Do you have the stomache to be a dr?

Started by Hogfan10
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Hogfan10

Hogfan10

WPS
10+ Year Member
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I never thought watching or performing some procedures or surgerys would bother me, as I thought myself to have a strong stomache and nothings ever bothered me much before. But I have started shadowing a doctor recently and today I saw a few things that just made me light headed and sick so much that I had to sit down, if I wouldn't have left the room I would have passed out.

So on your path to becoming a doctor is that normal? Do most people just get used to it or is something your born with, you have it or you dont. And I am shadowing this doctor for the rest of the summer and is there anything to do to help me so I don't embaress myself again?

Thanks!
 
You'll just have to see as you go on. If surgery is something you're interested in doing then yes you'll have to stomach it 😛 When I was watching my first Aortic valve replacement I was doing fine until they broke out the saw and that's the first time in my life I almost went down.Rest of the surgery was fine for me though. That said i've never had a problem with any of the other surgeries i've watched
 
Yes, It is a vital organ that allows you to absorb a vast array of nutrients.


..but no really you will get de-sensitized. Go to you tube and start with transumbilical breast implants, then work your way to abdominoplasty. You more you see the less you care about it.
 
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Hogfan10 said:
I never thought watching or performing some procedures or surgerys would bother me, as I thought myself to have a strong stomache and nothings ever bothered me much before. But I have started shadowing a doctor recently and today I saw a few things that just made me light headed and sick so much that I had to sit down, if I wouldn't have left the room I would have passed out.

So on your path to becoming a doctor is that normal? Do most people just get used to it or is something your born with, you have it or you dont. And I am shadowing this doctor for the rest of the summer and is there anything to do to help me so I don't embaress myself again?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I felt lightheaded the first trauma patient that I saw as Junior in undergrad. If I hadn't left the room and sat down I would have fainted. I'm now currently a surgical resident. It means nothing the first couple of times.
 
Yeah what's weird is I can look at images on the internet and not be bothered, but it's 100% different for me when I see it in real life, especially when the patient is conscious and in pain, I think seeing people in alot of pain is a big trigger for me almost passing out!
 
Hogfan10 said:
I never thought watching or performing some procedures or surgerys would bother me, as I thought myself to have a strong stomache and nothings ever bothered me much before. But I have started shadowing a doctor recently and today I saw a few things that just made me light headed and sick so much that I had to sit down, if I wouldn't have left the room I would have passed out.

So on your path to becoming a doctor is that normal? Do most people just get used to it or is something your born with, you have it or you dont. And I am shadowing this doctor for the rest of the summer and is there anything to do to help me so I don't embaress myself again?

Thanks!
Click to expand...


Looks like you may not have the "stomache" or the spelling...HA!!! JK.
 
One thing I recommend as you are standing there in awe watching different procdures is to not forget to breathe. Very importantly, don't stand there with you legs locked or your can get light headed and pass out just from poor circulation. Sometimes I just have to look at the floor and take a few deep breathes if I feel uncomfortable and it usually gets a lot better. Good Luck
 
272727 said:
One thing I recommend as you are standing there in awe watching different procdures is to not forget to breathe. Very importantly, don't stand there with you legs locked or your can get light headed and pass out just from poor circulation. Sometimes I just have to look at the floor and take a few deep breathes if I feel uncomfortable and it usually gets a lot better. Good Luck
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:eyebrow:

Doesn't your body kick in before it becomes a problem?
 
Hogfan10 said:
Yeah what's weird is I can look at images on the internet and not be bothered, but it's 100% different for me when I see it in real life, especially when the patient is conscious and in pain, I think seeing people in alot of pain is a big trigger for me almost passing out!
Click to expand...

I was the same way. I also had to get used to the smells of the OR later on. *shrug* you will figure it out. Don't worry about it.
 
xoxx said:
Yes, It is a vital organ that allows you to absorb a vast array of nutrients.
Click to expand...

Actually your stomach doesn't absorb many nutrients at all... that's the small intestine's job.

Anyway, the first time I watched surgery (on a dog) I almost passed out, and now it doesn't bother me at all. It's very normal to have a physiological response to blood/surgery. I think most people get desensitized, but I would not be surprised if some people continue to have that initial reaction each time they watch a procedure. The only way to find out is to get continued exposure and see if it's getting better. In med school you will get a pretty high "gross" tolerance in anatomy, and I think when you're actually doing procedures versus watching, it helps because you're focused on doing it right instead of that it's gross. Kind of like some people get carsick in the passenger seat but not when driving, I guess.
 
I have issues with poo. Blood, guts, infections -- all ok with me. But as soon as there's **** I'm out.
 
