Surgery insights with chief surgeon Miriam Frömmichen

Surgery: Between Routine and the Unexpected

Reach Higher: Insights into General and Visceral Surgery with Miriam Frömmichen

What does a career in surgery really look like? At her Reach Higher lecture “Special Cases in General Surgery” at UMFST-UMCH, Miriam Frömmichen, Head of the Department of General and Visceral Surgery at Marien-Hospital Marl (KKRN), gave students an insight into her daily professional life. Through unusual patient cases and personal experiences, she highlighted the challenges and opportunities that a career in surgery can offer.

The lecture focused on three medical cases with unexpected diagnoses. From an intestinal perforation caused by a wooden skewer to a bowel obstruction following a previous operation and a rare case of gallstone ileus, Frömmichen demonstrated the importance of critically evaluating symptoms and considering unusual causes.

Beyond the medical cases, she discussed the transition into surgical residency training. She emphasized that students do not need to have their entire career path planned out from the beginning. Professional interests develop through experience, and switching specialties later on is often possible. Her personal advice was to start residency at a smaller hospital, where young doctors can often become part of the team more quickly, benefit from closer supervision, and take on responsibility at an earlier stage.

Frömmichen also spoke openly about the challenges of the profession. Mistakes, setbacks, and difficult decisions are part of a surgical career, alongside continuous learning and increasing responsibility. Despite these demands, she made it clear why she had chosen this career path.

The key takeaway from the lecture: A career in surgery requires patience, dedication, and openness to new experiences. Not every decision needs to be made during medical school. What matters is gaining practical experience, learning from challenges, and finding your own professional path.