Why do medical students complain about *everything*

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Seriously, med students can find something wrong with any situation. Ever. For the record, this isn't specifically directed at my classmates either, because I know students at other schools who behave the same way. Then again, I've called some of my friends out on how much trash they talk, and they totally agree with how often they do it, and I'm starting to catch myself doing it too. In fact, medical students bother the crap out of me! (<<< meant to be a joke)

Maybe I just pick bad friends

But seriously, have we been over-conditioned to analyze every single thing we encounter to the point of never being satisfied? Does medical school turn us into critical thinking snobs? Or is being in a position of authority as a future doctor too much for us to resist judging other people?

But looking on the bright side, at least we're not in law school. They're way more argumentative.

What else is there to do with your mouth?

Are you complaining?

Originally Posted by modsar

Are you complaining?

1/2 yes, 1/2 actually curious

because memorizing a bunch of annoying facts does not merit complaining. because everything in med school is completely necessary and integral to one's success as a physician. all the material is interesting, and if its not, the problem is with you.

hey. you chose this role to become a physician. you are going to become a doctor. you should honored at this esteemed opportunity -- to enter this sacred profession, to hone the craft and art of being a caretaker of the sick, blah blah blah. blah blah blah. blah blal blah.

Med students are at the very bottom of a long steep hill. You see nothing but the hill looming in front of you. Crap always flows downhill and there are lots of folks higher up the hill constantly crapping down upon you. You are coming from college where everyone told you you were great, and then med school where they started off the year telling you that you were future professionals, but once you reach the clinical years you see that it's really just a lot of years of climbing through the crap looming ahead of you. So yeah, you complain. And in a few years you will complain less because you can always look down the hill behind you and see others wading through YOUR crap. And that's the epitome if accomplishment.

Originally Posted by Morsetlis

What else is there to do with your mouth?

I can think of two other activities not involving talking.

In my opinion its a coping mechanism. Complaining together brings us closer.

I do it all the time, and so do my friends. But we complain/laugh about it. We always get a good laugh about how ridiculous some of our practicals are, how much time we have to waste doing dumb stuff, etc.

Originally Posted by dbeast

Seriously, med students can find something wrong with any situation. Ever. For the record, this isn't specifically directed at my classmates either, because I know students at other schools who behave the same way. Then again, I've called some of my friends out on how much trash they talk, and they totally agree with how often they do it, and I'm starting to catch myself doing it too. In fact, medical students bother the crap out of me! (<<< meant to be a joke)

Can you name a population that doesn't complain?

Originally Posted by phltz

Can you name a population that doesn't complain?

Locked-in syndrome patients.

Originally Posted by phltz

Can you name a population that doesn't complain?

It's universal. Pre-meds, med studs, residents, fellows, staff.

Originally Posted by PMPMD

It's universal. Pre-meds, med studs, residents, fellows, staff.

I would say they all have pretty legitimate complaints.

Pre-Meds: 4 years of pointless education while digging yourself into debt

Med students: 4 years of being a downtrodden afterthought while digging yourself further into debt

Residents: obviously

Fellows: Function as an attending, get paid like a resident

Staff: I dono....office politics?

Originally Posted by cowme

I would say they all have pretty legitimate complaints.

Pre-Meds: 4 years of pointless education while digging yourself into debt

Med students: 4 years of being a downtrodden afterthought while digging yourself further into debt

Residents: obviously

Fellows: Function as an attending, get paid like a resident

Staff: I dono....office politics?

Staff:this wasn't worth it.

Originally Posted by PMPMD

It's universal. Pre-meds, med studs, residents, fellows, staff.

Not just health care people, either. People working in retail complain endlessly. Military people, they really complain. Teachers. Finance/bankers. Basic scientists. Engineers complain all the time. Management consultants. Plumbers have plenty to complain about. Small businessmen. Pizza delivery guys.

Complaining is a noble American tradition, one that unites us across all social, educational, racial, and political lines. We all gripe.

I think it's more of a human thing rather than something specific to med students.

