Is practicing more fun than rotating?

[sonofva]

Maybe it's because I haven't had a rotation where I just stand around like a shadow in a long time, but is practicing dermatology actually fun? because right now i'm bored to tears...i'm seriously not trying to troll or be insulting. i used to be an LPN in a derm clinic and it was a blast. i did all the biopsies and assisted in the surgeries. now all i do is stand in the corner...is this common? thx.

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[username456789]

Maybe it's because I haven't had a rotation where I just stand around like a shadow in a long time, but is practicing dermatology actually fun? because right now i'm bored to tears...i'm seriously not trying to troll or be insulting. i used to be an LPN in a derm clinic and it was a blast. i did all the biopsies and assisted in the surgeries. now all i do is stand in the corner...is this common? thx.

Your experience is fairly common for many derm rotations for medical students, unfortunately.

As a derm resident, I absolutely love what I do almost every single day.

 

[asmallchild]

Maybe it's because I haven't had a rotation where I just stand around like a shadow in a long time, but is practicing dermatology actually fun? because right now i'm bored to tears...i'm seriously not trying to troll or be insulting. i used to be an LPN in a derm clinic and it was a blast. i did all the biopsies and assisted in the surgeries. now all i do is stand in the corner...is this common? thx.

Derm rotations for students unfortunately tend to be observational in nature and as such, boring

For those who are interested in the field however, you need to stay engaged and not have this shine through. You may not actually be doing the biopsy but I've found the best students will still find a way to contribute.

Set the patient up, assist with countertraction with the biopsy/surgery, assist with hemostasis, go over wound care with the patient, all things that a helpful student can do to lighten the workload for the resident and remain engaged (obviously with the resident's consent beforehand)

 

[DermViser]

Maybe it's because I haven't had a rotation where I just stand around like a shadow in a long time, but is practicing dermatology actually fun? because right now i'm bored to tears...i'm seriously not trying to troll or be insulting. i used to be an LPN in a derm clinic and it was a blast. i did all the biopsies and assisted in the surgeries. now all i do is stand in the corner...is this common? thx.

If all you're doing is this...then you're doing it all wrong. The key is to be active to speed things up and not get in the way. Standing in the corner, makes you seem disinterested.