Things I Hate About Third Year

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I mean if he's spending that much time studying the first two years I can sort of understand why he would think 3rd year is so much better.

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For the OP, everything on your list is petty EXCEPT asking you to write an H&P. That is a critical academic exercise and you haven't done it enough to claim that you can't learn from doing it again.
However, I do agree with the OP in that it really sucks for the med student to do the H&P after everyone else has. If the disease isn't so time sensitive that the resident/attending need to get in there immediately, it's a lot nicer to let the student do it first. The patient starts getting pretty grouchy by the end. If they're answering a question for the 5th time, it goes over a lot easier when it's the attending surgeon asking rather than the M3.

Yes they do, and thankfully there are attendings and residents that recognize that.
All the time.

Jesus Christ stop complaining. it beats sitting in front of a laptop for 10 hours/day studying all the time like in 1st and 2nd years. I know there is still some studying to do in 3rd and 4th years, but nothing like during the 1st 2 years! I am a second year and cannot WAIT for clinicals. I'm so tired of sitting in front of a laptop all day everyday.

I've talked to many 3rd and 4th years too and they all say clinicals are WAAAY better than the first 2 years since you are actually in the hospital working with people. They said it's more time consuming but still way better than studying in front of a laptop all day. Stop complaining.
Oh man, thank God you came in here to set us all straight. We had no idea how hard it was to be an M1/M2 until you provided this useful information. I repent of my ways and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
 
You really have to have a good attitude both to enjoy 3rd year and to do well in 3rd year. If you are enthusiastic, you work hard, and you try to help the team, for the most part people will like you and treat you well. Your clinical grade will reflect that relationship. When you show up late, fall asleep during table rounds, are always asking for meal break or to go home, etc...well, you are showing just how disinterested you are. Don't be surprised when no one feels like teaching you, and they just forget you are there. Don't be surprised when you don't honor the rotation.
 
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Third year blows.

Oh wait. I mean you blow in third year.

I hope you like the taste of figurative penis.
 
Third year blows.

Oh wait. I mean you blow in third year.

I hope you like the taste of figurative penis.

and the smell of literal penis
 
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You really have to have a good attitude both to enjoy 3rd year and to do well in 3rd year. If you are enthusiastic, you work hard, and you try to help the team, for the most part people will like you and treat you well. Your clinical grade will reflect that relationship. When you show up late, fall asleep during table rounds, are always asking for meal break or to go home, etc...well, you are showing just how disinterested you are. Don't be surprised when no one feels like teaching you, and they just forget you are there. Don't be surprised when you don't honor the rotation.

we dislike third year because it sucks, not because we aren't getting attention from residents or because we aren't getting what we wanted on our transcripts and deans letters
 
it beats sitting in front of a laptop for 10 hours/day studying all the time like in 1st and 2nd years. I know there is still some studying to do in 3rd and 4th years, but nothing like during the 1st 2 years! I am a second year and cannot WAIT for clinicals. I'm so tired of sitting in front of a laptop all day everyday.

I've talked to many 3rd and 4th years too and they all say clinicals are WAAAY better than the first 2 years since you are actually in the hospital working with people. They said it's more time consuming but still way better than studying in front of a laptop all day. Stop complaining.


If you're going to judge I'm going to do the same and wonder why you were studying 10 hrs a day preclinically especially during 1st year.


Oh man, thank God you came in here to set us all straight. We had no idea how hard it was to be an M1/M2 until you provided this useful information. I repent of my ways and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

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If you're going to judge I'm going to do the same and wonder why you were studying 10 hrs a day preclinically especially during 1st year.

Studying 10 hours/day includes all my time spent at "school" too. I podcast everything. 3 hours of computer = podcasting lectures, 3-6 hours/day of studying depending on if they are anatomy lectures. My school has our curriculum split into organ system-based modules. So we have anatomy spread over the first 2 years. The first week of every module is 100% anatomy which takes twice as long to study compared to normal lectures. We're doing head&neck right now and those anatomy lectures have been 3 hours each to study. So, it's really anywhere from 6-10 hours/day on the computer. That's what it takes to honor in everything, though. Yes I could study half as much and just pass with a 72% but I want those honors.

