Originally posted by womansurg
I think it was because he was so low key and polite. This contrasted sharply with the ridiculous militant bravado which those berated residents had adopted in sheer defensive desperation.
She just couldn't stand it that he seemed to hold onto a sense of self worth when everyone else was buckling under the abuse. He saw himself as a hardworking, bright person who was putting forth sincere and genuine effort, was doing good work, and deserved to be treated with simple human respect: a concept which simply didn't exist in that psychotic department. So she just kept piling it on, trying to break him.
There were six of us going into general surgery that year, and not a single one of us ranked our own school (Ohio State). They ended up being the only university program in the country which failed to fill in the match that year.
That was one severely pathological environment back then, and this woman was probably the worst of them all. I've heard that it's better now.
For the record, a manual disimpaction is not scutwork. Sure it's gross, but since it is medically necessary and the nurses won't do them somebody has to. Likewise, starting an IV or putting in a catheter as a third year student is not scutwork either.
As for abuse from residents, you get abused as much as you are willing to take. The worst that can happen if you stand up to an abusive resident is that he can give you a bad evaluation. As long as you are a good student and not a perpetual whiner, one or two bad evaluations from an obscure resident in a giant hospital will have a minimal impact on your final grade.
That being said, mostly you just have to suck it up. The best thing to do is to treat the abusive resident with detached coolness. I, for one, am not in the least perturbed if some foriegn resident with a bad accent asks me questions which I cannot answer. I just smile and say, "well, I just don't know," or give him an answer in a confident voice even if it's wrong. What's he going to do? Kick me out of medical school because I don't remember the clotting pathways? And If I ever am asked to do something which I don't want to or shouldn't have to do (which has never happened) I will refuse. The person who asks you to do something illegal or contrary to written school policy is the one who's ass will be flapping in the wind if you refuse and he foolishly makes an issue out of it.
Do any of you who are not gunners really care if some jackass on a power trip likes you?
Honestly, though, most of the residents at my school are pretty good people and try to teach us a little bit even if they are perpetually short of sleep and time. I don't mind making food runs for them at all. They ask politely, will usually "buy if I fly," and, as someone said, it gets you out of the hospital for a bit.
] by saying, "You will not be responsible for picking up my dry cleaning. You will not have to do my laundry. But you will be responsible for working hard and learning. Given that, we will do our part to teach you." Usually with that we got off to a flying start. Many of us "older residents" felt very strongly about not perpetuating a miserable system, even if it only affected our corner of the universe. It made for a more productive rotation all around for all concerned. Gee, I wonder why? :wink:
