Annie Dunham

Practicing Community General & Trauma Surgeon | UW Rural & Community General Surgery Resident '22 | UWSMPH '17 | MIT Course 5 '13

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

@WomenSurgeons @ShanSLansing @rossi_isolina @DiazAdrian10 I think it is super program dependent. There are academic, community, and hybrid programs around the country that train well for rural surgery! It's all about combining the right culture, mentors, and experiences #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

@fav_vie @WomenSurgeons Great question! PMID: 33125284 is a good place to start :) But a lot can be gleaned from program websites, word-of-mouth reputation, and talking with the residents at the program. Looking for programs with the option for dedicated rural rotations is key #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A6 Huge fan of the hybrid residency programs where you get good at taking care of sick tertiary care and subspecialized patients AND dedicated rural time. Best of both worlds. #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A6 Go to a place with:
-good people (co-residents and mentors)
-broad training opportunities and rural experiences
-good autonomy and case volume
Most importantly: somewhere you’ll be happy!
#AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

@ShanSLansing So so so important! @uwsmph UW's medical school has a rural focused training program (WARM) that I trained in. The rural experiences through that program were key to continuing to cultivate my love for rural medicine #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A5 Continued increase in use of robotic technology, especially as more players enter the market. The ability to control your own camera and assist instruments is particularly awesome in the rural setting #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

@rossi_isolina @WomenSurgeons Absolutely for tumor boards! I've seen it done at a few WI hospitals. Sometimes I think things get complicated by multiple health systems and their relationships, but at the physician level this kind of collaboration is easy and doable

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A4 Telehealth is certainly a helpful adjunct to keeping patients near home and surgeons connected to each other. Virtual tumor boards, consultations, and CME can play a great role in supporting rural surgeons #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

@rossi_isolina Absolutely! Covid challenges have improved our adaptation of televideo so much - let's hope that trend continues! #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

All the more reason to look for ways to stay connected to your fellow surgeons, like via Tweetchat :) or the things we discussed in A2!

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A3 Isolation and burnout – neither of which are solely rural surgery problems, but may be exacerbated realities of the job - frequent call, fewer partners, hospital resources, etc. #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

@ShanSLansing @rossi_isolina Ditto! I remember reading this paper when it first came out and still direct rural-minded medical students to it when we talk about programs

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

@ShanSLansing Totally agree! A senior partner or two to bounce ideas off and for continued mentorship is so important during that transition to attending life

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A2 Offering mentorship/rotations to med students and surgical residents is another great way to stay connected to academic colleagues, stay fresh on new techniques, and meet the next generation of awesome surgeons #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A2 Most residency mentors will take a call/text from you and offer real time advice for the rest of your career. Definitely the culture @WiscSurgery #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A2 Statewide surgical collabs @SurgCollabWi, Northern Plains Rural Surgical Society, and ACS communities/state chapter meetings @AmCollSurgeons are my personal fav ways to stay connected #AWSchat
https://t.co/2RR4mOWe5K

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

@rossi_isolina So true! I do the same where I train. Hopeful to maintain some of those relationships once in practice so my patients will continue to benefit from their tips and tricks!

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A1 Rural surgeons are jacks-of-all-trades in the best sense. Endoscopy, trauma, vascular, thoracic, gyn, elective and emergency gen surg. Variety = spice of life! #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

A1 Creative problem solving, longitudinal patient relationships, making a difference in your community, and the ease of small-town living also make rural surgery extra sweet #AWSchat

[Annie Dunham @adunhamable]

Excited to be here! Rising PGY5 training in the @WiscSurgery Rural Community Surgery Residency track #AWSchat