrawal Join in our upcoming Tweetchat in partnership with Association of Academic Surgery (AAS) on Monday, April 23, 8 pm ET. To participate, be sure to follow the moderators for this chat, Drs. Christian Jones (@jonessurgery) of AAS (@AcademicSurgery) and Michaela West (@MichaelaWst) of the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS). Please tag all of your tweets with the hashtag #AASAWSchat . Diversity Diversity in medicine to me emphatically represents individuals with grit, who have overcome long-standing norms within their profession, and allies who have recognized and advocated for the inclusion of all individuals. I am inspired when I meet trailblazers who bring the intersections of diversity up the ladder in surgery. Despite the advances many have made before us, diversity in medicine and especially surgery still have room to grow. Medical education is beginning to become more diverse: women comprise 51% of medical school matriculants since 2017, and...
Allergic Contact Dermatitis: A Surgeon’s Dilemma
In early 2014, I reluctantly made my way to the Dermatologist’s office as encouraged by my Fellowship Director. “How long have you been having these symptoms?” he asked. I thought carefully back to the first time I noticed that my hands blistered and started itching at least four years before that visit. By the time I finally sought help, my hands were raw under the cotton gloves I wore after applying steroid ointments or Vaseline. The problem had slowly worsened over time probably due to developing allergic contact dermatitis as well as increasing exposure to the offending substances. The Dermatologist recommended skin testing which involved placing numerous discs of various allergens on my back for five days. I was skeptical since I had performed my own latex avoidance trial using only nitrile gloves at the bedside and in the operating room for several months with no improvement. That avoidance test...
