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3103, 2020

Held Hostage by the Hippocratic Oath . . . ! or ?

Steven Tsoraides MD/ March 31, 2020/ Doctors, Early Practice, Medical Students, Residents

Pandemic challenging doctor perceptions of profession A partner in our surgical group posted this phrase to one of the many ongoing discussions regarding the current pandemic we are all facing. I’m sure pretty much every group or social circle of doctors has a similar ongoing support system unofficially established to help manage fears and anxieties. What is not clear from circle to circle is whether this statement is an assertion of disappointment or a question in fear. Across the world doctors and nurses on the front lines dove head and heart first into the line of fire to do what they took an oath and pledge to do . . . help others. The first wave can be considered loyal. The second who started to see the consequences were both brave and loyal. The following waves may be considered obedient too. But

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1210, 2023

Surgery Training in America: Can we change in time to avert a crisis?

Steven Tsoraides MD/ October 12, 2023/ Doctors, Early Practice, Medical Students, Residents

First and foremost, I will start by saying that America trains the best surgeons in the world and there’s no better place in the world to have surgery. The richest and most influential people in the world come here for care. There will always be room for improvement, and I cannot say that every person has access to the best level of care, still it must be acknowledged, America sets the bar for surgical care. In order to be the best, and stay the best, you must always look forward. Stay ahead of risks, overcome obstacles and meet your goals. According to Healthaffairs.org, we face a shortage of 40,000 to 124,000 doctors by 2034. Facs.org lists a shortage of 15,800 to 30,200 surgeons by the same year. While this is more a reality than a risk, there doesn’t seem to be adequate

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2606, 2021

Virtual Residency Interviews: Do applicants really win?

Steven Tsoraides MD/ June 26, 2021/ Doctors, Medical Students

Now that the dust is settling on the pandemic in America, many residency programs are asking themselves how they will conduct interviews moving forward. Traditional thought left us assuming that it would be impossible to select a qualified candidate for physician training without ever meeting them in person. The success of virtual platforms for seeing and speaking with someone really challenge traditional thought. In considering this dilemma, the benefits and disadvantages for applicants and programs need to be considered. It’s clear that the stress and expenses of the interview season have become too significant and were due for fixing anyhow. Virtual interviews allow an applicant to save thousands of dollars at a point in time where they have no money to spend and have accumulated significant debt already. With virtual interviews students are able to schedule a greater number of interviews and

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2410, 2019

Residency Match: How to Succeed (P4)

Steven Tsoraides MD/ October 24, 2019/ Medical Students

Part 4: Nail the Interview So now you know what you want and you’ve done your homework. You spent countless hours envisioning your future and the perfect program. You can see yourself walking down the halls of the perfect setting for training. Only one thing stands in your way: The Interview. As you’ve heard time and time again, the application gets you an interview. The interview is often what makes the difference. Yes, many programs may have pre-determined metrics that put you at an advantage or disadvantage before they’ve even met you. This does not mean you can’t improve your fate. I know for sure the interview CAN HARM YOU if you are not well prepared or if you convey any of the following: Too arrogant Poor social skills Poor language skills Dispassionate Disingenuous Untruthful Unintelligent Condesending Lazy Sloppy On the other

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1510, 2019

Residency Match: How to Succeed (P3)

Steven Tsoraides MD/ October 15, 2019/ Medical Students

Part 3: Do Your Homework Just because you completed your CV in ERAS don’t think that your work is done. Thought you could tune out for a while? Wrong. Remember all those goals you worked on defining? You need to have a very clear understanding of which programs are best suited to help you accomplish your goals. Picking the wrong programs to look at may mean a very different course in life. Now that you know what you want, find out where to get it. Too many applicants are using a “shot gun” approach to choosing programs: Apply to as many programs as you can and see what happens. Well this is a rather insecure and immature approach to something you have been working on your whole life. Not many other professionals apply to 60 jobs and hope for the best. This

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1009, 2019

Residency Match: How to Succeed (P2)

Steven Tsoraides MD/ September 10, 2019/ Medical Students

Part 2: Know Thyself, Market Thyself Good scores? Published? President of the interest group? You’ve got this in the bag, right? Nope. Not quite. When a student with a 250+ on Step 1 and multiple publications fails to match in the top field of their choice, this should speak volumes about how you approach bridging the gap between your CV/scores and actually matching. If you want others to believe you are more than just a score, this is where you can make your mark, in those months between the end of M3 and the opening of the application cycle. The most helpful skills used in applying for a job and interviewing are rarely taught in medical school. You need people skills to bridge this gap. You need to think like a marketing executive. What are you selling and who are you selling

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0409, 2019

Residency Match: How to Succeed (P1)

Steven Tsoraides MD/ September 4, 2019/ Medical Students

Part 1: Laying the Foundation There are few days in a doctor’s life that are met with more stress and anxiety than that day in mid-March when you are matched with the program that will shape your professional life. There is also no other singular day you put more time and effort into for an intended outcome. Far too often, however, efforts are heavy in the standard areas of test prep, research and CV padding, and not enough effort is focussed on defining specific residency and career goals and interview preparation. In this series of articles, I will help guide you through the key components of having a successful match. Part 1: Laying the Foundation Part 2: Know Thyself, Market Thyself Part 3: Do Your Homework Part 4: Nail the Interview Part 5: Trust Your Gut Most students are mentored in a

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0209, 2019

How Do I Choose the Right Field?

Steven Tsoraides MD/ September 2, 2019/ Medical Students

Medical Students often struggle finding their path. Life in a clinic or life in an operating room? Pay off debt quickly fixing bones or slowly treating runny noses? Once you choose, you choose for life. It’s not uncommon to come across a personal statement where an applicant confesses, ” . . . I remember seeing the light behind the doctor as I exited the womb, and I knew from that moment, I wanted to be an obstetrician.” Well, maybe not exactly like that, but many young physicians know from early on that their path is one towards a particular field. We can draw a number of stereotypes of the ones that go into orthopedic surgery vs. the ones that are drawn to psychology, but in the end, you are the one who must choose your path. You’ll likely often see me refer

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