Not a surgeon, just a respiratory therapy student.
I have a few stories. I got a good opportunity through my aunt to intern in an e.r. at the age of 17 who is a respiratory therapist as well. She told them I was a student. This was all technically illegal because I had direct interaction with the patients through pure misunderstanding of the nurses trying to save their lives. So would not recommend. But I really value the experience.
Anyways it was quiet all night then we get a car crash victim, level 3 trauma. 18-years-old, John Doe who had run up under a semi on the freeway. Hes bleeding everywhere with a bad cranial laceration and severe internal hemmoraging. Collapsed lungs. Broken everything. Bad bad bad. Im standing there trying to be out of the way freaked by the sudden urgency. Doctors standing at the foot of the bed directing calmly. Well all of a sudden a nurse grabs me and tells me to write down his stats and give it to my aunt. I scribble them on my hand. This gets me mistaken as part of the team and next thing I know doctor is calling for a bilateral chest tube. Syringes are on the ground and the nurse needs help. She calls to me and I hold the tube in for her while she tapes. Fml. Next stop the O.R. My aunt jumps on top of the guy and starts compressions. We get up there and this kid is sliced open immediately. Surgeons are trying desperately to sew things up so this kid doesn't bleed out. Im helping to transfuse blood. Im literally white as a sheet at this point and someone yells at me to unlock my knees before I pass out. O2 sats come back... kid is losing blood too fast and isnt able to oxygenate the transfused blood quickly enough. Even if we save him at this point he'll be braindead. Ten minutes later they call it.
TLDR; First night interning at 17 and I just watched someone my age die. Lots of oh s**t....
Edit: Pardon if some things are off this happened 7 years ago and I have since left R.T. school.