I usually get to the ORs a few minutes before 6:30 a.m., earlier if the case requires a bigger setup. If there’s still no cases posted in my room when I arrive, I wait at the OR board for the board runner to determine my fate. Otherwise, I head to the OR and run through MSMAIDS. I start my machine check, prep my equipment, draw up meds, and ask the anesthesia techs for any special equipment.
After the room is ready, I head to pre-op to see my patient. I review their history, look at their airway, get anesthesia consent, and place an IV. A lot of our patients speak Spanish, but there’s always multiple interpreters available in the pre-op area during the mornings. If there’s time, I’ll grab a quick coffee, and then at 7:25 a.m., I get ready to bring the patient to the OR.
After arriving in the room, monitors are placed, and a time out is performed. We then start induction. After the airway and any additional lines are secured, I walk to the lounge for my morning break where there’s usually some other coresidents to hang out with. I head back to the OR, and then the attending often does some teaching. Afterwards, I start preparing meds for the next case. Once the case finishes and we extubate, the cycle rinses and repeats– on average, we do about 2-3 cases every day.
I get sent to lunch between 11 a.m. and noon, and I head down to the Ben Taub Bistro where I use some of my call money to buy lunch. I go to the lounge to eat where I’ll get to see and talk to some of other residents.
After lunch, I head back to the OR to finish up my cases, and before I know it, it’s 3 p.m.. This means the call team has just arrived, and if I’m a regular day person, I’ll go home soon hopefully. Once dismissed, I check Epic for tomorrow’s assignments. Everyday looks different when you’re in the general ORs. You can be doing outpatient gynecology cases one day and ICU take backs the next. My first day of CA-1 year in the Ben Taub ORs was even a cardiac case. Other cases include general surgery, ortho, neurosurgery, plastics, ENT, and ophthalmology. If it is a Monday or Wednesday, we have protected didactic time at 4 p.m. If I have time, I’ll try to preop with tomorrow’s attending before lecture, otherwise I’ll do so after class. Lecture usually ends between 5 and 6 p.m., and then it is time to head home for the day!
We spend most of CA-1 year at Ben Taub, and it ends up becoming like a home base for us. You’ll get to work with most of the attendings multiple times, so the faculty get to know you well and watch you progress throughout the years! Also, since most of the CA-1s are at Ben Taub at any given time, we get to see each other pretty frequently! It’s nice to know that you can always find someone to talk about the cool case you’re doing or to vent about something frustrating. You’ll get to provide anesthesia for a variety of cases and take care of a range of patients from young, healthy patients to older, cardiac patients. You finish the year feeling comfortable with bread-and-butter cases and with a strong foundation as you get ready to start your subspecialty rotations in CA-2 year!
