How to Ace Your General Surgery Residency Interview

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Dr. G, could you show us on the doll where general surgery hurt you? Excellent video, thanks again!!

I have a teacher in med school who's a GS. I cannot believe how kind he is, he was and still is my favorite teacher. After all he shared about his residency experience (hes on his 60s), which is obviously, terrible and all that, he still chose and remained to be kind. I reallly salute surgeons, or even other physicians, who choose to be kind despite all the terrible things they went thru as a student. He said, "i was a student too before, so i know how it feels". It just feels so nice.

I read the book "an anatomy of addiction" prior to medschool starting. Turns out the guy who basically invented the modern US surgery residency program was doing shovels of cocaine and working 140hr+ work weeks while systematically amputating every personal relationship and potential support network. calling it a malignant culture is generous.

Regarding parents, a calling to do surgery: I'm Ortho/hand surgery. My wife is podiatry. People often ask if we put any pressure on our kids to go into medicine. We say, "Absolutely not. They can be whatever kind of surgeon they want. (But not general surgery)"

This is GOLD. I died at "name 5 things anesthesia did wrong."

“Perpetuating the malignant culture…” Yep. And taking enormous pride in perpetuating that culture.

So accurate. When I did my surgical rotation, I had THE MEANEST General Surgeon… miserable the entire time, would yell at staff, and throw things at medical students during tantrums. An almost fight between Gen Surg and Ortho in the OR. But he was a great example of how I don’t want to behave as a professional.

As a surgeon I did not laugh as much as usual… Probably because this was so disturbingly close to home. I am disappointed the applicant didn’t discuss his respect of hierarchy and withholding narcotics and antiemetics on SBO patients.

i actually did fell asleep standing up during surgical rounds in my last year. my body just shut down and the feeling of free-falling jerked me awake and i ended up crashing into the patient's bed and held on to it before i could hit the ground. everyone just looked at me silently for a few seconds then proceeded like nothing happened. totally cool. gotta love them surgeons.

One of the Vascular Surgeons I work with is one of the most decent human beings I've ever met. She never seems tired. Never lost her temper. Never complained. I brought her a cup of hospital coffee once, and she just looked at it half gasingly, and said thank you, and truly meant it. Unfortunately, surgery culture is toxic on so many levels. Kudos to anybody who has remained sane once they've reached attending status. They are true heroes.

I embarrassed my self recently in the Opthalmologist office (I woke up with a sudden corneal abrasion). I asked the MA taking notes if she was the Dr's Johnathan. To which she looked at me bewildered. And then I had to explain by showing these videos haha So may a new follower (hopefully an office of them)

I remember being so tired in surgery residency training that I’d often fall asleep standing up on rounds. Scalpels being thrown by older, big-wig surgeons in the OR were not uncommon. Some of that behavior was due to stress and fatigue. But, the field also attracts those with big egos who select and favor those of similar kind to train. Nowadays, though, the culture is changing. Younger surgeons and the profession in general have actively strived to move away from this toxicity. Also, as you get away from the academic centers and into private practice and community settings, behaviors of the sort are not as well tolerated, if at all. Still, it is true that surgery is a Calling. And, well, sometimes, you’ve gotta yell back at that Calling (but not at people :) .

I feel so lucky that as a student, my surgery preceptor (very first rotation too) was super nice, very calm, would make sure I had a good lunch break every day, etc. And I didn't know anything and was god awful at trying to suture, but he was nothing but encouraging and kind.

One of your finest works yet. Signed: hopefully a future indoor sunglass wearer

Travel nurse here. Just completed a 13 week assignment on a gen surg floor, never been inexplicably yelled at so many times in my entire career.

"They were both Internal Medicine doctors " So apt! The never ending feud! 🤣🤣

These residency interviews feel like a cerebral showdown between a sensei and their student, and the student finally proves they are ready to achieve the ultimate move (aka residency) that will reveal the secrets of universe (aka burnout).

So true! I was trying to be kind to a GS by offering to consult hospitalist, so I wouldn’t waste his time calling him with useless things. He yelled at me. And I yelled back. He went quiet. I went quiet and I almost shat myself (new RN. Only been one for a year, I didn’t even talk sternly to patients). Everyone else on the unit almost shat themselves. He never yelled at me ever again. Scariest 3 minutes of my life. And I have almost died 3 times (once I was kidnapped in a different country), and I still get anxiety thinking about that phone call.

Thirty years ago, working as a nurse in the ER, if you were one of those A-Hole physicians, I made sure every single referral that came to you was uninsured and matched your personality. The nice specialist who treated staff respectfully always got the referral on insured and nice patients.