#surgical residency

[popcorn-plots]

Febuwhump day 25: Waterboarding

Title: daydreams and destinies

Words: 1110

Summary: Stephen Strange is part of the .1% of the world's population that can see their soulmate's experiences. Great for Tony Stark, not so great for Stephen when his soulmate gets waterboarded in the middle of Stephen's shift.

~~~

Soulmates had many different ways to show themselves. 40% of the population had a mark on their skin that glows when you meet your soulmate. 10% had marks that burned. 28% shared scars or writing -- if your soulmate cut themselves, you would get your own matching cut. 2% felt their soulmate's pain. 19.9% had the first words their soulmate etched on their skin. Point 1 percent of the population shared experiences.

Stephen Strange just happened to fall into that category. His earliest memory was looking up at a man he didn't know, small, olive-toned hands holding up a toy. There were glimpses of a boy in the mirror, about 5 years old, his dark brown hair tousled, brown doe eyes sad. His second memory was a flash of pain as the man hit him. Stephen wasn't old enough to understand why.

Throughout his childhood, he was constantly bombarded by visions of a different life. When he was 11, he learned about soulmates. He stopped telling people that he was part of the .1 percent that witnessed their soulmate's life firsthand when they would either idolize him for being rare or bully him for being different.

When he was 16, he said goodbye to his soulmate's parents and watched as his soulmate drank himself half to death. Stephen tried to ignore the memories when he could. He figured his soulmate, whoever he was (names, dates, ages, and places were omitted from the visions... somehow) had much more pleasant experiences as Stephen grew up on his family's farm. 

Soon after Donna's death, Stephen pushed away the visions. He taught himself how to meditate, how to focus on getting through high school and eventually college. Before he knew it, the visions were a thing of the past. They popped up occasionally, mostly in dreams or when Stephen let his mind wander. With his rigorous schedule as a med-student, he hardly had time to eat, let alone let his mind drift.

~~~~

Stephen was thirty three, a year from finishing his residency, when his illusion shattered. He was performing surgery with a senior doctor when a picture of a bomb pushed itself into Stephen's mind. He paused, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pushing the image away. There was a sense of an explosion, searing heat in his chest, and the image was gone.

Stephen's heart didn't go cold, so he knew his soulmate was alive. That made it easier to return to his task.

"Doctor, are you okay?" One of Stephen's fellow residents asked, noting the pause.

Stephen let out the breath he'd been holding. "I'm fine. Soulmate's up to stuff."

"Ah." They went back to work. The other resident had words on his wrist, hidden by a glove. They glowed a few weeks ago, when he met a patient's son.

The surgery continued. It wasn't hard, just long. Before he knew it, Stephen was threading the last of the stitches and the surgeon complimented his handiwork. Stephen grinned, and left to wash up. It was over the sink when he saw a flash of light and a searing pain. It almost felt like his sternum was being ripped open. Someone screamed. In between flashes of light, a half dozen men in a dimly lit room, and red-hot pain, Stephen realized it was his voice calling out for relief.

He passed out the same time his soulmate did. Yet the bond remained unbroken.

~

Stephen was told to go home and recover after his incident. Some poor intern had found him on the ground, concussed and bleeding from a deep head wound. Stephen begrudgingly agreed.

He fell asleep that night, hoping his soulmate was alright, and disgusted with the idea that he was concerned for the well-being of some rando he'd likely never meet.

~

The visions stopped altogether after that. Stephen knew that his soulmate wasn't dead, and he knew that extreme stress and fear could cut off a mental link for a few hours. A few hours turned to a few days, then a few weeks.

Stephen hated himself for caring, but a month into the vision-less life was making Stephen wish he could see something. Anything.

He got his wish a few days later. He was in the middle of surgery again, but this time, it wasn't a bomb. It was a bucket of water and the sensation of someone forcing him onto his knees.

Stephen tried to push it away. He tried, but the vision kept coming. The water came closer and closer, he kept struggling. No- Please--

He couldn't breathe. There was water on his face, in his mouth, soaking his hair. He was pulled out, his scalp stinging from the hair pulled.

He sucked in a deep breath, spluttering, and was back in the water.

He couldn't breathe.

At some point, he stumbled backwards, dropping his tool. He couldn't even remember what he was holding -- all he could do was hold his breath and pray he didn't drown.

His soulmate screamed and Stephen was thrown back to his childhood farm, Donna shouting for help as the ice cracked.

A tray clattered behind him and spun off in some direction as Stephen fell to the floor, gasping for air. He knew that he was fine. He knew that this was his soulmate's experience, not his, but the reaction was real. In a moment of clarity, Stephen compared it to PTSD flashbacks. The danger is all in your head, but your body doesn't know that.

Someone was rushing towards him, blue scrubs bloody. There was a hand on his shoulder and the ghost of a hand on his back, grabbing his shirt, pulling him out of the water.

