Kelly G. Elterman is an anesthesiologist.
I recently met a student and aspiring surgeon who asked me if I was happy with anesthesiology and a career in medicine in general. I told him that aspiring to medicine is wonderful and that while I am indeed happy with my career choice, it does come with daily challenges, both professional and personal. This led to a discussion of work-life balance, particularly with regard to family life, in which …
It is a little after 9 a.m. I am about to start the second of a long list of endoscopy cases when my phone rings. I glance briefly at the caller ID to confirm it isn’t my office or the hospital calling about another patient, and am quickly overcome with dread as I see the screen reads, “daycare.”
Intuitively, I know why they are calling. My four-month-old must have a fever. …
From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a physician. There were no physicians in my family, but I had interacted frequently with doctors as a child and felt a strong desire to similarly help others as I grew older.
To this end, I focused on academics. In choosing a university, I chose the one I felt was academically best, despite being a private school in an expensive city …
Residency is a time of immense learning. You learn from your attendings, your patients, and your colleagues. Of all the teaching moments during my residency, one that frequently stands out in my mind now is the day when one of my co-residents told me about the “post-training phenomenon.” He had previously completed a different residency and practiced in that field for a decade prior to switching to our specialty.
“Once you …
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