Rachel Jensen, Surgical Resident and Surgical Education Fellow

Rachel Jensen received her Medical Doctorate (MD) at UC Davis and went on to pursue her surgical residency at UC San Diego. She’s completed three years of residency at UCSD and is currently in her second year of research at Stanford University and earning her master’s degree in Health Professions Education at the University of Illinois in Chicago. In June, Rachel will go back to San Diego to complete two more years of residency at UCSD (and maybe some additional fellowship training) before becoming an attending physician.?

Why did you decide to go into medicine? Why surgery?

Rachel is a highly motivated individual. She is excited by challenges and finds joy in learning and helping people. She wanted a career that was intellectually stimulating that also allowed her to help her community. Rachel studied Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis where she received a Bachelor’s in Science in 2014. During college, Rachel worked multiple internships at the UC Davis hospital, where she fell in love with medicine and patient care. She decided to apply to medical school and started at the UC Davis School of Medicine in 2014.?

In medical school, Rachel thrived in the classroom setting. She was fascinated by the many disciplines in medicine and the role a physician played in the medical system. The first two years of medical school were spent in the classroom and laboratory, gaining a foundation of science education. The second two years of medical school were in the clinic and hospital, gaining hands-on experience in patient care. After exploring many disciplines, Rachel chose to specialize in general surgery. As a medical student, Rachel felt the most invested in the patient when she was part of the surgery and observed a profound connection between surgeon and patient. Rachel enjoys that patients come to a surgeon with a clear problem that surgery can often fix; for example, removing a cancerous tumor or an inflamed gallbladder. Rachel also appreciates the artistic elements of surgery. Growing up, she was immersed in art; painting, ceramics, baking, etc. She loves using her hands to create and has found that many artistic skills translate into surgical technique.?

What does your day to day look like as a Surgical Resident? And as a Surgical Education Fellow?

Rachel has completed three out of five years of her surgical residency. These five years post medical school are designed for a resident to be trained to optimize their technical abilities and clinical skills so that they can operate independently. Though everyday is different, here is what Rachel outlined to be a typical day as a resident at UCSD:

5:30 am - Arrive at the hospital

6-7 am - Complete patient rounds and determine what patients need for the day?

7:30am-1pm - Surgery in the Operating Room (OR), 1-2 surgeries. Rachel operates on patients, supervised by an attending physician?

	In between surgeries, Rachel stays on top of her administrative work - writing notes, ordering imaging, checking on labs

1pm - Head to the clinic to see ~10 clinic patients?

4pm - Go back to the hospital to check on surgical patients

6pm - Head home??        

?Since June of 2021, Rachel has been living in the Bay Area and working at Stanford University as a Surgical Education Fellow. Though it’s not always required, many surgical residents spend two years in between their residency years researching an area of interest. Rachel has always been passionate about learning and teaching. Her two years are focused on optimizing surgical training and teaching medical students and residents surgical skills. Every day as a Surgical Education Fellow at Stanford is different. Part of the day is spent teaching medical students and residents while the other part of the day is dedicated to her master’s degree work, collecting data and writing manuscripts. You can read some of Rachel’s publications cited below*. If that wasn’t enough work, Rachel moonlights the graveyard shift at UCSF 3-4 times per month. This allows Rachel to stay sharp on her surgical skills and patient care in her research years.?

*A couple of Rachel’s many publications: Educational Safety for the Surgical Learner, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Current Analysis of General Surgical Residency Programs

What do you like about your job? What are the most challenging parts of your job?

Rachel loves solving problems. Whether she’s working in the OR on a case or in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Rachel finds solving complex problems to be mentally stimulating and gratifying. She finds excitement in coming up with innovative ways to fix problems and enjoys working with her colleagues to come up with creative solutions. Rachel is enjoying her time as a Surgical Education Fellow because it is gratifying for her to see medical students and fellow residents grasp surgical skills and concepts. She gets an adrenaline rush from research breakthroughs and loves being part of a team that is working to identify ways to optimize surgical training for future residents.?

If you haven’t gathered, Rachel’s job is demanding. It’s difficult for Rachel to find work life balance. She often spends holidays in the hospital and has had to miss life events such as birthdays and weddings. She’s appreciative that her two years as a Surgical Education Fellow have been more flexible and she has been able to travel, see family, and find time for hobbies. Rachel knew her career path would be demanding and that she would have to make sacrifices in her personal life to pursue surgery. Reflecting on her career, Rachel is very satisfied with her decision to go into medicine because she feels gratified and challenged by the work she does and is honored she has the opportunity to help patients thrive.?

What skills are needed to do this job well?

Click on the hyperlinks to expand your learning on LinkedIn Learning.

On top of time management, emotional intelligence, and technical skills, Rachel outlined two underlying skills that are important to embody as a physician:

Flexibility - Everyday as a surgeon is different. The day is filled with changes in plans, unexpected events, and new challenges. It’s crucial to be flexible and adapt to unforeseen changes.

Positive Attitude - This goes a long way in any profession. Surgical training is long and hard. If you’re excited and enthusiastic about what you’re learning about, it turns the challenges into excellent learning opportunities.

What advice do you have for people pursuing a career in medicine?

Rachel stresses the importance of upfront research and experience to ensure that medicine is the right path for you. It’s a lifelong commitment that requires extensive time, energy, and money. Although Rachel is happy with her career path and wakes up excited to go to work everyday, she believes she could find satisfaction in many different careers. In the medical path, Rachel advises people to find a mentor early; someone who is willing to be honest about what their life looks like and who can inspire and guide you in your medical career. She encourages pre-med students to get hands-on experience by volunteering and interning at hospitals and clinics to see if medicine is the right fit for them.?

Thank you for reading #whatsupChuck! Tune in next week for more inside scoop to the world of work.