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I remember before I decided to pursue human medicine I was a veterinary technician. The first surgery I helped with required that the cat receive a urinary catheter (or maybe it just required one in general and we had to put it to sleep to do it, I really can't remember). Anyway, the vet kept trying to stick it in the cat's penis and it just wouldn't go. After about 5 minutes (probably less in hindsight), I began to get light headed, and I had to sit down. I don't know why it bothered me so much. However, when I shadowed general surgery I had no problem at all. Just a funny story I thought I'd share hahaha
 
Become an EMT for a while while going into pre-med. The education is quick and inexpensive. While working as one you will be exposed to that type of stuff. Not to mention it will look good in your application resume.
 
I'm embarrased to admit that I almost passed out twice during my first few times shadowing a familiy med doc. I tried to be all discrete about it as I left the room, but pretty much every nurse who was standing outside the room knew as soon as they saw my face. The weird thing was there was nothing even remotely disgusting going on when I had to leave the room. Doctor said it was probably from locking my knees and standing for too long. He gave me a bit of a hard time about it, and told me that I should probably stay away from surgery.😳
 
i got over my hemophobia after my uncle stabbed his foot by accident...his blood was a strange dark maroon color...

but besides that I could never see myself as a surgeon. too much dexterity required, and I can barely hit a teeball off its tee.
 
mimelim said:
I felt lightheaded the first trauma patient that I saw as Junior in undergrad. If I hadn't left the room and sat down I would have fainted. I'm now currently a surgical resident. It means nothing the first couple of times.
Click to expand...

That's what she said.
 
The OR is way less gross than what I have encountered in clinic. Smells are the worst by far: try weeping lymphedema on a 450 lb man. In surgery everything is contained and sterile and you're already wearing masks. 👍
 
I've been working as a CNA (professional butt wiper) at a nursing home for 8 months now. Stuff doesn't faze me like it used to. And you see some pretty nasty stuff on an Alzheimer's unit.
 
272727 said:
One thing I recommend as you are standing there in awe watching different procdures is to not forget to breathe. Very importantly, don't stand there with you legs locked or your can get light headed and pass out just from poor circulation. Sometimes I just have to look at the floor and take a few deep breathes if I feel uncomfortable and it usually gets a lot better. Good Luck
Click to expand...

First thing the military teaches you about standing at attention for long periods of time, yet there's always at least one person passing out during large formations. Stand with your legs spread apart a little, as well, that will help.
 
People are diffrent. some guys used to pass out when they were observing deliveries but they turned out just fine and can assist in major surgical procedures now. Lucky for me i was never bothered by blood. i am always calm to an extent that some people think its pathological(just teasing me). lol maybe it is
 
ER tech here...the other day I had a patient with seizures...started seizing in our unit-went to the head to secure the airway....BEDBUGS! Gah.

Then I had to help him wash him up in the shower...yeup. Bugs + poo ....no bueno.
 
Alejandro said:
ER tech here...the other day I had a patient with seizures...started seizing in our unit-went to the head to secure the airway....BEDBUGS! Gah.

Then I had to help him wash him up in the shower...yeup. Bugs + poo ....no bueno.
Click to expand...

Wow, that's absolutely awful.
 
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Holy FranZ said:
Doesn't your body kick in before it becomes a problem?
Click to expand...

In college, I almost passed out during a presentation because I wasn't breathing enough. I knew I wasn't breathing properly because I started to get tunnel vision, but I couldn't get myself to slow down and breathe.

Praefectus said:
I remember the first time I smelled cauterized flesh I gagged a little.
Click to expand...

Yeah, burnt flesh smells nasty.

OP, it's okay to get a little woozy the first couple times you see something. Just keep going and see if you become desensitized.
 
I shadowed an orthopedic surgeon, and I was fine with the blood and bone meal and burned flesh. I'm curious to see how I would handle abscesses and poo, though.
 
Hogfan10 said:
I never thought watching or performing some procedures or surgerys would bother me, as I thought myself to have a strong stomache and nothings ever bothered me much before. But I have started shadowing a doctor recently and today I saw a few things that just made me light headed and sick so much that I had to sit down, if I wouldn't have left the room I would have passed out.

So on your path to becoming a doctor is that normal? Do most people just get used to it or is something your born with, you have it or you dont. And I am shadowing this doctor for the rest of the summer and is there anything to do to help me so I don't embaress myself again?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Don't worry about it.

Here's a short story...
I once fainted after looking at a needle when getting a shot. :meanie:
Following that, I was shadowing surgeons in an OR my freshman year and fainted my first day. However, within days I went straight back...and made sure to anticipate anything that might make me lightheaded (eating a good breakfast helped too). It was embarrassing, but I knew I wanted to be a doctor, and I wasn't gonna let something like this stop me.
I ended up observing many more surgeries that summer shadowing without the slightest hint of light headedness or fainting. Just stay determined and you'll get used to it.