Been doing this schedule for over a year now and definitely getting tired of it. Still beats going to class, though. Very much looking forward to clinicals! 80% of the class, every year, podcasts. Every 3rd and 4th year I've talked to say clinicals are waaaay better.
 
Studying 10 hours/day includes all my time spent at "school" too. I podcast everything. 3 hours of computer = podcasting lectures, 3-6 hours/day of studying depending on if they are anatomy lectures. My school has our curriculum split into organ system-based modules. So we have anatomy spread over the first 2 years. The first week of every module is 100% anatomy which takes twice as long to study compared to normal lectures. We're doing head&neck right now and those anatomy lectures have been 3 hours each to study. So, it's really anywhere from 6-10 hours/day on the computer. That's what it takes to honor in everything, though. Yes I could study half as much and just pass with a 72% but I want those honors.

Been doing this schedule for over a year now and definitely getting tired of it. Still beats going to class, though. Very much looking forward to clinicals! 80% of the class, every year, podcasts. Every 3rd and 4th year I've talked to say clinicals are waaaay better.

As someone who studied a lot (not nearly as much as you during m1 but maybe late m2) and achieved the goals you currently you have, 3rd year is not some oasis and while some like it more, others hate even more. It's a big adjustment to the subjective grading and regimented schedule.

Given that you're still doing anatomy as a M2, I can understand why you are looking forward to clinicals though. Just don't put it on a pedestal, it's still med school
 
Is 3rd year any better for people who worked terrible jobs in their past? I want to believe that I will still be able to say "This sucks, but at least I'm not doing ___ anymore" in 3rd year. It's worked okay for me to this point (2nd year).
 
As someone who studied a lot (not nearly as much as you during m1 but maybe late m2) and achieved the goals you currently you have, 3rd year is not some oasis and while some like it more, others hate even more. It's a big adjustment to the subjective grading and regimented schedule.

Given that you're still doing anatomy as a M2, I can understand why you are looking forward to clinicals though. Just don't put it on a pedestal, it's still med school

how much did you study then? We have 3 hours of lecture in the morning and then labs a few afternoons a week. The average lecture probably takes a good hour to go over, but the anatomy ones always take 2-3 hours. So on top of class that's studying anywhere from 3-6 hours. Honestly, it's usually closer to 4. If you keep that up during the week then your weekends are free (except for the week before tests once a month). I can't imagine being able to study much less than 3 hours/day and still honor in everything. How often did you study?

It also sounds like that at schools with traditional curriculums M1 year is not that much worse than undergrad. At my school, M1 year actually matters for boards so you start that "M2 type studying" during 1st year. For example, we covered cardiopulm, GI, renal endocrine, and urogenital all in 1st year. When we cover an organ system, we learn all the histology, anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc. all at once during that 1-2 month module before moving on. The workload really does change a lot from week to week. During the first and second week of each module, we have all the anatomy for that organ system. Each of those days does require like 6 hours of studying on top of classes. The 3rd and 4th weeks, though, lighten up and you only need to study 2-3 hours per day. Then the 5th week is usually the 12 hour study days for the test.
 
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how much did you study then? We have 3 hours of lecture in the morning and then labs a few afternoons a week. The average lecture probably takes a good hour to go over, but the anatomy ones always take 2-3 hours. So on top of class that's studying anywhere from 3-6 hours. Honestly, it's usually closer to 4. If you keep that up during the week then your weekends are free (except for the week before tests once a month). I can't imagine being able to study much less than 3 hours/day and still honor in everything. How often did you study?

It also sounds like that at schools with traditional curriculums M1 year is not that much worse than undergrad. At my school, M1 year actually matters for boards so you start that "M2 type studying" during 1st year. For example, we covered cardiopulm, GI, renal endocrine, and urogenital all in 1st year. When we cover an organ system, we learn all the histology, anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc. all at once during that 1-2 month module before moving on. The workload really does change a lot from week to week. During the first and second week of each module, we have all the anatomy for that organ system. Each of those days does require like 6 hours of studying on top of classes. The 3rd and 4th weeks, though, lighten up and you only need to study 2-3 hours per day. Then the 5th week is usually the 12 hour study days for the test.

I probably spent on avg 2 hrs a day M1. This is because I didn't study everday so the average comes down. The rare days where I was in class in all day I didn't study afterwards.

M2 probably 4-5 early on and then 7-8 later on and arond 10-11 for Step.

I usually got a decent amount done on weekends especially M2 (around a few hours each day).

Our curricula sound pretty different and that's why I was initially surprised at how much you studied M1. Do what works and good luck attaining all honors (I def needed some luck).
 
Trust but verify. Furthermore, you're apparently too green to have realized this, but patients change their stories, a lot. What you heard may be different from what they here. Also, the resident may also be putting a fairly subtle spin on your question, such that you think they're asking the same thing, even though it's a little different.

Usually though, I'll walk in and say something to the effect of "So I understand that you've had 3 days of abd pain, is that right?"

This is insanely annoying. I get irritated too when I present and then go in with the attending and he asks all the same questions. But sometimes the patient will answer completely differently. I'm always shocked and look at them like "WTF dude, that isn't what you said 10 minutes ago!" but they never seem to even bat an eye.

I hated most of 3rd year. Long days and even being on call when you serve no purpose whatsoever. What a waste of my time. But 4th year is much better so far. On my heavy rotations I've actually gotten to do most of the work myself, and otherwise you're able to slack more or go home if you aren't busy.

I'd definitely recommend carrying around a book, or at least emailing yourself a document to study so that you can read from your smart phone :)

And screw that guy who told you not to sit. Maybe I'm an *******, but I'm gonna sit down if I'm tired. He might be the attending but he isn't my dad. I'm so sick of this attitude in medicine like "I have more experience than you therefore I'm a better person overall". So you've been in medicine for 80 years, that doesn't give you the right to treat me like a lesser human being.
 
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Is 3rd year any better for people who worked terrible jobs in their past? I want to believe that I will still be able to say "This sucks, but at least I'm not doing ___ anymore" in 3rd year. It's worked okay for me to this point (2nd year).


Yes. I worked at McDonalds in high school. Regardless of rotation, sticking your finger up peoples butts, retracting pannuses, pap smears, the psych exam, neurology---IE all the crappy stuff about 3rd year beats the crap out of a crappy job. I mean you get to parade around in nice clothes in a position of pseudo-power whilst having ZERO responsibility. The patients don't die if you dont show up and your decisions don't count. You've also been locked up all 1st and 2nd year, so yes 3rd year is better.
 
3rd year blows if you like to sleep

For me the amount of sucktitude 3rd year had depended on the rotation. Psyc, FM, and Peds were much easier than anything 2nd year and almost were comprable to 1st year (much more mandatory attednance but much less studying). Surg and OB were physicially draining and Internal was mentally. Those were probably worse than 2nd year but part of it was that I wanted honors badly on Surg and IM so I worked my butt off inside and outside the hospital.
 
Today, in Surg, I was instructed to "speak up and act alive." I was then asked what my most interesting experience in life was ever.

I'm not terribly talkative even when I don't want to fall asleep where I'm standing. I hate the stress of wondering whether my worth as a student is being judged on my PERSONALITY.
 
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Well I'm just super passive sometimes. And easily intimidated. I think I'm pretty ok overall.
lol, only in medicine do people complain about the impact of their personality on their job performance...
 
This is insanely annoying. I get irritated too when I present and then go in with the attending and he asks all the same questions. But sometimes the patient will answer completely differently. I'm always shocked and look at them like "WTF dude, that isn't what you said 10 minutes ago!" but they never seem to even bat an eye.

