Becoming a doctor, especially a surgeon, is no easy feat. Besides, you will be saving people’s lives, which is why you spend years and years studying and brushing up on your skills.
Medical school sure ain’t easy, but you will definitely learn the things you’d need to learn to become a surgeon. However, there are things that medical school just would not be able to teach you. We will discuss these things below, as these skills are just as important to learn as those medical jargons and techniques, or even learning how to properly hold sigmoidoscope bellows and other medical tools.
Avoid Coming Off as Obnoxious
It’s very much okay to be enthusiastic about learning and being a surgeon, but there is a fine line when it comes to being enthusiastic and obnoxious. You can, of course, ask the residents or attendants if you can help out with certain procedures such as stitching or assisting, but if they say no, then do not take it personally.
These are people’s lives you are saving here, and sometimes, these senior surgeons just cannot afford to give the baton to interns and newbies, as they might accidentally do something wrong that can even get the people involved or the hospital sued. You can ask, but learn to accept when the doctors say no. Remember that they would know the perfect time for you to chime in and help, so you just have to be patient and wait for your turn.
Be Prepared to Work Long Hours
Being a surgeon means that you would be willing to dedicate your life to saving people’s lives, no matter how sleepy or tired you are. Some operations can last for hours, and some even for a whole day. This means that you have to stand for the whole duration of the operation and sometimes, you won’t even get to go to the bathroom.
However, you have to make sure that you are still taking care of yourself. Eat a balanced meal and do not forget to sleep and rest whenever you have the time to.
Find a Mentor or a Buddy
Studying to be a surgeon and becoming an intern can be stressful and difficult. Make sure to have someone to turn to whenever you are feeling burnt out or exhausted. These mentors can be doctors or just plain buddies. Have someone you can share your feelings with, and someone who you can have a drink with if you need to.
These mentors are there to support and teach you along the way and make sure that you will get through everything, even during the most difficult times.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on one thing at a time, particularly through meditation. We’ve got tons of distractions around us — mobile phones, TVs, laptops, gaming gadgets, and even people — that can make us feel overwhelmed.
As a surgeon, you definitely have to learn to be mindful and learn to focus on what you are currently doing, especially during a surgery procedure. You can decide to go to a yoga class or even do it yourself by watching a couple of YouTube videos.
You will learn a lot more things as you go on, but as of now, make sure to master these skills before deciding on becoming a licensed surgeon.
