NHL Fever Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 Had one of those today. Just starting my residency and closed somebody up but for an unknown reason the skin layer opened in the recovery room and oozed some blood onto the bed. My attending had them just put on pressure, but I felt like an idiot. Over the past few days I've forgotten to grab billing copies of consults for attendings, and come up blank when quizzed about some details of patients on the ward, etc How do you guys deal with days like that, and manage to forget about it and not let it bother you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuantum Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 which residency are you doing NHL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akane200 Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 I think that a big part of residency is about learning to take feedback in an appropriate manner. Keeping things in perspective and having reasonable expectations about yourself and of others. I don't think people should just "forget" about it. But to treat these experiences, even the bad ones, as learning opportunities. You've just started. You're not a full fledged surgeon. Of course your workmanship isn't as "good". You're a resident. A trainee, and chances are, you are just 2 weeks into being an R1. And there will be bad days. You will make mistakes. You might even kill someone (unintentionally). You are human. But the key to being a good resident is that you have to learn to be able to deal with those emotions, deal with people, and learn from your mistakes for the sake of yourself and the patients. Learn to ask for help when you don't know what you are doing. Earlier, rather than later. People are willing help you, if you tell them what you want to learn. So you didn't do a good job that day (maybe your hand ties came undone, and you have to work on tying knots or suturing better, etc). Be sure to learn from it, and do better next time. Yeah, it's difficult to take criticism, but you better be prepared for a whole lot more of it - and everyday. And I think dealing with it in a positive manner is important to all residents in every level of training. Learn to ask for help. Learn to take constructive feedback positively. And then, there are unreasonable comments that you have to learn to just roll off and throw away. It isn't easy, no. You have to have reasonable expectations of yourself and others. Welcome to residency! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umza Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 I'm R1 right here with ya...peggin it...we spoke before;.. I figured out your prog based on the *** ..... So, hey that prog your in, if I have this figured out... I did an elective, my class mate S is there with you. It is tough. PM me for more info. Good attendings... *, tough ones, angry, ** **. Am I right? Thumbs up for the Turkey though!! Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHL Fever Posted July 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 I think that a big part of residency is about learning to take feedback in an appropriate manner. Keeping things in perspective and having reasonable expectations... Welcome to residency! Thanks, good advice. It was a running subcuticular stitch that released for about 1/2 inch right in the middle, with the rest of it on either side just fine. Mostly frustrated because I don't know why. Overall I love what I'm doing though, just gotta realize there's a learning curve for the time being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noncestvrai Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 For a subcut, practice at home, take a needle driver and a few nylons and forceps and try on pig legs or chicken legs. I did, it helped, in addition, practice your knots in different situations and angles, ie that can happen in the OR! God, that's me in one year (hopefully!)... Good luck guys! noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unknown user 7 Posted July 15, 2007 Report Share Posted July 15, 2007 For a subcut, practice at home, take a needle driver and a few nylons and forceps and try on pig legs or chicken legs. Haha. I was expecting you to say try surgery on yourself at home until I saw the pig legs and chicken legs mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noncestvrai Posted July 15, 2007 Report Share Posted July 15, 2007 No don't pull a Rambo. You're no Chuck Norris. noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Wong Posted July 15, 2007 Report Share Posted July 15, 2007 R1 year is when you will need your supports outside of medicine the most. You might be getting used to a new city where you don't know anyone on top of the stress and workload of residency. R1 is when you can make some of the closest and most enduring friendships. Amen to this! I just spent last night with a number of old R1 friends who are in other specialties that I haven't all seen together in the same place for several months. Despite that, it took all of about 5 seconds to reconnect, and start excitedly filling each other in on everything that has been going on in our lives. These are people that I'm going to know for the rest of my life, and we all came from different cities and medical schools, but that R1 year brought us all together. Something about spending all that time in the hospital together, and all being in the same difficult situation forges those bonds... Anyway, I fully agree. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenfive Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 I'm also just 2 weeks in. Something that one of my attendings in med school said to me has been playing over and over in my head these last couple weeks. I was on OB/GYN, and on my first day, I apologized to the doc for being 'incompetent' when it came to performing the pelvic examination. It was then that he said - "Right now, you're just inexperienced; incompetence is when you have had time and practice, and you still aren't any good." The point, I think, is that right now we don't need to feel bad about ourselves for not being so amazing at this stuff yet. Our biggest job (aside from dealing with the hours) is to recognize that this is our opportunity to ask questions, practice skills and risk looking like idiots. In fact, I think we have an obligation to do this now, because we can't be doing it in R3. I dunno, I guess I realized this week that I need to get over myself, and accept that I might feel like an ass sometimes this year. But hopefully, if I recognize and address what I don't know now - I will be rolling by the end of the year. Good luck, everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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