My first case as a resident

So as I mentioned, this intern year has been a year of highs and lows. I think as a surgical resident, or any resident in general, this is an adaption we get used to.

My first high came during my first week of nightfloat. I mentioned in my previous post the feeling of just being crushed by nightfloat. Another downside is their is very little to no operating experiences for interns on nights. The senior residents do most of the cases and traumas while we interns run the floor. But one night, I think it was my third or fourth night in, I get a text that one of our pediatric urologists has a 7AM case that is going uncovered - ie no resident would be free to do it. It was mine if I wanted to stay. I was euphoric.

You have to understand, the most frustrating period in medical school is that point when you realize you want to be a surgeon, but you are still a med student. At most, you get to close skin. You'll spend hours literally inches from the surgery, but never do anything. I was itching to use the bovie, to use the scalpel. As a fourth year you get slightly more responsibility, but still its nowhere near the same. Your third string, behind the attending and the resident. I was so pumped about this, after a few hellish nights of running around the floors I was going to get to operate!

The night went by hectic, as always. Finally at six in the morning I finish signing out the night events to the day interns, I go to the call room and read about the procedure for an hour. We would be doing an orchiopexy on a 6 month old baby. Essentially, one of his testicles had not descended, it was stuck in an area near the groin called the inguinal canal. Our job was to release it, bring it down, and sew it in place so it wouldn't go back up again.

The case itself was amazing. Its hard to describe the high I get when operating. Time flies by. My family and friends always ask how can we be comfortable while we're sterile. You're wearing a mask, gown, gloves; you can't itch or scratch, can't leave or take breaks. You're standing, operating. But all your focus is on the task at hand. Nothing else matters, I really lose myself. A two hour case feels like 20 minutes. Its the greatest feeling, and that morning reminded me that, despite all the crap of intern year, it'll be worth it in the end. Even 8 months into intern year, nothing has changed. I still can't believe I get paid to do this. I hope that feeling never goes away.