Why is continuity of care vital for vascular surgery patients?
Over time, studies have shown that vascular surgeons' postoperative care for patients drops off immensely when it comes to patient follow-ups after procedures in the clinic setting. Today's vascular surgery fellowship programs continue to bolster their training for fellows in postoperative care. Your interviewing team needs to hear that you understand why clinical work is important for any surgeon.
Openly talk about your experiences in the clinic setting as a general surgery resident and what you learned from that experience that you can bring to your work as a vascular surgery fellow. If you have read literature on the importance of postoperative care, this is a great opportunity to show that you are well-versed in the importance of it (and that you pay attention to medical research).
"All too often, patients don't receive the proper post-operative follow-up in the day, weeks, and months following their procedures. For patients that receive procedures like angioplasty or stenting, it is vital that patients' progress is monitored closely in follow-up clinic appointments, and the surgeon that provided the care should be the one doing that. My residency program prioritized my clinical training, and I feel strongly that I can continue this same level of care as a fellow with your program."