I hated most of 3rd year. Long days and even being on call when you serve no purpose whatsoever. What a waste of my time. But 4th year is much better so far. On my heavy rotations I've actually gotten to do most of the work myself, and otherwise you're able to slack more or go home if you aren't busy.
It isn't just the stories that change, the physical exam can change rather dramatically as well. I spent some time on a consult team during my neurology rotation and one day I was sent to see a patient with altered mental status. I went and examined the patient and he was pretty unresponsive. When I presented the patient to my intern I was talking about the patient's glasgow coma score and whether he localized to pain or withdrew with pain in each extremity and which CN reflexes were intact and which ones were not. When the intern and I walked in to the room to examine the patient together, the patient was awake and talking and alert and oriented times 3 and scored a 28 on the MMSE. Upon leaving the patient's room I received a condescending lecture on how I needed to wake patients up before attempting to perform the neuro exam on them.

I was rather nervous presenting to the attending, but I stuck to what I had seen and presented the exam at both time points and I was much relieved (I feel like a horrible person for admitting this) when we walked into the room as an entire team and the patient was back to being unresponsive except to pain.

Overall I have enjoyed third year but I have had pretty good luck getting awesome senior residents on my teams that are interested in teaching and only having me be at the hospital while it is actually possible for me to learn something.
 
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Is 3rd year any better for people who worked terrible jobs in their past? I want to believe that I will still be able to say "This sucks, but at least I'm not doing ___ anymore" in 3rd year. It's worked okay for me to this point (2nd year).

Yea I would rather work long hours in 3rd year then have to work another Black Friday at Best Buy and Kohl's again as a cashier or the day after Christmas as a customer service rep. One thing I was happy about when I got into med school was I'd never have to work another holiday season in retail again.
 
My least favorite by far is sitting there doing nothing for hours on end waiting for someone to let me go home.

Yup. Most of our residents were awesome about letting us go home, but I just had an attending that had no rounding schedule. We never knew if he was coming at 830 AM or 530 PM, which led to TONS of sitting around and annoyance.
 
lol, only in medicine do people complain about the impact of their personality on their job performance...


This is what happens when you have a bunch of kids who never worked a day in their life and whose sole means of evaluation of self-worth has been via scantrons.
 
It isn't just the stories that change, the physical exam can change rather dramatically as well. I spent some time on a consult team during my neurology rotation and one day I was sent to see a patient with altered mental status. I went and examined the patient and he was pretty unresponsive. When I presented the patient to my intern I was talking about the patient's glasgow coma score and whether he localized to pain or withdrew with pain in each extremity and which CN reflexes were intact and which ones were not. When the intern and I walked in to the room to examine the patient together, the patient was awake and talking and alert and oriented times 3 and scored a 28 on the MMSE. Upon leaving the patient's room I received a condescending lecture on how I needed to wake patients up before attempting to perform the neuro exam on them.

I was rather nervous presenting to the attending, but I stuck to what I had seen and presented the exam at both time points and I was much relieved (I feel like a horrible person for admitting this) when we walked into the room as an entire team and the patient was back to being unresponsive except to pain.

Overall I have enjoyed third year but I have had pretty good luck getting awesome senior residents on my teams that are interested in teaching and only having me be at the hospital while it is actually possible for me to learn something.

It seems your team doesn't know about a thing called delirium
 
This thread makes me sad!

Most people at my school seem to agree that third year is excellent compared to the first two (but certainly not as nice as 4th year). I've just finished IM and OB/GYN and I'm having a great time learning and getting to do procedures with attendings that are interested in teaching and let me get as involved as I want to even though I don't want to go into either field.

Maybe we just have a different experience at my school but I'm loving the hard work and long hours because I get to see patients and actually participate in their care! :thumbup:

This year so far has just confirmed for me why I want to be a doctor after my feelings of boredom sitting around and studying all day for the first two.:sleep:
 
This thread makes me sad!

Most people at my school seem to agree that third year is excellent compared to the first two (but certainly not as nice as 4th year). I've just finished IM and OB/GYN and I'm having a great time learning and getting to do procedures with attendings that are interested in teaching and let me get as involved as I want to even though I don't want to go into either field.

Maybe we just have a different experience at my school but I'm loving the hard work and long hours because I get to see patients and actually participate in their care! :thumbup:

This year so far has just confirmed for me why I want to be a doctor after my feelings of boredom sitting around and studying all day for the first two.:sleep:

I LOVE third year, my school is very similar. I just hate the occasions when we end up sitting around. Thankfully, that's more uncommon than not.
 
