Comments on: Anti-Social Breeding Ground http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/ A Cynical Look At Medical School and Medical Training Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:13:30 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Hoover http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/comment-page-1/#comment-683 Hoover Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:49:20 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/#comment-683 Once I got the hang of things, I too became the vanishing medical student on more than one rotation. With some rotations, such as surgery, it is harder to do this but for a good number of them it can be done. Just like Panda says, you will still pass and be home before nearly all of your classmates. Once I got the hang of things, I too became the vanishing medical student on more than one rotation. With some rotations, such as surgery, it is harder to do this but for a good number of them it can be done.

Just like Panda says, you will still pass and be home before nearly all of your classmates.

]]> By: Panda Bear http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/comment-page-1/#comment-682 Panda Bear Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:24:29 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/#comment-682 You can also, by the way, slack off like a big dog in third year. Most people don't because they are chasing the grades but you can, in fact, be the incredible vanishing medical student and still pass. I don't think anybody even knew what I looked like on my heme-onc rotation where I took every opportunity to sneak home in the early afternoon. You can also, by the way, slack off like a big dog in third year. Most people don’t because they are chasing the grades but you can, in fact, be the incredible vanishing medical student and still pass.

I don’t think anybody even knew what I looked like on my heme-onc rotation where I took every opportunity to sneak home in the early afternoon.

]]> By: Panda Bear http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/comment-page-1/#comment-681 Panda Bear Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:21:43 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/#comment-681 Oh, and definitely tough it out. Third year is rough but fourth year can be as hard or as easy as you want to make it and if by fourth year you decide you are not going to practice medicine, you can slack off like a big dog and still pass. In your case, P does equal MD. You can take your MD and walk away with no regrets, something you may have if you quit now. You may find something you like, too. I disliked pretty much everything (I mean as a career, most of it is pretty interesting for a few months )except for radiology and Emergency Medicine. If you find a niche you will be all right. Oh, and definitely tough it out. Third year is rough but fourth year can be as hard or as easy as you want to make it and if by fourth year you decide you are not going to practice medicine, you can slack off like a big dog and still pass. In your case, P does equal MD.

You can take your MD and walk away with no regrets, something you may have if you quit now.

You may find something you like, too. I disliked pretty much everything (I mean as a career, most of it is pretty interesting for a few months )except for radiology and Emergency Medicine. If you find a niche you will be all right.

]]> By: Panda Bear http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/comment-page-1/#comment-680 Panda Bear Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:17:05 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/#comment-680 No. Don't bail. Match at a program that follows the work hour rules and has a night float system with minimal call. I did a rotation with a service that was like that and although I worked pretty hard, it wasn't that bad. This is why the interview social functions are so important, so you can sound out the residents (albiet the ones vetted by the program) about how things really are. Or select a specialty with more benign residncy hours. You'll work hard everywhere (except in PM&R) but working hard for 14 or 16 12-hour shifts a month in Emergency Medicine is better than having the same work spread over 29 days a month with Q4 call to boot. The other thing is, if you really love something like surgery and don't mind giving up your entire life to it, well, that's a completely rational, defensible decision. I would rather have a red-hot poker rammed up my ass which is also a rational decision. No. Don’t bail. Match at a program that follows the work hour rules and has a night float system with minimal call. I did a rotation with a service that was like that and although I worked pretty hard, it wasn’t that bad.

This is why the interview social functions are so important, so you can sound out the residents (albiet the ones vetted by the program) about how things really are.

Or select a specialty with more benign residncy hours. You’ll work hard everywhere (except in PM&R) but working hard for 14 or 16 12-hour shifts a month in Emergency Medicine is better than having the same work spread over 29 days a month with Q4 call to boot.

The other thing is, if you really love something like surgery and don’t mind giving up your entire life to it, well, that’s a completely rational, defensible decision. I would rather have a red-hot poker rammed up my ass which is also a rational decision.

]]> By: Anon http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/comment-page-1/#comment-675 Anon Thu, 12 Apr 2007 06:38:42 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/04/09/anti-social-breeding-ground/#comment-675 Panda --- I'm getting ready to start my 3rd year and am seriously thinking long and hard about bailing now before I get any deeper in debt or put more time into a lifestyle & career I don't want. Any thoughts? Panda — I’m getting ready to start my 3rd year and am seriously thinking long and hard about bailing now before I get any deeper in debt or put more time into a lifestyle & career I don’t want. Any thoughts?

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