Arguably, anesthesiology has one of the largest learning curves right off the bat. Though you’ll rely on the medical knowledge you’ve obtained through medical school and as an intern, clinical anesthesiology is something entirely different. This is what makes entering your first few months a bit unnerving but incredibly exciting! You’re…
Earlier today, I received an inquiry from a pre-med student who experienced a very common event during the shadowing process:
I recently received an inquiry from an MD/PhD friend of mine who is returning to clinical rotations after completing his thesis. Hi Rishi, I was hoping to get some advice from you. I’m going back to the clinic next month. Been out of it for almost 5 years. I’m a…
During call shifts, one of my responsibilities is responding to any “airway emergencies” across the hospital. I’ve performed countless emergent endotracheal intubations in scenarios ranging from cardiopulmonary arrests to impending respiratory failure and self-extubations. In many of these situations, securing the airway is a priority above everything else. There’s very little time…
In high school, I distinctly remember viewing the field of anesthesiology as one for the weaklings. Something that’s easy. Something which requires knowing a few drugs, some simple procedures, and having the luxury of doing nothing 95% of the time while surgeons diligently work to save someone’s life as the real…
It’s fairly rare for anesthesia residents to pursue a dual fellowship, but for those who do, the combination of critical care and adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology is common. After being asked by family members and friends why I want to extend my training by another two years, I decided to outline the…
It irks me when nurses, attendings, and more senior residents from various specialties complain about having to cater to a junior resident or medical student’s intellectual or procedural ineptitude. Please wake up and realize where you are – academic institutions are for teaching.
Training institutions face an interesting dilemma in allowing relatively inexperienced trainees to practice their skills while trying to provide safe and effective patient care. Attending physicians have mentioned feedback from trainees along the lines of “Dr. X took the procedure away from me!” This conveniently leaves out any unsuccessful attempts made…
Tomorrow is my last day on the VAD and transplant ICU service and concludes my ICU requirements as a resident. I intentionally front-loaded my ICU rotations this year to rule in/out a critical care fellowship, and I’m happy to say that I’ll definitely be applying this winter. I’ve always been fascinated…
My ICU attending, a more experienced physician who has seen the practice of critical care evolve over decades, left me with an interesting thought yesterday. We discussed a potentially difficult airway and the need to be proactive rather than reactive, especially in the critically ill population.