I liked third year a lot, but there is definitely a lot of following people around and waiting for things to happen.
I'm loving the hard work and long hours because I get to see patients and actually participate in their care!
Christ, you sound like a self-improvement video for med students or something.
 
Christ, you sound like a self-improvement video for med students or something.

Haha as cheesy as that sounds it's true. I probably could have phrased that in a more "how real people without scripts talk" fashion but oh well. I'm one of those weird people that gets a boosted sense of accomplishment from long hours and harder work.

I think also the attendings at my school do a good job of getting us useful things to do besides just "follow and watch" so my experience has been really positive to this point.
 
Haha as cheesy as that sounds it's true. I probably could have phrased that in a more "how real people without scripts talk" fashion but oh well. I'm one of those weird people that gets a boosted sense of accomplishment from long hours and harder work.

Call me a cynic, but "participate in their care" is very, very relative. We're M3s.
 
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Call me a cynic, but "participate in their care" is very, very relative. We're M3s.

I've had a number of attendings and residents ask me to make a plan for a patient and then modify it because of my lack of experience/knowledge. It doesn't always happen because there isn't always time for it but in more than a handful of instances my plan for a patient (with minor adjustments) has been what was done for the patient or my input (and more time to talk with the patient during the H&P) has modified the treatment plan made by a physician. Maybe I've just been fortunate to have attendings who get a kick out of teaching.

Yes we ARE M3s but why should we be expecting to be serving roles like attendings/residents or just leaving the hospital to study after rounds? I enjoy checking in on my patients in the afternoons, following them to procedures, asking to do minor procedures that a nurse or resident would breeze through, and looking up things I don't understand in my downtime.

I know it's fun/cathartic to gripe and moan about our very minor role as 3rd years, but it's way better than the first two years :)sleep:). It's pretty freakin awesome to be in medical school and have the capacity to become physicians :thumbup:
 
Generally speaking, I like third year a lot. I've also had great attendings. (We don't really work with residents for the most part)

The only thing I don't like are pointless lectures and other requirements we have to do because we are a primary-care oriented school.

Overall, we get a lot of freedom and aren't with other students. I get lots of, "You go see that patient while I'm seeing this one. Then give me the low down and what you are going to do." If not completly off base, then we go with my plan. I write the note, dictate or do whatever is needed and we move on. Current rotation my attending is really good about printing off my notes, editing them and giving them back to me to see where I can improve. We also are in community hospitals, so there is a little less open hostility towards students. ;)
 
I've had a number of attendings and residents ask me to make a plan for a patient and then modify it because of my lack of experience/knowledge. It doesn't always happen because there isn't always time for it but in more than a handful of instances my plan for a patient (with minor adjustments) has been what was done for the patient or my input (and more time to talk with the patient during the H&P) has modified the treatment plan made by a physician. Maybe I've just been fortunate to have attendings who get a kick out of teaching.

Yes we ARE M3s but why should we be expecting to be serving roles like attendings/residents or just leaving the hospital to study after rounds? I enjoy checking in on my patients in the afternoons, following them to procedures, asking to do minor procedures that a nurse or resident would breeze through, and looking up things I don't understand in my downtime.

I know it's fun/cathartic to gripe and moan about our very minor role as 3rd years, but it's way better than the first two years :)sleep:). It's pretty freakin awesome to be in medical school and have the capacity to become physicians :thumbup:

No no, I understand, it was similar for me when I was on medicine. I just had no delusions about being all that important, especially since any assessment/plan I cooked up was for my own learning, not for actually formulating a plan of care in the sense that the staff and junior staff do it in half the time. I'm also currently resenting surgery, out of which I have yet to get a fraction of what I got out of medicine, so I'll attribute any beat down-ness in this post to that. In retrospect, medicine >> surgery thus far in multiple ways.
 
No no, I understand, it was similar for me when I was on medicine. I just had no delusions about being all that important, especially since any assessment/plan I cooked up was for my own learning, not for actually formulating a plan of care in the sense that the staff and junior staff do it in half the time. I'm also currently resenting surgery, out of which I have yet to get a fraction of what I got out of medicine, so I'll attribute any beat down-ness in this post to that. In retrospect, medicine >> surgery thus far in multiple ways.

