Procedures

As a medical student, procedures are awesome. They're a chance to do something hands-on and daring. We feel like a real doctor, even if it's simply placing an IV or drawing blood. For the most part, procedures are straightforward and safe, even ones that sound intimidating like lumbar puncture or central line. But with a good guiding hand and supervision, it's a great and educational experience.

Interestingly, I've found that as a "real doctor" now, I approach procedures a little differently. I'm the one assessing whether or not the patient needs it, weighing the risks and benefits, and worrying about complications. You might almost imagine a conflict of interest: that because doctors like doing procedures, we might do them unnecessarily. There are certainly cases of this occurring, but I've found that it doesn't happen to me (at least consciously). I try very hard to avoid doing anything risky to my patients, mostly because now they are my patients and it is my job to protect them.

When a procedure comes up, it's also different being a resident. As a medical student, you have someone set everything up and prepare you for success. Now I walk myself through the steps: getting consent, informing the nurses, gathering my supplies, getting the bed into a position that will help me, doing a time out. When you're a student, you skip all of that and go straight into sticking the needle in (or whatever). I've learned that procedures are much more than the act of doing something hands-on; it's the thought that goes into planning it, it's the understanding of the risks and benefits, and it's the anticipation of things that could possibly go wrong.