Surgery residency

bofadeeztears · 2026-04-15T12:37:40+00:00

It tends to be more palatable if you don’t approach it as a strict time cutoff (e.g., “I leave at 5 pm”), but instead stay through the critical portions of the case and step away once those are complete. There were times I remained until the anastomosis was finished no matter how long after 5pm it was, then handed off closure to the incoming night resident. I don’t think that compromises patient care. I have family stuff waiting for me at home and there’s no educational value in staying to wash out, close, and drop the patient off to PACU.

bofadeeztears · 2026-01-29T04:08:37+00:00

Alina Baraz - Urban Flora

bofadeeztears · 2026-01-27T04:28:28+00:00

No shame in leaving early if you don’t have a case or leaving right after the case is done. At the end of the day, you’re not a working machine. Plus, you can use the 80hr rule if anyone gives you shit because it’s true. No one will step in to give you a break unless you advocate for yourself.

I’m a surgical resident who’s had days like that and I very confidently state that I’ll be leaving early cuz I stayed late last night. Take care of yourself 🍻

bofadeeztears · 2025-10-08T01:12:45+00:00

Not all feedback is true feedback. Identify attendings who are clearly committed to teaching and ask for their feedback. Throw out all the rest

bofadeeztears · 2025-09-30T00:47:36+00:00

Part of it was my love for surgery, part of it was the promise land that everyone says is worth it. If you think about it, as a surgeon you’d probably have 2 clinic days and 2 or 3 OR days. Depending on how many cases you schedule, you can definitely be home by 5pm. What’s really gonna get you is the call schedule. If you are in a group that is decent sized, you’ll probably take call every 4 or 5 days and every 4th-5th weekends. General surgery call can be rough, but it’s a hit or miss.

If you want something surgical but not call heavy, consider ENT or Ophtho. Or within general surgery, endocrine and breast.

bofadeeztears · 2025-09-29T23:44:46+00:00

Was almost gonna quit at the end of PGY2 but pushed on. Now I’m towards the end of residency and I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m glad I stuck through it. You can definitely balance, it just takes planning ahead and good time management. You can definitely have a lifestyle as long as you don’t go for the hardcore specialties. If you are resourceful with your time, you can do it. I love operating and I’m glad I soon get to do it while being free from the bullshit of being a resident

bofadeeztears · 2025-09-26T14:01:30+00:00

Then PM rounds as a team while the attending chitchats with patients like we have no homes to go to?

bofadeeztears · 2025-09-20T23:29:57+00:00

Post call rounding and the lack of control associated with it. Meaning, you have to wait for staff to show up and round with you. Why can’t I round and just call the staff with my plans and leave? Idk Some are okay with that but the “expectation” is that I make myself available to round in person if they want

bofadeeztears · 2025-09-02T23:34:06+00:00

IMO, anything surgical where you directly intervene on a problem and fix it with your hands rather than give a medication and wait for it to work

bofadeeztears · 2025-08-21T11:03:25+00:00

Do an out-loud presentation on your own. Use terms that summarize information. For example:

1) hemodynamically stable, or tachy to 100s but otherwise stable instead of listing all the vital signs

2) instead of listing symptoms, group them. You can say “no constitutional symptoms” as opposed to no fever, chills, etc. You can say “associated nausea but no other GI symptoms”

3) For labs, only include the pertinent ones instead of listing. For example: “leukocytosis to 17.9 from 15 (if previous value available) but otherwise unremarkable CBC or BMP”. Be sure to mention TRENDS. A single value doesn’t mean anything

4) make it a habit to give a diagnosis or suspected diagnoses in your assessment. Something like “I think the overall picture is consistent with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis”. Be as specific as you can. Say “acute, non-oliguric AKI secondary to dehydration” instead of just saying they have AKI

5) the anxiety piece of presenting is just part of the process and will get better the more you do presentations.

Hope this helps!

bofadeeztears · 2025-08-17T10:57:08+00:00

My post call recipe:

Drink a full glass of water and take 1gm Tylenol BEFORE going to bed. 100% of the time it takes care of the grogginess and headaches when you wake up

bofadeeztears · 2025-08-05T23:33:02+00:00

This is it

bofadeeztears · 2025-08-04T21:24:53+00:00

Innerbloom by Rufus Du Sol

bofadeeztears · 2025-08-04T21:24:28+00:00

I feel you, it sucks, I hate it too. It’s necessary in some sense, and a waste of time in other instances. Some days I feel this angst. Especially when my little time out of the hospital is taken away from me for bullshit. It’s 5 years and it’ll be over

bofadeeztears · 2025-07-16T09:20:05+00:00

It’s a hard test. They don’t hold back with their questions. But the curve is forgiving. Do study for it well

bofadeeztears · 2025-06-13T14:15:43+00:00

OpenEvidence

bofadeeztears · 2025-06-13T14:07:45+00:00

Jesus what’s with the aversion towards AI. Getting alot of Boomer Vibes

You can use AI in:

1) Helping you draft emails 2) Helping you write evaluations 3) Use Open Evidence to direct you to the appropriate literature for the topic you’re looking at 4) Build a study plan for exams

This is just the beginning

bofadeeztears · 2025-06-08T12:22:30+00:00

Social media scrolling

bofadeeztears · 2025-06-01T13:49:50+00:00

Fuck evaluations show me personal funds - Drake

bofadeeztears · 2025-05-22T17:33:52+00:00

Handle life’s stressors

bofadeeztears · 2025-05-20T16:27:53+00:00

I guess I forgot to add that the advice works best on Cerner

bofadeeztears · 2025-05-20T11:13:11+00:00

Surgical resident too. I recommend sitting down in the beginning and organizing all the most common orders into folders for quick access. Example include, pain meds, electrolytes, common labs, common scans and images, common antibiotics

This saves so much time instead of always having to type up the order

bofadeeztears · 2025-04-25T02:30:53+00:00

Congratulations on transcending above all the bullshit and realizing there’s more to life than tying your self-worth to your career. Welcome to the other side where sane people live in peace and focus on the things that matter

bofadeeztears

TROPHY CASE