STEP ONE: FIND OUT WHO ELSE IS ROTATING WITH YOU ON SURGERY FROM YOUR SCHOOL. DR. ATALLAH HAS STUDENTS FROM SOUTH COLLEGE (ATLANTA), TRINITY MEDICAL SCHOOL, SOUTH UNIVERSITY (SAVANNAH), AND MERCER UNIVERSITY (MACON/ATLANTA)
STEP TWO: CREATE A GROUP CHAT. SEND A GROUP TEXT STATING YOU WILL BE STARTING ROTATION ON [SPECIFIC DATE]. MOST COMMUNICATIONS WILL BE VIA GROUP MESSAGING / TEXTING
STEP THREE: SHARE YOUR CONTACT WITH DR. ATALLAH. (YOU SHOULD HAVE MY CELL NUMBER). ALSO SEND YOUR SCHOOL EMAIL ADDRESS, RESUME (CV), AND A HEADSHOT PHOTO FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES
NOTE: DO NOT SEND A LONG MESSAGE ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE ROTATION. WE WILL GO OVER THIS WHEN YOU START.
NOTE: PRIOR TO STARTING THE ROTATION, THERE IS NO ASSIGNED READING OR PREPARATION. WE WILL START ON DAY ONE, AND ALL EXPECTATIONS WILL BE REVIEWED AT THAT TIME.
BUT HOW DO WE KNOW WHERE TO MEET? DR. ATALLAH WILL SEND YOU A TEXT MESSAGE THE DAY BEFORE AND INSTRUCT YOU EXACTLY WHERE TO MEET.
BADGING: YOU WILL NEED BADGES AT PIEDMONT HOSPITAL . PLEASE NOTE:
NOTE: BRING EVERY ID/ BADGE (SCHOOL ID/ HOSPITAL BADGES) WITH YOU EVERY DAY ON ROTATION. DO NOT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE IT IS A ‘CLINIC DAY’ THAT WE WILL NOT BE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL(S). WE ROUND ON OUR PRE AND POST OPERATIVE PATIENTS AT HOSPITALS DAILY. WHEN POSSIBLE, HAVE YOUR BADGE ACCESS SET UP PRIOR TO THE START OF ROTATION. YOU WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO USE THE HOSPITAL EMR SYSTEM (EPIC), YOU JUST NEED A VALID/ACTIVE BADGE.
COMMUNICATION: **VERY IMPORTANT** PLEASE RESPOND TO EVERY MESSAGE YOU RECEIVE. YOU CAN RESPOND WITH “OK”, “GOT IT”, “I DON’T UNDERSTAND”, A GIF, AN EMOJI, OR ANYTHING — BUT YOU ~MUST RESPOND~. YOU MUST ALSO REPSOND TO ALL EMAILS SENT, EVEN IF IT IS SIMPLY TO SAY ‘RECEIVED’. FAILURE TO REPOND TO TEXTS AND EMAILS WILL AFFECT YOUR FINAL GRADE. PUNCTUAL AND PROMPT COMMUNICATION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF CLINICAL TEAMS.
CALL SCHEDULE: IMPORTANT:::: ASSUME YOU ARE ON CALL EVERY SINGLE DAY AND THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND (SAT/SUN). NEVER ASSUME YOU ARE OFF. YOU WILL HAVE DAYS OFF, BUT DO NOT ASSUME THAT JUST BECAUSE IT IS SATURDAY OR SUNDAY THAT YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY OFF. THIS MEANS DON’T MAKE PLANS. SURGERY IS AN INTENSE ROTATION, EXPECT TO WORK HARD.
ARRIVAL TIMES: PLAN TO ARRIVE 15 MINUTES BEFORE ANY SCHEDULED ACTIVITY. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE SURGERY IS AT 730AM, YOU SHOULD PLAN TO ARRIVE AT 715AM.
NOTE: THE ****FIRST THING**** WE WILL DO ***EVERY DAY*** IS MEET TOGETHER. MAKE SURE YOU FIND DR ATALLAH BEFORE RUNNING OFF TO DO OTHER ACTIVITIES. THE FIRST THING WE DO ON SURGERY DAYS IS ****SEE THE PATIENT WE ARE GOING TO OPERATE ON *** AS A GROUP. WE DO EVERYTHING AS A TEAM.
FAQ
1. WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING TO MY ROTATION? MOST IMPORTANTLY A POSITIVE ATTITUDE!! BUT ALSO BRING A STETHOSCOPE, A NOTE BOOK, AND LOTS OF PENS. NOTE: YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO PERFORM A HEART AND LUNG EXAM ON EVERY. SINGLE. PATIENT. PRE-OP PATIENTS. POST-OP PATIENTS. CLINIC PATIENTS. ANY PATIENT. ALL PATIENTS. ALWAYS. ALWAYS. ALWAYS. ALWAYS.
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED? GET A CHECKOUT FROM THE PRIOR STUDENTS WHO CAN GIVE YOU THE DETAILS ABOUT THE ROTATION.
2. WHAT IS THE DRESS CODE ON SURGERY? YOU CAN WEAR SCRUBS — WHITE COAT IS OPTIONAL. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT COLOR THE SCRUBS ARE OR WHAT STYLE. THIS IS UP TO YOU. HOWEVER, REMEMBER THAT AT THE HOSPITAL YOU MUST WEAR THEIR SCRUBS FOR SURGERY. THEY ARE PROVIDED FOR FREE AND USUALLY STUDENTS CHANGE IN THE LOCKER ROOMS. YOU MUST ALSO WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHILE SCRUBBED INTO SURGERY.
