Finished Anesthesiology Selective

Two weeks of anesthesiology certainly flew by, and given my interaction with the residents and the nature of the field, I’m really considering it as a career. I should have my USMLE Step 1 scores back within the next two weeks, so that’ll definitely play a role in deciding what I apply for this fall, namely otolaryngology versus anesthesiology.

I had several memorable encounters with patients pre-operatively where I tried to ease their anxiety and answer any questions. I learned about the anesthetic nuances for different kinds of procedures – reducing edema in intracerebral neurosurgeries, replenishing insensible fluid losses in large abdominal surgeries, managing blood loss in orthopedic hip replacement, etc.

There are many appealing factors to anesthesia: no rounding, very laid back residents/attendings, and the ability to complete residency and a fellowship in five years. The field itself requires a keen understanding of physiology and pharmacology – at many points in the rotation, I equated anesthesiology to the “internists in the operating room.”

Anyways, I’m starting two weeks of neurosurgery early tomorrow morning, so it’s back to the operating room with a newfound understanding of what goes on “behind the curtain” with the anesthesia team. Hope the next two weeks go smoothly. 🙂