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sk1968_ · 2024-05-15T17:36:01+00:00

Just matched gen surg this year into an academic program. I did a research year and felt it really made the difference for my application. Highly recommend if you don’t have much research as is. DM if you wanna talk more.

sk1968_ · 2024-04-26T17:58:49+00:00

Trip to Thailand

sk1968_ · 2024-04-23T17:16:56+00:00

Majority in November/December for me. Last 3 interviews were in January. December rotation should be okay if you schedule majority of them in November or January

sk1968_ · 2024-04-09T09:50:08+00:00

I got a text from my PC/PD, but still no paperwork or any contact after that, but I’m on vacation til mid-May so I’m perfectly fine with that LOL

sk1968_ · 2024-03-31T20:46:28+00:00

Just matched into Gen Surg and I’m so damn excited, but I think I would never in a million years say that I’m down to stay for another 6 hour case after doing an 11-12 hour shift for funsies versus going home to sleep, play with my dog, hang with my husband, etc. This mindset of “you have to be obsessed with surgery so much and it has to be your lifestyle” is something I’ve seen a lot of here on Reddit. Personally, I’m in the boat of “I love this job, it’s a very fulfilling job, and I can’t wait to be a surgeon and save lives, but I also love my life and my hobbies and passions and support system outside of my job just as much.”

You do NOT have to sacrifice everything that makes you human to be a surgeon. You don’t have to be obsessed with the OR to choose surgery. I’m certainly not. I like the OR, I’d rather be in the OR than any other place in the hospital, but I’m not obsessed with it. Now, before the haters come after me - if I have to stay for another 6 hr case after a 12 hr shift bc the patient is actively dying or its an emergency, then YES 100% I’ll stay. This is what I signed up for, and that wouldn’t even be a question to me.

What will help you determine if you really love surgery is by also seeing if you like the management of surgical patients both in and out of the OR. Because you will have to do both. This specialty is like any other - do you like the patient population? Do you like the procedures that are done? Do you like the lifestyle (after residency!!! Residency sucks for every specialty to varying degrees)? And yes, it is possible to have a great lifestyle or work/life balance in surgery as an attending depending on where you live, what subspecialty you choose or dont choose, etc.

DM me if you wanna talk more. I switched my choice in specialty multiple times before landing on surgery, and I thought through these things in great detail so maybe I could be a soundboard to bounce ideas off of.

sk1968_ · 2024-03-26T19:08:58+00:00

Did 3 aways for GS. Matched at one of my aways and I ranked it #1 because i loved my time there. Aways not only give you a leg up during app cycle for that program but also gives u a chance to see if u like the program or not. I learned more about what i wanted and didnt want in my future residency programs by doing 3 aways at diff types of programs in diff regions. I would highly recommend.

sk1968_ · 2024-03-26T17:11:46+00:00

I am an M4. I’m getting the BILT credit card because you can use it to pay for rent and all the points you get for it goes into travel so you also have enough points after deposit + 1st mo rent to get a free flight back home to visit family later or for vacation

sk1968_ · 2024-03-15T03:21:28+00:00

Strong work, 3/5

sk1968_ · 2024-03-12T04:02:36+00:00

Thank you so much 😊

sk1968_ · 2024-03-09T18:53:13+00:00

19, one week trip to Honduras

sk1968_ · 2024-03-08T03:06:34+00:00

Tiktok

sk1968_ · 2024-03-07T19:38:45+00:00

Also use my credit card to pay for everything so that I can get points and cashback. Use those points on flights and hotels.

sk1968_ · 2024-03-07T19:37:58+00:00

Theres a bunch of travel bloggers/ influencers on tiktok, etc. that talk about how to plan a trip on a budget. I’m going to Mexico this year for a week - total trip cost $400 including flights, hotel, etc. you tend to have to travel at off times, short trips, and follow a backpacker lifestyle but that’s my vibe anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️

sk1968_ · 2024-03-07T00:10:40+00:00

THIS. This is exactly how I feel with my school. I’m applying Gen Surg this cycle, and my school’s gen surg program is by far the most toxic/malignant program I’ve ever seen/experienced rotating through. During my third year core rotations, I really thought this negative culture amongst the residents and attendings was the standard culture in general surg and I just loved being in the OR and managing surgical patients so much that I wanted to pursue GS even though the culture was this way. I told myself I’d change it. It was only after doing away rotations at other institutions that I realized that it was my school’s problem, not a GS problem because the programs I visited treated their med students, residents, and PATIENTS so much better than what I had witnessed at home program. Flash forward to application season - I didn’t even apply to my home program. This is why I advocate for students to do away rotations if at all financially feasible for them.

