Sinister Question (medical concerns from a left-hander)

[Seriousquestion]

Hi all,

I'm greatly interested in a career in medicine (I'm currently a college-bound high school senior) and I have a serious problem. I want to go into a surgical or critical care field like general or orthopedic surgery, anesthesiology, ER medicine, etc., and I'm left handed. Is it even possible to be a left-handed surgeon since almost all surgical instruments are designed for right handed users? Would I be ok as a left handed doctor, and if not, would it be possible to train myself to be ambidextrous? If anyone could give some first-hand accounts of being a southpaw surgeon that would be most appreciated, or if it would be beneficial for me to try to change, could anyone suggest some exercises that would help me do that?

Thank ya

-Seriousquestion

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[AnotherDork]

Lefty here, graduating from med school in 1 week. It's definitely a *little* more difficult, because as you said the sutures and stuff are made for right-handed people and the surgical technicians are used to giving you the instruments into your right hand. However, you'll learn quick and once you learn the correct way to do it lefty, you'll be fine (and I am the least-coordinated person in the world). I believe I learned to do it the way right-handed people do it, but now I forget.

And it only really matters if you're going into a surgical field. If you're going into a medical field, you use your brain instead of your hands, and a right-sided brain may actually suit you better

 

[oldbearprofessor]

Hi all,

I'm greatly interested in a career in medicine (I'm currently a college-bound high school senior) and I have a serious problem. I want to go into a surgical or critical care field like general or orthopedic surgery, anesthesiology, ER medicine, etc., and I'm left handed.

-Seriousquestion

I am a left-handed critical care doctor who does procedures on small babies. There are no issues at all in this for me or any other neonatologist I know. Intubation (passing a breathing tube) is, in my opinion, the same or even a bit easier for a lefty, you just have a different feel for it. Don't sweat it. Lefties rock!

 

[Farmercyst]

I am a left-handed critical care doctor who does procedures on small babies. There are no issues at all in this for me or any other neonatologist I know. Intubation (passing a breathing tube) is, in my opinion, the same or even a bit easier for a lefty, you just have a different feel for it. Don't sweat it. Lefties rock!

I never knew that about you. Go Lefties!

 

[45408]

It might be a little harder for you if you are very strictly left-handed. I did just fine doing intubations, but the laryngoscopes are almost all meant to be held in the left hand, and the intubating tube goes in your right hand. For me, it was easy to do that (I actually would rather have better control over the laryngoscope hand, which I'm able to do, since it's my left hand). Most surgical tools aren't meant to be in one hand or the other. There are plenty of left-handed surgeons out there.