[HSF] Duplicity

[Michael Firstenberg]

Maybe a few comments from a "younger grad" -
(as I am watching the Colts and Bears turn over the football left and  
right)

hmmm
4 years medical school
5 years general surgery
2 years research during general surgery
6 month CT training (non-accredited)
2 years CT training
1 year transplant/mechanical assist fellowship

Discharge MY first patient home - priceless.

Yes, a very long journey, many nights on call, getting beat by a  
system, and treated like.......

BUT - I think I got great training.  I was doing most of the cases,  
learning the data, developing the skills -
    and not just simple CABGs on "good targets, non-VIPs" - but  
everything that was on the schedule.
    redo triple valves, off-pump LVADs, tumors, high risk CABGs (on/ 
off pump)..... and yes, even VIPs.
   Going to educational conferences why the Attending (sometimes even  
the Chairman)
	was opening and taking down the IMA so I could then come in and do  
the case.

... and now - they offered me a great job in a major academic center  
to work.  Working harder now and
     loving it.  Joining my former mentors and being treated like an  
equal - given good cases, protected
     from danger, developing my career - support from the hospital.   
Asked to get involved.
    Our department volume is growing - in number of cases, in case  
complexity - clearly not a shortage of
      work.  Yes, slow times - but that gives us a chance to catch  
our breath, do research, spent time with
      friends, family, patients - and prepare for the next wave of  
cases.
   Clearly we are the hardest working doctors in the hospital - which  
by the way is BRAND new and
      filled to the point where 2 more floors are currently being  
built.  We have dedicated OR (1 a fully
      functional endo-OR with built-in state of the art fluoro which  
I can use whenever I want)
   Our current 1st year fellows (ranked high in our match) a great -  
either one would be worthy to care
     for my family.  Our incoming fellows, both ranked very high (I  
dont know the exact details) and top
     doctors (and not just surgeons).
   We work closely with vascular, cardiology, radiology, pulmonary -  
yes, we have disagreements, but what
      family does not.  Need a Pacer/ICD - sometimes done that  
afternoon.  Want to do it myself?  EP
      more than willing to come and help.  We are all at each others  
beck and call - all for the good of the
      patient.

    I could not ask for a better job.  The opportunities appear  
limitless right now.  Our field is growing -
      and services, experience, judgement, training, work ethic, and  
intelligence are in demand by
      our hospital.  Do we live in the OR - no - but we are the  
leaders of healthcare.  Patients come
      to us in their times of greatest need - and we give them hope.

   Yes, I - like most (if not all of you) work very hard and was  
given great opportunities - and a little bit of luck.
   It was been a long rough road - and maybe I am luckier than many  
of my colleagues - but nothing was handed to
    me.  There are good young people out there and there are good  
career opportunities - the problem is
      matching each up.

Back to the football game (American football that is)........

-michael



On Feb 1, 2007, at 4:52 PM, Hgrmd at aol.com wrote:

> Chand,
>   Last I heard, the unemployment or under employment rate for new  
> CT  surgery
> grads was 28%.  I doubt it's currently any better.  Not only  that,  
> but the
> overall quality of the new grad has to have suffered with the   
> total lack of
> competition to get a slot (no offense, Michael).  I'm sure  there  
> are still a
> few good finds, but I definitely worry about the quality of  the  
> trainee that
> the majority of the programs must be producing.
>   I plan to take another cardiothoracic surgeon into my group by  
> July,  2008
> (one of the senior guys is retiring on that date).  Ordinarily, I   
> would plan
> to hire a new grad.  Considering the way things are going, I may   
> need to get
> someone who has been out a while.
> Hal
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