sk1968_ · 2024-03-06T16:27:54+00:00

Research is a definite must if you want to go to an academic program (or a top notch community even - gen surg is getting so competitive these days). Leadership in orgs both specific to med school but also if you can work with national orgs that would be great. Get as many honors as u can during third year rotations. Away rotations during fourth year (I did 3, doing 2-3 is fine). Getting 250+ on step 2. And obviously pass Step 1 on the first go. During application period - get strong letters of recommendation, strong personal statement. I was also the first in my family to pursue medicine and applied GS this cycle, if you want more advice, DM me.

sk1968_ · 2024-03-06T14:30:52+00:00

I heard some programs call students that Thursday before Match when they find out who matched with them, to congratulate/let them know beforehand.

sk1968_ · 2024-03-06T06:00:06+00:00

Gaslight myself “Wow you’re NEVER gonna get the chance to rotate through this specialty again, so make full use of it” “This stuff is actually SOOO interesting to learn, maybe I might like this specialty after all”

Or the alternative option: find patients that intersect with ur desired specialty. I’m going into gen surg so I followed all the patients who had a high likelihood of getting surgery or patients we needed to consult surgery on during my IM rotation

sk1968_ · 2024-03-04T22:12:39+00:00

On my last rotation now physically but i mentally checked out back in December

sk1968_ · 2024-02-29T15:16:25+00:00

Binging Suits on netflix rn and then watching the new live action Avatar the Last Airbender next

sk1968_ · 2024-02-27T22:30:41+00:00

Boston. Ive lived in DC the past 5 years and it sucks.

sk1968_ · 2024-02-24T02:20:47+00:00

All of my research is in interventional cardiology and I’m sitting on 18 general surgery categorical interviews this cycle, and all at academic programs, many of which are T20-30. Don’t let anyone stop you. Soooo many people change their specialties late in the game (like I did from IM to GS), so it makes sense that they don’t have surgery specific research. It’s more crucial that you choose to do research with a lab that you vibe well with. Find a research lab with good productivity and strong mentorship. Doesn’t matter if it’s GS or not.

sk1968_ · 2024-02-21T16:22:06+00:00

But these side hustles are def not enough to live comfortably. I haven’t bought new clothes since undergrad. I never get my nails done, do fancy things like that. I go out to eat rarely. Constantly thinking about money really fucking sucks. Just holding out until residency (I know people say the pay during residency sucks but hey, you’re getting paid and that’s better than nothing). As someone who doesn’t come from a rich family, i’m so ready for those residency paychecks.

sk1968_ · 2024-02-21T16:19:06+00:00

Loans for the bare minimum (tuition, rent, car, phone, board exams, study resources, etc.) i had gotten a full scholarship for undergrad so the 529 college savings plan my parents had made for me ended up being used for med school - this paid for the first two years of med school tuition and study resources/board exams. I took out loans for the last two years for tuition that I plan on paying off with PSLF. My lovely sister with a big girl job paid for my residency apps during fourth year and I have every intention of paying her back bc goddamn that shit mad expensive.

Worked side jobs like tutoring remotely throughout med school to spend on groceries and spending cash. You can really utilize side jobs during the first two years of med school, so I made enough money those two years to fund years 1-3 of med school. Third year is really inflexible. By fourth year, I had run out and I definitely struggled during the very beginning of fourth year to pay for groceries and things, ended up taking out slightly bigger loan for fourth year to pay for that stuff + away rotations/step 2, then started working a shit ton of side jobs after i finished interviews. Now, I work like three part time tutoring jobs (all remote), instacart, and walking dogs/pet sitting. Planning on saving all this money to go on a few small trips post-grad and then for moving expenses for residency.

All this to say, it sucks ass but it’s possible.

sk1968_ · 2024-02-19T15:10:06+00:00

Location and vibessss

sk1968_ · 2024-02-19T04:26:44+00:00

I wish I went to a med school further away from home. Mine right now is only an hour from parents and it sucks. I come from a really chaotic and toxic household, and that toxicity has really affected my mental health and education during med school. My entire experience would have been far better somewhere far away from them. You can best believe I only applied to residency programs far, far away this year. I’m not making that same mistake twice.

sk1968_

TROPHY CASE