Sounds a lot like my experience so far. I agree that I have no illusions about being important but I enjoy being involved in the way I am. I have surgery next so maybe I'll be a cold hearted cynic afterwards (although hopefully not b/c I hear if you like being in the OR surgery at my school is great and I certainly love the OR).:p
 
Sounds a lot like my experience so far. I agree that I have no illusions about being important but I enjoy being involved in the way I am. I have surgery next so maybe I'll be a cold hearted cynic afterwards (although hopefully not b/c I hear if you like being in the OR surgery at my school is great and I certainly love the OR).:p

I love standing under burning lights with nothing to do while the real doctors work and I often can't even see what's going on.

Yup.
 
I love standing under burning lights with nothing to do while the real doctors work and I often can't even see what's going on.

Yup.

Buck up chum. Lots of people would gladly take your place given the chance.

I have had a lot of fun in surgeries so far as a student. Mileage varies from attending to attending of course but I guess I've just had an exceptional experience so far.
 
Buck up chum. Lots of people would gladly take your place given the chance.

I have had a lot of fun in surgeries so far as a student. Mileage varies from attending to attending of course but I guess I've just had an exceptional experience so far.

If you haven't done surgery, just how many surgeries have you been in / why were you there? Just curious.
 
I think it's a little annoying that some people have come on this thread to post about how much they love third year and why everyone should stop complaining. Give me a break, we are all appreciative to be in med school, but that doesn't mean we can't complain about mistreatment or subjective grading or whatever else we feel like complaining about on the "Things you hate about third year" thread. Not everyone is having a perfect experience and has the right to complain. If you don't like it, then start another thread called "Why third year is so awesome" instead of denigrating people on this thread who are just trying to get things off their chest.
 
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Whoa now the claws are starting to come out. I'm sorry for disturbing you all and I'll quit posting on here.

I will take your advice and start a thread...regardless of if anyone actually comments on my lame happiness thread it's been fun reading your replys. See you all around the forums.

I have nothing against complaining which I do quite often. It's cathartic for sure during times of stress :)
 
I don't know if you think they're going to pass you a scalpel, but surgery sucked ass. Especially OBGYN surgery. Yeah I want to sit there for 4 hours in the back of the room scrubbed in holding my hands above my waist while not touching a god damn thing while you deliver a uterus out of some lady's vagina. Yeah I can totally see what you're doing and not just the back of your head. Remind me why you made me scrub in again? Because my back hurts and I hate all of you bitches. But I doubt you'll be bitter. God just thinking back on that crap makes me so angry...

Edit: Lol, I wrote this before I read your other post about how you enjoyed OBGYN surgery so much. I promise I just hated it, not a personal attack.
 
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Yeah, just when you thought it couldn't be more of a pissing contest people start chugging furosemide.
 
Buck up chum. Lots of people would gladly take your place given the chance.

I have had a lot of fun in surgeries so far as a student. Mileage varies from attending to attending of course but I guess I've just had an exceptional experience so far.

Sometimes they let me hold things for them, including wound edges while they are closing them. And sometimes I get to suture. Some surgeries are just cool to watch.

I get real queasy about the perianal and colorectal ones though.
 
I don't know if you think they're going to pass you a scalpel, but surgery sucked ass. Especially OBGYN surgery. Yeah I want to sit there for 4 hours in the back of the room scrubbed in holding my hands above my waist while not touching a god damn thing while you deliver a uterus out of some lady's vagina. Yeah I can totally see what you're doing and not just the back of your head. Remind me why you made me scrub in again? Because my back hurts and I hate all of you bitches. But I doubt you'll be bitter. God just thinking back on that crap makes me so angry...

Edit: Lol, I wrote this before I read your other post about how you enjoyed OBGYN surgery so much. I promise I just hated it, not a personal attack.

Amen. Some of my Ob/Gyn attendings were decent human beings and only told me to go in on surgeries where I could actually see something. Others definitely had a chip on their shoulder and did what you described above.
 
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