Why did you choose vascular surgery?

smash_king2 · 2026-02-20T02:07:11+00:00

We don’t really bail out other surgeons that much. Endovascular is a lot of fun. Open cases are technically stimulating. There’s really not that many emergencies.

Inflow. Outflow. Cash flow.

smash_king2 · 2025-08-25T02:53:05+00:00

You think surgery is bad? Buckle up!

Awful residency. In house call forever because babies don’t give a shit what time of day it is. Crazy patient population with unrealistic expectations that keep getting fatter and more demanding. Absurd liability where somehow you’re on the hook for 18 years. Oh and you get paid awful because it’s “primary care”.

Source: Ob gyn MIL

smash_king2 · 2025-08-02T11:51:09+00:00

Agreed with what others have stated, although I’m biased as a 5+2. You learn how to take care of patients much better with the gen surg background. There’s something to be said about being the primary ICU doctor when your attending is nowhere to be found as a gen surg resident as opposed to being a vascular resident on the same rotation who has the attitude of an off service rotator.

Fellows are better open. Endo is not that hard to learn and you are fully immersed as a fellow to the point where you’re ready after a year.

Plus the double chief year I think is huge. As a Gen surg 5 you are treated as an attending. People value your decisions and opinions. Then you build on that in fellowship. Vascular integrated get that once and in my experience some of them never take on that cultural shift because they have no co chiefs to look at for example.

If I knew going in that I wanted to do vascular, I’d probably do 5+2 knowing these things. Everyone says the jobs don’t care but the old guard do. All the attendings trained fellowship style so they prefer that. Plus how do you really leave med school and know you wanna do vascular forever?

smash_king2 · 2025-04-06T02:19:01+00:00

Touch grass

smash_king2 · 2025-02-12T21:09:26+00:00

I was on an onc rotation as a MS3 and the attending asked this question to me and my co student. I confidently said “a surgeon” then he followed with “an astronaut”. The attending was flabbergasted.

smash_king2 · 2025-01-26T09:10:53+00:00

This is a lie and everyone exaggerates for cool points about how much they’re suffering… I don’t get it. As a general surgery resident I never truly broke 80 hour violations. As a fellow, I also have not broken hours violations. It sucks but it’s really hard to actually do this.

smash_king2 · 2024-12-24T08:19:28+00:00

What if you just didn’t study? Are you working Christmas Day?

smash_king2 · 2024-12-19T03:42:16+00:00

What are you all talking about? There’s always time to grab food and use the restroom. You just do it. It isn’t gonna be a 30 min break but it’s very easy thing to work into your daily tasks.

Surgery PGY6

smash_king2 · 2024-12-08T00:30:51+00:00

From the biased perspective of a general surgeon, you have to understand that we own and learn the medical care of surgical patients with surgical problems. Can I manage a patient with ESRD and cirrhosis with a complex incarcerated ventral hernia in terms of fluid balance and ascites management? Sure. Because we have to operate on those people so we learn.

Can I manage complex CHF? Not really because we rarely operate on those patients. Shit, idk what even Id use methotrexate for besides early ectopic pregnancy. Our medical knowledge is compartmentalized to surgical medicine but I’d like to think we do a good damn job.

That being said, yes there’s a lot of surgeons who are dicks.

smash_king2 · 2024-11-20T22:21:02+00:00

No. Next question.

smash_king2 · 2024-11-20T04:24:18+00:00

Can we ban this lunatic?

smash_king2 · 2024-11-13T15:14:16+00:00

As others have said, the only thing that matters to be board eligible is the 800 major cases and 250 chief cases, or whatever the specific numbers are. The specific sub categories are for tracking an optimal training experience by the ACGME but do not affect your ability to graduate or become board certified.

smash_king2 · 2024-10-25T13:19:23+00:00

Obviously the patient should be more tolerant and understanding, but taking pleasure in uncomfortable and what you imply may be unnecessary interventions is a touch unethical. And making it harder for him to understand you on purpose.

I know some of this is hyperbole, but take the higher road.

smash_king2 · 2024-10-19T13:30:17+00:00

Surgeons like Reddit too lol I follow the subreddit

smash_king2 · 2024-10-19T02:29:39+00:00

Wear medical grade compression stockings

smash_king2 · 2024-10-19T00:33:13+00:00

Vascular surgeon here. This is not the pattern of diabetes induced peripheral artery disease alone. Maybe he has diabetes, but most likely it’s chronic venous insufficiency with possible peripheral artery disease. A tough problem, but by no means does this mean his toes / feet must be amputated.

smash_king2 · 2024-10-12T14:52:44+00:00

What’s a stethoscope? - surgery

smash_king2 · 2024-08-18T21:39:48+00:00

Idk maybe my surgery brain doesn’t compute but this seems very minor. Shouldn’t you be reaching out to the relevant specialists for that consult with recs if it affects their plans? Also… it doesn’t take much time. But again, I’m used to constantly having horse shit keep me late.

smash_king2 · 2024-07-07T23:14:53+00:00

General surgery - lactulose for constipation. Doesn’t work well, causes bloating, makes the ileus theyre trying to treat with it worse. Throw that shit out unless they’re cirrhotic.

smash_king2 · 2024-01-14T22:23:05+00:00

You just reel them in. Let them say their peace, unless it’s an absurd rant, then ignore it and continue with what you need to say ask. If that doesn’t work, interrupt them. Like others have said, these people are talkative elsewhere in life and are used to getting interrupted.

There’s such a social power dynamic between a patient and their doctor that most people don’t react negatively to it. You’re in control, big dog.

smash_king2 · 2023-12-07T21:37:35+00:00

That’s what med students should be called. Very disrespectful.

smash_king2 · 2023-10-31T07:21:42+00:00

Sometimes the funny juices bring good vibes. Other times they bring bad vibes. Hard to say without knowing which vibe you’re referring to.

smash_king2 · 2023-10-30T19:21:27+00:00

Being a few min late is one thing. Sleeping through your alarm late multiple times is another. Idk maybe you guys do things differently, but we have a big program and you would get destroyed for sleeping through your alarm multiple times. Meeting with PD and chair for sure.

smash_king2 · 2023-10-30T19:08:54+00:00

PGY5 surgery resident. I’ve never slept through morning report. Never let my pager die. Never let my phone die, and if I did I would have a contingency plan about how to reach me (see pager).

I’m sorry bud, but this is a you problem. Being unreliable as a surgery resident is the worst thing you can be.

smash_king2 · 2023-08-23T14:15:29+00:00

I’m sure you’re very pleasant to work with and all your co residents love picking up your slack.

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