Best of luck. 🙂
 
It'll get better, as everyone has said.

The first dizzy experience I had was when I shadowed a hospital lab tech during her 4:00 am blood collection rounds. Things went downhill when we she did a bad stick on an elderly woman. I remember blood... everywhere. Needless to say, I didn't apply for the position.
 
I have shadowed several surgeons and anesthesiologists so I have spent a fair amount of time in the OR. I noticed that if I need to have eaten in order to avoid getting a little light headed. That may be strange to some people but it made a big difference for me. One of the physicians even asked if I had eaten before they started since I met him at 6:00AM. After the first surgery he said I should get some food in me.
 
Worked as an ER tech while in undergrad, saw a lot of things. Put a little coppertone underneath your nose before ya head in there and all is okay in the world.
 
I remember one premed was shadowing one of our docs in clinic...patient started getting light-headed, then the shadow got lightheaded...and both of them fainted simultaneously. the student...basically was standing, and then just planked out...face vs floor. Floor won, obviously. front teeth broken. that was one WEIRD day in clinic, lemme tell you.
 
I've been working in a hospital for a while now so I'm pretty used to almost everything. Except recently something really got me. I had to clean this tiny 80-some year old lady with jaundice who had some sort of vaginal discharge. It was dark, dark red, thick like pudding, and tons smeared everywhere in her diaper. Between the smell and the clumps, I had to turn away and sniff my freshly cleaned scrubs to get the smell out of my nose. Definitely the nastiest thing I've ever encountered.

Another time in the ER, we had this one guy shadowing the ER doctor. The doctor was beginning to stitch up a tiny cut on this one guy's finger. When the doctor was in the middle of the stitching, the guy passed out cold on top of the patient. Talk about embarrassing.
 
I've seen some pretty intense things in my ER internship: skin graphs, amputations, lots of operations, autopsies, etc. I was able to handle everything, except, of all things, a finger injury. I started getting light-headed and had to step out twice to recompose. I'm not sure what made this any different from the others.

I think it's natural to be squeamish about these things. Either innate or learned, we've grown up to recognize when things are horribly wrong in another person. Sometimes, we can suppress that feeling to cringe. But there may be times when it becomes overwhelming. In those situations, remove yourself from the situation as soon as possible so that you don't end up making it worse. There's a good chance you'll be fine the next time.
 
Ok thanks for all the input guys!!! Really helps, I've been watching surgeries on youtube to prepare for my next shadowing appointment haha.
 
The look doesn't do anything to me. It's the smell. Stage IV coccyx ulcer with sloughing and serosang drg that you can put 2 fists in. -_______-
 
Alejandro said:
ER tech here...the other day I had a patient with seizures...started seizing in our unit-went to the head to secure the airway....BEDBUGS! Gah.

Then I had to help him wash him up in the shower...yeup. Bugs + poo ....no bueno.
Click to expand...

I'm an ER tech as well, that must have been awful. But that god my hospital doesn't make me wash patients.

As far as having the stomach for it, some people have the stomach for it right away, but most don't. However the people who don't have a stomach for it usually build up an immunity to it. I would say its probably not going to be a problem for most med school students.
 
Hogfan10 said:
I never thought watching or performing some procedures or surgerys would bother me, as I thought myself to have a strong stomache and nothings ever bothered me much before. But I have started shadowing a doctor recently and today I saw a few things that just made me light headed and sick so much that I had to sit down, if I wouldn't have left the room I would have passed out.

So on your path to becoming a doctor is that normal? Do most people just get used to it or is something your born with, you have it or you dont. And I am shadowing this doctor for the rest of the summer and is there anything to do to help me so I don't embaress myself again?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

What's a "stomache"? Is that a French dessert?
 
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Oxygen206 said:
I have issues with poo. Blood, guts, infections -- all ok with me. But as soon as there's **** I'm out.
Click to expand...

Oxygen206 said:
How much **** do you actually have to deal with in medical school? Sad to say, I actually worry about this...
Click to expand...

I've been in medicine for over a decade and the smell of poop still bothers me--pretty much the only thing that does anymore. Had a case in the ED yesterday--vag bleeder passed out in the bathroom and crapped herself. I was rolling her so the nurse could clean her up, and I had to breathe over my shoulder the whole time so I wouldn't vomit.

Eye trauma used to make me queasy, but doing innumerable retroorbital blood draws on mice during graduate school has cured me of that.
 
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