In which I discuss my love of scalpels!

Pathco Scalpels are my favorite!

During preceptor week I had one rotation at Duke North. My instructor for the day was
a second year I've never had a chance to work with before and it was a good experience (she was instructive without being overbearing which is always nice when you're in a new situation!). But... I may have frightened her with how excited I got over finding a pathco doubled edged scalpel at Duke surg path. I was so happy to see that one of the PAs that now works there has had a few of these ordered (the PA in charge of the lab had offered to order a few for the current second years to use after they saw some at the conference last year but no one really wanted to use them). It might be that the double edged scalpel seems less safe, but you get used to it pretty quickly and it is convenient to be able to flip it over and have a new, sharp cutting surface.

Sakura Tissue Tek Trimming Knives (I like the flat ones!)

I love this style of scalpel. I prefer it with the blade a little angled, but I couldn't find any pictures of that. This is what I've mostly worked with and it feels familiar and natural to gross with it. My sections are much, much better with it than with the other style. I'm not saying that I only ever use this one or that there isn't a place for the other style (since I do like them on autopsy or when having to cut smalls) but it felt so good to have a favorite tool available. And it is the type of scalpel I had in mind when I named the blog since it is what I've always used!

I went to the movies with one of my best friends in Durham, who happens to be one of the few people I know in the area from outside of school, and my enthusiasm for discussing how awesome scalpels and trimming knives are may have worried him. Just a little. I think, since my best friend is a nurse, my sister is a doctor, and most of my other friends are either from school (undergrad or Duke) or have been hearing about the awesome (if messiness) of my job for the past four years, I forget that there are people for whom waxing poetic about the handiness of a sharp blade is unsettling!