He gasped, eyes wide. A bag was shoved over his head, smelling of sweat and sand and something metallic. The vision faded when the man was forced into another room, large and echoing another's frantic words.

Stephen was left in the dust, panting on the cold, metal floor of the operating room. The patient had been wheeled out --Stephen was almost done, anyways-- and the other men and women in the room stood in a lopsided half-circle. Billy, Stephen's new friend, leaned over him. "You good, doc?" Stephen liked Billy, he was possibly the only other person he had met that lived his soulmate’s experiences.

Stephen swallowed and nodded shakily. Billy tilted his head, obviously wanting to ask more but not knowing how. Stephen let go of the table he was clutching, leaning back until his head hit the floor as he caught his breath. "I think my soulmate just got waterboarded." Was all he said before his world went black.

Ao3

[conceptualsurgery]

How to handle the first year of Surgery Residency?

Starting a surgical residency is challenging yet rewarding. A first-year residency involves patient care under pressure, mastering document, timekeeping, and professionalism. Give importance to decision-making, establishing trust, and getting excellence in ward work, so that one can expect bigger responsibilities. 

Above all, humanity respects patients, and a dedication to learning will shape your journey into a skilled and compassionate surgeon. If you are struggling with your residency and looking for a resource to help you, Conceptual Surgery is a platform that provides you with live lectures, study material, expert faculty guidance, and more.

[ymell-medschool]

Beyond the Scalpel: A Year of Growth, Challenges, and Healing

As I recently completed my first year of registrar training in General Surgery, I’ve been reflecting on the journey thus far, with a particular focus on the past year. Despite the tough days, difficult calls, challenging cases, and even experiencing my first mortality, I find myself filled with nothing but gratitude and joy to be in this position. It’s remarkable that, after all this time,…

[leon-on-the-froggy-chair]

"The Scalpel Shines in God's Sunshine"

(click for better quality)

Guess who's still alive, this drawing has been the bane of my existence for the last 2 days after I got the idea back in like August djjjdjsk hope yall like

Lyrics from Scream of The Butterfly by Acid Bath

[octomint]

When boys liikkeeeee eachotherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 🫀 Uncensored under cut

Interesting body (click for full quality smh)

[prince-liest]

ughhhhhhh, SURGERY

[mariatesstruther]

watching greys anatomy and thinking of a tlou x greys au where surgical intern ellie is trying to work her way up to a cardio residency at jackson memorial hospital—problem is, cardio attending joel miller is a complete and total asshole

[izvmimi]

So sorry about the random question, it's just jarring to me that the person I read fanfic and explicit content from actually has a job and life. I really mean this with genuine awe and amazement. It's just a huge realization if you know what I mean 😭😭😭

I mean, I know people on tumblr can be normal people too... but still... it's surprising to be confronted with the fact.

ok so i can answer this one without feeling like i’m annoying the dash but yes like i think a ton of people who post lead extremely normal and fulfilling lives

you can keep having hobbies even as an adult and tbh it’s way more fun when you also are too busy irl to be tuned into drama and discourse and truly only focus on the fun stuff!!

[eniteoepoch]

After reworking Grey’s original hairstyle piece, I decided it would be fun to update the others while I’ve been sick and going out of my mind. It’s been a lot of fun seeing how the updates have looked even though it’s only been like 8-9 months. What a journey our boy has been on.

This man has 3 go-to hairstyles and somehow makes it look GQ asf 🥴

[sangsaracycling]

class consciousness is so stupid low among medical professionals. the amount of them that are willing to work and enforce systems that force their colleagues to work 90+ hours a week (putting them at risk, putting their PATIENTS at risk) because if they instead accept normal worker protections and demand that hospitals/governments hire more specialists for better coverage then they have to go from mid-high six figure earnings to like idk lower six figure earnings?

[scgarhigh]

" i don't get you, " she finally breathes out after a prolonged silence, continues to clean the fresh cut above their brow. " you're mean to me all the time — literally all the time. yet the second someone else is, you start a fight with them. " and she's still trying to figure out why. an annoying task for someone who's so used to being sure of everything. " why ? "

[peonyblossom]

booooooo open heart 3 let me do a study striptease with sienna!!!!

[ymell-medschool]

Taking the Training Wheels Off: Navigating My First Post-Operative Complication

So, I recently experienced my first post-operative complication. I knew this day would inevitably come, but it has been particularly difficult for me and has left me reflecting more than usual on my journey and growth in the operating room. This moment is supposed to feel like a rite of passage, something everyone in my field probably goes through. But it’s hard not to feel like it’s uniquely my…

[drinkupthesunrise]

@ilgaksu: okay but amanda hei xiazi firefighter au WHEN

me, a person who has spent too much time recently watching firefighter procedurals: YES MY TIME HAS COME

[lonelychicago]

does anyone know where i can stream grey's anatomy live???

[senseiwu]

AA I FORGOT DR HAN TRIED TO MOVE SHAUN TO PATHOLOGY......