What’s In My White Coat: Surgery Edition

From top left:

1. ID and scrub card: It’s always a good idea to have a pair of clean scrubs available.

2. Scalpel: For emergency airways. (Seriously, you should always have one with you. At the very least, you can hand it to someone who knows what to do.)

3. Dr. Pestana’s Surgery: This should actually be in your scrubs so that you can read it during downtime (in pre-op, for example).

4. Stethoscope: You need to evaluate bowel sounds for post-op checks.

5. Xeroform gauze

6. Lube: Because every GI bleed and acute abdomen requires a DRE. (You've heard this joke, right? Q: When is it okay for the medical student to skip the DRE? A: When they don't have any fingers.)

7. Scissors

8. Phone charger: So you can charge up while you’re scrubbed in.

9. Tape

10. Forceps: Useful for removing packing. (Make sure to discard or clean after each use.)

11. Lunch!

12. Highlighter and pens

13. Gum: For post-call morning breath.