Originally Posted by phltz

Not just health care people, either. People working in retail complain endlessly. Military people, they really complain. Teachers. Finance/bankers. Basic scientists. Engineers complain all the time. Management consultants. Plumbers have plenty to complain about. Small businessmen. Pizza delivery guys.

Complaining is a noble American tradition, one that unites us across all social, educational, racial, and political lines. We all gripe.

In a wierd way complaining is actually a a very optimistic activity. It means you expect things to be better than they are, which is the first step towards making things better than they are. "this is the best things could possibly be" is really a very pessimistic statement.

Oh it's only medical students who complain all the time?

Originally Posted by Morsetlis

What else is there to do with your mouth?

Bad organization of school... bad teachers, useless materials that we have to learn..., especially sense we are putting in countless hours and a ton of money into it.

Last test we had included a couple of lectures on inborn errors of metabolism (MS1), and we had to memorize 11+ glycogen storage diseases (and other diseases) with their # and name, and symptoms, treatment, and a LOT of people complained b/c it was absolutely useless. The lecture was literally heres names, heres symptoms, treatment, gene mutation, and we are expected to memorize them. Some of the diseases range from 1/100k to 1/1000000 prevalence which doesn't make it better.

Originally Posted by anbuitachi

Bad organization of school... bad teachers, useless materials that we have to learn..., especially sense we are putting in countless hours and a ton of money into it.

Last test we had included a couple of lectures on inborn errors of metabolism (MS1), and we had to memorize 11+ glycogen storage diseases (and other diseases) with their # and name, and symptoms, treatment, and a LOT of people complained b/c it was absolutely useless. The lecture was literally heres names, heres symptoms, treatment, gene mutation, and we are expected to memorize them. Some of the diseases range from 1/100k to 1/1000000 prevalence which doesn't make it better.

You complain now, but I had 2 board questions with errors of metabolism.

Originally Posted by anbuitachi

Bad organization of school... bad teachers, useless materials that we have to learn..., especially sense we are putting in countless hours and a ton of money into it.

Last test we had included a couple of lectures on inborn errors of metabolism (MS1), and we had to memorize 11+ glycogen storage diseases (and other diseases) with their # and name, and symptoms, treatment, and a LOT of people complained b/c it was absolutely useless. The lecture was literally heres names, heres symptoms, treatment, gene mutation, and we are expected to memorize them. Some of the diseases range from 1/100k to 1/1000000 prevalence which doesn't make it better.

Glycogen storage diseases give biochemists an excuse to teach their minutiae.

Originally Posted by TheFlashMD

You complain now, but I had 2 board questions with errors of metabolism.

It appeared on my peds shelf too

Originally Posted by anbuitachi

Bad organization of school... bad teachers, useless materials that we have to learn..., especially sense we are putting in countless hours and a ton of money into it.

Last test we had included a couple of lectures on inborn errors of metabolism (MS1), and we had to memorize 11+ glycogen storage diseases (and other diseases) with their # and name, and symptoms, treatment, and a LOT of people complained b/c it was absolutely useless. The lecture was literally heres names, heres symptoms, treatment, gene mutation, and we are expected to memorize them. Some of the diseases range from 1/100k to 1/1000000 prevalence which doesn't make it better.

Oh my God, you had to memorize diseases? That sounds awful! Just be glad you're not in medical school!

Originally Posted by anbuitachi

Bad organization of school... bad teachers, useless materials that we have to learn..., especially sense we are putting in countless hours and a ton of money into it.

Last test we had included a couple of lectures on inborn errors of metabolism (MS1), and we had to memorize 11+ glycogen storage diseases (and other diseases) with their # and name, and symptoms, treatment, and a LOT of people complained b/c it was absolutely useless. The lecture was literally heres names, heres symptoms, treatment, gene mutation, and we are expected to memorize them. Some of the diseases range from 1/100k to 1/1000000 prevalence which doesn't make it better.

They'll be on the boards. They are screened for at birth (some). You might think they're pointless now, but you should probably know what they are if a kiddo you're seeing has one.

