Dealing with your first complications: Strategies for anticipation, management, communication, and support

Abstract

The first years of practice are a time of high pressure and rapid professional maturation. Young surgeons are more likely than their senior colleagues to encounter clinical issues they have never considered. At the same time, because their referral systems are not developed, they will see a higher proportion of patients with urgent conditions that compound the risk for clinical complications. This paper examines how to deal with the non-clinical aspects of your first complications and specifically how to prepare for and manage yourself, your patients, your practice, and your relationships after these adverse events.