Members can share advice on preparing for surgical rotations, observing procedures, assisting in the operating room, learning surgical instruments, and understanding post-operative care.
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Surgery rotation is coming and I’m genuinely intimidated. Early mornings, the OR, scrubbing in, not knowing instruments, the fear of contaminating the field or being yelled at. For those who survived (and maybe even loved) surgery, how do I prepare and make a good impression? What do I actually need to know before stepping into that OR? Help a nervous student out.
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Surgery rewards preparation, stamina, and enthusiasm more than raw knowledge. Before the OR, learn sterile technique cold, how to scrub, gown, glove, and the cardinal rule: when in doubt about whether something’s sterile, it isn’t, so speak up rather than contaminate silently. Know your patient’s case before you walk in, the anatomy involved, why the surgery is being done, the basic steps. In the OR, anticipate, watch what the surgeon needs and be ready, hold retractors without complaint, and stay engaged even when you’re just observing for hours. Learn the common instruments by name beforehand so handoffs are smooth. And eat breakfast, hydrate, and never lock your knees standing, people faint and it’s mortifying. Show up eager and durable and surgeons will love you.
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The “if you’re not sure it’s sterile, it’s not, and SAY SO” rule cannot be overstated. Surgeons respect the student who admits a possible break far more than one who stays quiet and contaminates. Speak up every time.
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Know the anatomy of the specific operation beforehand. Surgeons LOVE to ask anatomy in the OR. Reviewing the relevant structures the night before turns dread into “I actually know this.”