... So hold on tight, but enjoy the loop-de-loops (even if they make you nauseated at times)!
Today was my last day of GI surgery (the second half of my surgery rotation), and it was the perfect last day. The patient I picked up this morning was super cheery and was motivated to change his life for the better, which set the tone for a light-hearted rest of the day. We had M&M today, which was just as dramatic as ever, however, I've learned to really appreciate the theatrics of the whole affair. When an attending from one department asked about the management of a particular cancer, one of the surg-onc attendings answered, "Yeah, we haven't done that for years. We also started writing with ballpoint pens instead of quills..." At first, I used to be really bothered by how the surgeons would always humiliate eachother every week at M&M, but then I realized most of them thrive on that shit, so I learned to appreciate the humor in it.
My fellow MS3s and I were going to try to study for our shelf on Friday, but we were sitting in the cafeteria, so throughout the day, everyone from our team kept sitting down to chat with us while they ate. It is so nice to have such a strong team dynamic that everyone actually wants to sit with eachother to eat. We spent hours today just shooting the shit with our attendings and chief resident about figuring out what you want in life, career choices in medicine, and the behind the scenes of what life is like as a surgeon. It was such a positive note to end the rotation on.
Since it was our last day, all day the whole team kept telling us how good of a job we did, and how much they were going to miss us. At first, I couldn't really figure out why they liked us so much, because I don't feel like we made that big of a contribution. But then I thought more about it, and I think the contribution we made to the team was by having fun, enjoying the whole process, and laughing about everything throughout the entire rotation. The NP asked us, "Do you guys take happy pills or something?!" I think a lot of times people in surgery are so serious because of the intensity of the specialty and the critical nature of a lot of the patients, so I think our team appreciated our bubbly, high-spirited attitudes every day. We had several of them tell us they hadn't laughed that hard in a long time.
I'm really glad to be ending this rotation on such a good feeling. This second half was drastically different from the first, and it had everything to do with the team. It makes such a huge difference when the leaders of your team actually acknowledge your existence and care about your learning/well-being.
That's all for now. More thoughts on my surgery rotation later... probably after I take the shelf. I gotta study!!!
That's so fantastic! I hope you and your group can carry that positive outlook throughout your careers in medicine. It makes such a huge difference. Everyone from the MAs to the patients and doctors benefit from a team with a positive vibe. My husband works so hard to foster such an attitude throughout his department. So, good for you! ;)
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