What I learned from my surgery rotation

To be fully honest, surgery was my most feared rotation. I genuinely thought that I would hate every second of it. Quite the opposite happened, and I actually enjoyed this rotation a lot more than I thought I would. Surgery taught me so much and I wanted to share some of the insights I learned throughout this 8-week rotation.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was the importance of listening to patients while not getting carried away. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the technical aspects of surgery, but patients are human beings with fears and concerns. Taking the time to address those worries is just as critical as fixing the underlying issue. Yet, there’s always a balance— it was so easy for me to get absorbed in the patient’s life stories and worries. I ended up taking way too long with one patient and delayed the next patient’s appointment, which was not ideal for the clinic workload nor for the subsequent patients. Therefore, I understood how important it is to stay focused on the primary goal: providing a safe and successful surgery.

Before each operation, I found myself needing to get into a certain mindset—one where everything outside the operating room didn’t matter. In that moment, there was just the patient, the problem, and the solution. I was so impressed by the state of intense focus that each surgeon demonstrated, as well as the aura of confidence that exuded from them the minute the stepped into the OR. One day, I approached one of the surgeons and asked how they managed to always remain so calm throughout the surgery, even when it did not unfold exactly as they had planned. They told me that no matter how skilled a surgeon is, they must never forget that they are a human being who is prone to making mistakes; the ability to realize that a mistake was made and adjust in real time is the key to being a good surgeon.

The thing that most surprised me about surgery was realizing just how resilient the human body truly is. After witnessing major surgeries, like colorectal cancer resection (which involved removing a large part of the bowel and reconnecting the two ends back together), I expected recovery to take an eternity. But patients often bounced back faster than I thought possible, their bodies healing despite the trauma of surgery. It was really fascinating to see the recovery process unfold before my own eyes, as I got to see the patients before and after surgery, with the knowledge of what the patient had gone through in the OR.

Above all, I realized that patients themselves are the true heroes of surgery. They entrust their lives to the surgeon operating them—people they’ve barely met—and that takes an immense amount of courage. Even though I am merely a medical student, the patients still opened up so much to me pre-op and shared endless “thank you’s” with me post-op. The gratitude and appreciation of the patients really touched my heart.

And the last and final lesson I learned from my surgical rotation: waking up before 5 a.m. is always too early, no matter how much sleep you get! I will not sugar-coat it: this rotation was exhausting! Practically the entire day was spent on my feet, whether rushing to the ER for consults, rounding on 15+ patients on the wards, or going to the OR for surgery after surgery. In addition, the “typical” surgeon can be quite intense and stern, which made the work environment a bit more daunting at times. However, it definitely challenged me to learn new skills and improve each day. By the end of the rotation, I really felt like I had gained many new skills, from being able to carry out a focused history and physical exam, to becoming ambidextrous (after a lot of practice, I was able to tie one-handed surgical knots with both hands)!

On that note, I do not think I will ever become a surgeon myself, but I have a lot of respect for what surgeons do and how committed they are to their careers. I am also very impressed by their drive, work ethic, and technical skills. I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside surgeons for two entire months, and will never forget this exciting experience!