A Weak Stomach...........

[Iain]

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I am back looking into the possibilities of doing a post-bacc course, with the ambition of going to medical school. Academically I should do fine, I am also going to start volunteering at a local hospital to gain some real world experience, but my one concern I am having is if I will be able to stomach some of things that doctors see. I found one site, from a dermatologist at John Hopkins, which was a series of multiple thousand pictures of various things from genital warts, insect bites including bites from a Brown Recluse, to every-day rashes, boils, sores. I had no problems with any of this. As far as blood and surgery goes when I was 12 I used to frequent the veterinary office my dog went to, and saw the whole gamete of operations from spay and neutering, to a dog having it front leg amputated - which was quite bloody. I never had any problems with that either. But in some magazines like Bizarre, and similar there are occasionally medical pictures which I quickly find myself turning to the next page - recently I saw one of a finger where all the skin and muscle had been stripped, showing just the bone on a portion of the finger. I could not bare look at this, it was pretty nasty. This made me concerned that; I might have problems down the road. Is it something you accustomed too, and as you see more and more they are less gross? I just do not want to find myself 6 years down the road, struggling cause I cannot handle a burn, or huge unattended abscess? By volunteering will I see enough to know if it will be a problem? I am fully aware the sight is only half the battle; the smell probably turns more stomachs. Any words of wisdom?!?!

Cheers

 

[kwakster928]

continous exposure w/ increase of dosage.

 

[PineappleGirl]

Taking bio classes I was always comfortable with dissections. Everything was dead. It wasn't until I took physiology and did a live dissection that I truly was uncomfortable. I had to step out of the lab to keep myself from passing out. What was said above is right. You become more comfortable with it the more you are exposed to it. I also find that draping or even visual and mental draping: focusing only on the part of the body involved and thinking only of that part, are helpful too.
Good luck to you. It does get better.

 

[elliott]

After the initial shock of seeing surgery, a cadaveur, etc., you develop a scientific and objective view on the matter. It just takes time and exposure. I'm in graduate school and we are required to watch many surgeries. I almost fainted the first day, but with time I have learned to look at it objectively and gain knowledge from the experience. I think the "weak stomach" syndrome is more common than you may think. A 4th year med student passed out during a surgery I was observing.
No worries!

 

[VPDcurt]

Once you are familiar with what you are looking at in terms of a scientific/medical perspective, you will become interested/fascinated in it rather than simply thinking it is "gross."

 

[The Remix]

If you still can't take it after following the advise above, don't worry. It just means you shouldn't go into surgery or derm. There are plenty of other specialties (radiology, occupational health, internal med, optho) that aren't so "revealing." You'll be fine. I've heard plenty of stories about medstudents passing out when they start surgical rotations.

 

[Iain]

Cheers guys - it is much appreciated.

 

[sacrament]

Just to throw my two cents in... I went from initially being completely disgusted by virtually everything I saw, to the point where now I can't really conceive of what it would take to disturb me. This gradually happens over the course of months and years without you even noticing it, until one day you drain a cheesy, foul peri-rectal abscess and think to yourself, "I'm sure this is totally disgusting but I'm too tired and pissed off to care anymore."

 

[45408]

Try www.ogrish.com if you really want to destroy any possible sensitivity you had. EXTREME WARNING! If you want something truly revolting, ask someone in EMS if they're familiar with a guy by the nickname of "Pizza Face."

 

[on_the_fence]

Don't stress about it -- you'll be fine. 👍

The first time I watched an operation I almost passed out before the patient had even been anesthetized. As soon as she was covered up with a sheet and only her abdeomen was exposed, I was fine.

Just keep exposing yourself.

 

[Iain]

Just keep exposing yourself.

WOW, I never knew being a doctor could be so much fun!!

That website is a little over the top, and unnecessary. Images that no one really needs to see.

 

[45408]

What, Ogrish? If you're looking at all the execution photos, then yeah, but everything else is pretty much fair game. There was a man who successfully blew his face off with a shotgun to his jaw, but because he angled it wrong, he was still alive and still conscious. If you're the ER doc, and this guy comes in, you're going to need a stomach of cast iron. I felt sick watching the video as they're trying to find his trachea in the midst of the bloody pulp that was his face.

 

[45408]

Interesting that we'd been talking about this today - I saw one of the worst things in my life a little while ago. This woman had mouth cancer and had her cheek pretty much removed, with all kinds of swollen, oozing sores around there, and the rest of her face was blotchy as well. It was pretty raw, but obviously I didn't flinch while she was around.

 

[45408]

I love watching other students pass out in the or. However, it is usually not the sight of blood, guts, or brains that does it. It typically is the smell. The smell of burning flesh, brains, intestines (soaked in feces), and abscesses. You cannot prepare for the smells and they truly are strong. Gotta love it.
Cheers.

The only smell I've really noticed is when they're cauterizing. That is pretty potent. It's more acrid and stinging than it is pungent though. The only time I felt lightheaded was when I'd been standing for a while, looking under those bright lights, when I hadn't had much to eat that day.