Editor’s Note: An adverse occurrence during early career development at an academic medical center.
Through the experience I gained as an adolescent working in my mother’s internal medicine office, I developed a sense of how medical practices are run. This was enhanced by an opportunity to “scrub in” with a general surgeon who was associated with her practice. I found I was a surgeon at heart & also learned about how efficiency makes the operating room run more effectively. My career pathway was established.
My early goals were to obtain quality training, to expand my skill set so I was competent to take on any challenge & to hone my efficiency & that of my staff. While in training, I bought the home I still occupy. It is located across the street from the academic medical center where I practice. Merely walking across the street took some of the pain out of going into the ER during the night.
Soon after beginning practice, I became the top surgical “producer” in the collective surgical department. Rather than being commended, I was accused of “making up patients”. Even though I was operating on a wide range of patient types outside of my fellowship focus, I was suspect. Senior general surgical leadership reviewed my billings and documentation. A few errors were found. I was then forced to turn over a five-figure dollar amount to the medical center to level the field. Thankfully, a similar review by the billing department revealed no error or fraud. I was not reimbursed the dollars I had surrendered.
The secrets to my enhanced productivity are efficiency in the OR, training the surgical staff to be assets rather than obstacles, and by being willing to do a wide variety of cases involving trauma, microsurgery, my subspecialty, and even some pediatrics. Some of my cases took less than 30 minutes, some lasted hours. I also took very little vacation time away from work.
How did I manage during this time of false accusations, negative comments from peers and resident staff as well as rumors of dishonesty? I just kept on doing my work. I tried to stay positive and did not give in and leave. I was familiar with feeling isolated as I had already endured being the only female in my first year of residency and one of only a few in later years.
It is not possible to undo all the negative sentiments, harm to reputation, and rumors but it did not make me uproot the very satisfying career I was developing. It did not force me to abandon the home that my husband and I have made with our six naturally birthed children.
The message from this account is to not allow others to rob you of the joy of practicing orthopedics. Stay strong & endure. The rewards will come.