Best approach to 3rd year AI?

[Guest]

My surgery clerkship isn't until the end of 3rd year, but I have a chance to take a neurosurgery elective which is essentially an AI in a couple months. I have no prior neurosurgery (or any other surgery) rotations and PD recommended I do this to see if it's the right field for me. Should I wait until after my surgery rotation to do this AI? I feel totally unprepared and am very worried about my performance.


Brutal honesty appreciated. Want to do the best I can do prepare (practice suturing, reading, etc) and not be an undue burden on the team.

Thank you.

[Guest]

(09-21-2021, 11:30 PM)Guest Wrote: My surgery clerkship isn't until the end of 3rd year, but I have a chance to take a neurosurgery elective which is essentially an AI in a couple months. I have no prior neurosurgery (or any other surgery) rotations and PD recommended I do this to see if it's the right field for me. Should I wait until after my surgery rotation to do this AI? I feel totally unprepared and am very worried about my performance.


Brutal honesty appreciated. Want to do the best I can do prepare (practice suturing, reading, etc) and not be an undue burden on the team.

Thank you.

The most important thing is to be available. Always be around, don’t leave until the last case, offer to take call, stay post call. Offer to pull drains/remove suture (supervised at first, then once trust is built on your own). Next, be affable. You want to be someone that people want to be around and well liked. Don’t be too friendly/annoying but also don’t be too shy/passive.. find that sweet spot (easier said than done). Note: if you’re well like, residents will be glad to have you around for extra call nights. Lastly, be able. We expect an M3 to know nothing, any extra knowledge you have floating around can only make you look good, don’t get hung up if you don’t know something.. often times we start with easy q’s first and progressively get more difficulty to find where you’re at. I use this as a gauge and when I next see you in a similar case I’ll see if you retained/been reading. Good luck. 

Avoid the following (obvious but you’d be surprised): showing up late, complaining (do NOT join residents in commiserating about their woes.. you can’t relate but also don’t be overly eager about a 3AM EVD when your resident is clearly dying..). Give excuses. lie. Not Follow through on tasks.

[Guest]

(09-21-2021, 11:30 PM)Guest Wrote: My surgery clerkship isn't until the end of 3rd year, but I have a chance to take a neurosurgery elective which is essentially an AI in a couple months. I have no prior neurosurgery (or any other surgery) rotations and PD recommended I do this to see if it's the right field for me. Should I wait until after my surgery rotation to do this AI? I feel totally unprepared and am very worried about my performance.


Brutal honesty appreciated. Want to do the best I can do prepare (practice suturing, reading, etc) and not be an undue burden on the team.

Thank you.

You are completely fucked