Comments on: Yes, Surgeons Are Assholes

By: abused female student

abused female student — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:58:51 +0000

I’m finishing my surgery rotation and here is my perspective. I understand they are stressed. I KNOW they have great skill and knowledge. I understand the irritation when they need things quickly…..BUT…throwing stuff, cursing there is just no excuse. I mean, these are basic manners we are talking about….where are their manners?. My favorite is when they ignore you and don’t show you how and what they want and you are EXPECTED to know….. Honestly, I am very interested, I want to know how, I want to do whatever you need me to do right….just show me ONCE what and how!!!!
I hate that I am asked to do something without any lesson how, and they yelled at or cursed at for not doing it correctly! Honestly, I lose all respect for the greatest doctors, when they get ABUSIVE. I tell myself “asshole, there are no bad students, just bad teachers!”…………and one more thing, OR is the ONLY PLACE when a man got away with abusing me like that, and I hate that I have no power of protecting myself. I hate that I have to PAY for this abuse too….I take it because I have no choice, because there is no way around it, and because if I don’t I will not get to the finish line, but I don’t agree that this is how it should be. I may be just a student, but I am still a HUMAN being and OR/hospital is the only place that still allows slavery!!!!!!!!

P.S> also noticed that all docs talk bad about other docs- what a turn off! Team work my ass!

By: alex

alex — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:03:53 +0000

Attacking someones character because they found a flaw in something and want to inform the world is the behavior of someone who is telling us alot about themself.

By: Divided

Divided — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:31:28 +0000

What are “the ends?” So you get some backbone, self-asserting competence, and survive both med school, malignant residents, attendings, residency itself and the whole shit. But where does it take you? What do you do, that is so much fun that you will cut out all time doing hobbies, caring for your family and take a nap? I haven’t found an answer to that question yet. I still sit on the fence concerning what I will do, as a foreign MD in a foreign land. How will a selfish bastard like myself find self-fulfillment? Research? Surgery? Cash looking at radiographs and CT scans? Do rounds as some kinda internist? Take another education? Dunno, but Hoover has some serious arguments, regardless of whatever personality issues lies beneath.

By: measlyMS1

measlyMS1 — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:30:27 +0000

Re: MD’s post. Thanks for your response. I felt the same way but wasn’t sure how to articulate it. As you could probably tell from my username I’m only a first year med student, but I have a BA in Business before going into medicine. Some experiences in international medicine, and time in the OR shadowing and selling medical equipment really changed my perspective. I am now in medicine wholeheartedly.

I shadow a surgeon as a first year, and I’ve been thrown a hemastat at; insulted by a male nurse for no reason other than fixing a scope which he could not fix; my waist has been pinched by a male attending walking by, I’ve had several physicians (surgeon and non surgeon) tell me that surgery isn’t appropriate for women since all women eventually want to have children, I’ve been harangued to share my opinion on healthcare policy and then upon expressing it, told that it was ‘bullshit’ etc. I’ve had a surgery PA tell me that I should wear a white coat to look more professional; prompty followed by a barking physician telling me I have no business wearing a white coat since I’m not a MS3 or 4 yet.

Basically, I’ve had a lot of things thrown my way (both literally and figuratively . I have not ever violated sterile field, insulted anyone, or violated instructions; I do ask stupid questions a lot, but I dont think I deserve 98% of what is doled out.

Do I wish it didn’t happen? In retrospect; no. At the time, yes.

Because it taught me important lessons in humility; in what not to do when I’m an attending (hopefully) and how different people deal with stress. It taught me a lot of things. All in all, it has been unpleasant, but I keep going back for more because I love the OR. I can’t tear myself away. It’s like another world; and its so immensely fascinating and rewarding. I just can’t stop. Unless they have the police drag me away by my hair neanderthal style, I will probably keep at it. And its not masochism, its perseverence and the ability to overlook hardship. People have become too used to things being handed to them; respect included. Respect is earned. My attendings have earned it; sometimes they risk throwing it away, but most of the times they are either stressed or justified in it, and I don’t see why it is such a cardinal mistake as to turn someone anti-medicine completely. This is a rite of passage that while could be improved, serves a certain purpose. To weed out those that cannot handle the much bigger pressures and disappointments, and unpopularity associated with being a surgeon or physician and dealing with negative or less than ideal outcomes. Because thats what a lot of medicine is about.

Just like the blogger comments somewhere else about premeds not knowing what theyre talking about because theyre not there yet, I would like to point out that blogger himself may not be qualified to offer a completely authoritative opinion on physicians since he’s not one himself; maybe if he had become one he would have been able to put things in perspective and understand why things were the way they were; maybe he would have behaved less than ideally with people himself, which is somethin that happens occasionally with everyone.

Discounting someones opinion just because of where they are or arent in life, however, is a dangerous thing to do, since it restricts opinions to those whose are already represented (which is why I disagree with the premed post anyway), however, returning to the main point; no pain, no gain, and as long as any laws are not broken or lines crossed, there is a purpose served by grueling training.

By: ...

... — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:47:01 +0000

This blog ROCKS!!

I wish I would have read it before I took the dive into pursuing a career in medicine. Maybe then my idealist viewpoint could have been quickly realigned with reality.

Debt – more than you will ever imagine.
Regret – more than you will ever imagine.

I think about it everyday. I attitude check in cycles, because I have no choice but to finish so I can pay back my damn student loans.

Good thing is, I got an MBA as a backup.

The current system of clinical medical education is like entering prison. You just want to go in and do your time with no problems; but you most certainly will be fucked – even multiple times, before you get out.