I have a somewhat unique situation: I am currently a critical care nurse, but have recently been accepted to medical school and will most likely pursue neurosurgery.

Now that I have some downtime before I start, I’ve been itching to do some shadowing in the OR. There are a couple of well-respected neurosurgeons at the large academic institution where I work. Would it come off as silly to ask about sitting in on a surgery or two? I know most of the neurosurgeons peripherally, via caring for some of their patients in the ICU and ER, and will very likely see them again as a medical student. Is there anything valuable to be gleaned by shadowing, or is it mostly something kids do to fill the slots on their AMCAS?

fortune favors the bold. so yes, approach an attending and ask if you can go see the OR.  tricky part is getting a resident to engage you during a case.  perhaps rounding with the team in the AM and staying for a whole day of work would be more educational. anyways.

but as has been said all over the place on this website, focus on med school, do well with your boards, get involved in some research, and keep an open mind on all things (fields) you approach.  in the end, you might just find a 3 yr residency more appetizing than a 7 year battle (most people do).

methinks, very few people actually finish in the field that they start off thinking that they are interested in.

goodluck

oh, picking your eventual field should be a very active process, and not a simple oh field x sounds good. so the more time you spend with a neurosurgical service, the more educational/beneficial it can be for helping you decide what you want to do when you grow up.

not silly at all.  i think most surgeons, especially at teaching institutions, welcome students and shadowers.

Saw a Chiari repair this morning. Phenomenal. I don’t think there are words to describe seeing the cerebellum exposed right in front of you, pulsating with life for the first time. It’s so surreal to think of this kid’s mom probably crying with fear last night, and now he’s fixed...just like that.