LOL at this thread. I remember waiting tables and ranting about how tough a job it was and how little we were paid and how the average person couldn't handle the stress...and all my fellow waiters were nodding their heads in agreement.

I am reminded of a quote from that movie "The Great Escape". James Garner's character tells some guard that "it's a soldiers right to complain". That about sums it up I guess.

I can honestly say though, that while I do my fair share, most of the complaints are stupid and pointless.

Furthermore, the worst med school polices I have seen resulted from programs trying to appease the complainers.

Remember if you want to change the culture, you have to change first.

repost

Originally Posted by dbeast

Seriously, med students can find something wrong with any situation. Ever. For the record, this isn't specifically directed at my classmates either, because I know students at other schools who behave the same way. Then again, I've called some of my friends out on how much trash they talk, and they totally agree with how often they do it, and I'm starting to catch myself doing it too. In fact, medical students bother the crap out of me! (<<< meant to be a joke)

Maybe I just pick bad friends

But seriously, have we been over-conditioned to analyze every single thing we encounter to the point of never being satisfied? Does medical school turn us into critical thinking snobs? Or is being in a position of authority as a future doctor too much for us to resist judging other people?

But looking on the bright side, at least we're not in law school. They're way more argumentative.

you just don't f---ing understand people like me.

peace.

Over-worked and under-paid

Originally Posted by Perrotfish

In a wierd way complaining is actually a a very optimistic activity. It means you expect things to be better than they are, which is the first step towards making things better than they are. "this is the best things could possibly be" is really a very pessimistic statement.

Boy i hope so, bc I complain way more than i study at times.

Originally Posted by anbuitachi

Last test we had included a couple of lectures on inborn errors of metabolism (MS1), and we had to memorize 11+ glycogen storage diseases (and other diseases) with their # and name, and symptoms, treatment, and a LOT of people complained b/c it was absolutely useless. The lecture was literally heres names, heres symptoms, treatment, gene mutation, and we are expected to memorize them. Some of the diseases range from 1/100k to 1/1000000 prevalence which doesn't make it better.

I quickly read this as "Hers' names, Hers' symptoms, treatment, gene mutation...Then had to back up and re-read it...

Originally Posted by anbuitachi

Bad organization of school... bad teachers, useless materials that we have to learn..., especially sense we are putting in countless hours and a ton of money into it.

Last test we had included a couple of lectures on inborn errors of metabolism (MS1), and we had to memorize 11+ glycogen storage diseases (and other diseases) with their # and name, and symptoms, treatment, and a LOT of people complained b/c it was absolutely useless. The lecture was literally heres names, heres symptoms, treatment, gene mutation, and we are expected to memorize them. Some of the diseases range from 1/100k to 1/1000000 prevalence which doesn't make it better.

So a medical student being required to learn about disease? Stop the presses.

Originally Posted by Perrotfish

In a wierd way complaining is actually a a very optimistic activity. It means you expect things to be better than they are, which is the first step towards making things better than they are. "this is the best things could possibly be" is really a very pessimistic statement.

Med students are at the very bottom of a long steep hill. You see nothing but the hill looming in front of you. Crap always flows downhill and there are lots of folks higher up the hill constantly crapping down upon you. You are coming from college where everyone told you you were great, and then med school where they started off the year telling you that you were future professionals, but once you reach the clinical years you see that it's really just a lot of years of climbing through the crap looming ahead of you. So yeah, you complain. And in a few years you will complain less because you can always look down the hill behind you and see others wading through YOUR crap. And that's the epitome if accomplishment.

These two basically summarize everything. Full of win. +9999

Originally Posted by dbeast

But seriously, have we been over-conditioned to analyze every single thing we encounter to the point of never being satisfied? Does medical school turn us into critical thinking snobs? Or is being in a position of authority as a future doctor too much for us to resist judging other people?

But looking on the bright side, at least we're not in law school. They're way more argumentative.

As I suspected this is a circlejerk thread thinly veiled as a self-deprecating observation. Reality check: Med students are not "critical thinkers" but I will pat you on the back since that is what you came here for. We are conditioned to be followers for the most part.