THERE WILL BE DAYS THAT WE WILL DRESS UP (BUSINESS CASUAL) FOR CLINIC AND YOU WILL BE TOLD IN ADVANCE OF WHEN THIS WILL BE / IT WILL NOT BE FOR ALL CLINIC DAYS AND USUALLY NOT MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK.
I DO NOT HAVE A RULE ABOUT NAIL POLISH, EAR RINGS/ OTHER PIERCINGS/ OR TATTOOS. YOU CAN WEAR THESE AND DO NOT NEED TO COVER THEM UP.
3. WHAT IS MY SURGERY ROTATION GOING TO BE LIKE?
THIS ROTATION IS A BLEND OF DIDACTICS (LECTURES AND ASSIGNED READING), MAJOR SURGERY, MINOR SURGERY, AND CLINICS. WE WILL LEARN A TON AND YET STILL HAVE FUN! YOU WILL LEARN THE BASICS OF SURGERY, AND WE WILL DO LABS ON SUTURING AND STUDY ANATOMY BY REVIEWING ANATOMIC PLATES AND IMAGES, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND THE MEDICAL MANAGMENT OF THE SURGICAL PATIENT.
4. SHOULD I PACK A LUNCH? WHILE IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO ALWAYS HAVE SNACKS, ETC, WE WILL OFTEN EAT LUNCH AT THE HOSPITALS WHICH IS FREE.
5. WHAT TYPES OF THINGS ARE WE GOING TO BE DOING WHILE ON SURGERY?
A. CHALK BOARD STYLE LESSONS (STUDENTS WILL GIVE SOME LESSONS AS WELL) THESE WILL COVER A LARGE VARIETY OF SUBJECTS RELEVANT TO GENERAL SURGERY (NOT JUST COLORECTAL SURGERY)
B. LESSONS ON SUTURING AND KNOT TYING
C. ACTUAL PRACTICE SUTURING, CUTTING, AND PERFORMIG OTHER ‘BASICS' IN SURGERY
D. CLINICAL EXPERIENCE TAKING HISTORIES, WRITING OUT SCRIPTS, AND DOING SOME EMR
E. EXPOSURE TO ROBOTIC/ LAPAROSCOPIC / AND OTHER COMPLEX OPERATIONS OF THE LARGE INTESTINE
F. ANATOMY LESSONS AND REVIEW. WE WILL USE ANATOMY BOOKS TO UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF SURGERY AND LEARN ABOUT ‘SURGICAL ANATOMY’
G. ASSIGNED ARTICLES AND READING RELATED TO SURGERY
6. IS COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIRED TO ROTATE? YES. IT IS MANDATORY. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.
7. WHAT IS THE ACTUAL SCHEDULE ON SURGERY GOING TO BE?
MONDAY: THIS DAY IS FOR MAJOR SURGERIES. MOST WEEKS IT WILL BE AT PIEDMONT HOSPITAL MAIN.
TUESDAY: TUMOR BOARD MEETING (7AM - 8AM). THIS DAY IS USUALLY A MIX OF THINGS. YOU WILL BE INFORMED WHAT THE PLAN OF THE DAY IS BEFORE, SO YOU WILL KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
WEDNESDAY: CLINIC ALL DAY: 830 AM TO 5 PM
THURSDAY: MINOR OPERATIONS AT PIEDMONT NORTH. COLONOSCOPY AT PIEDMONT NORTH
FRIDAY: CLINIC ALL DAY: 8:30 AM TO 5 PM.
SATURDAY/ SUNDAY: YES, YOU MAY BE ON CALL. I WILL EXPECT YOU TO COME MAKE ROUNDS WITH ME AND / OR ASSIST IN EMERGENCY SURGERY, IF NEEDED. THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED WEEK BY WEEK
HOLIDAYS: DO NOT ASSUME THAT HOLIDAYS MEANS YOU WILL BE OFF. MEMORIAL DAY / LABOR DAY FOR EXAMPLE MAY REQUIRE YOU TO COME IN FOR ROUNDING OR SURGERY.
TIME OFF: TIME OFF IS GENERALLY NOT ALLOWED, BUT OCCASIONALLY EXCEPTIONS CAN BE MADE. MAKE UP DAYS MAY BE REQUIRED
OKAY, WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?
PLEASE JOIN THE CLOSED FACEBOOK COLORECTAL SURGERY GROUP SO WE CAN SHARE OUR FUN MOMENTS (ONLY VERIFIED STUDENTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO JOIN)
ANYTHING ELSE? HERE IS A SLIGHTLY OUT-DATED VIDEO MADE BY PA STUDENTS FOR PA STUDENTS ON SURGERY WITH ATALLAH FROM 2020. IT’S NOT EXACTLY ACCURATE BUT IT WILL GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE INTO WHAT TO EXPECT #SurgeryVibes
Here’s a LIST OF LECTURE TOPICS we will cover (time permiting) on Rotation
REMEMBER — THIS IS YOUR EDUCATION. YOU’RE PAYING FOR IT. LET’S MAKE THE VERY BEST OF IT :))))))))))))))
