Am I suppose to feel like ****?

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qw098

zyzzbrah
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Whenever my attending asks us questions and I don't know the answer off the top of my head I feel like ****.

Is this normal? Our attending then told us... "Get used to the feeling of feeling inadequate and worthless"... "it will keep on happening, but you're learning".

Is this true? :blackeye:

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Nope, not true at all. What happens is this: you become a fourth year and that feeling goes away after you realize your transcript is already uploaded to ERAS.

You still won't know the answers, but you will care a LOT less about not knowing.
 
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Nope, not true at all. What happens is this: you become a fourth year and that feeling goes away after you realize your transcript is already uploaded to ERAS.

You still won't know the answers, but you will care a LOT less about not knowing.

...and then you'll be an intern, and your knowledge base has true consequences for patient care, and you'll start feeling like s*** again.

Try to embrace it as motivation to learn more and don't let it beat you down.
 
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Whenever my attending asks us questions and I don't know the answer off the top of my head I feel like ****.

Is this normal? Our attending then told us... "Get used to the feeling of feeling inadequate and worthless"... "it will keep on happening, but you're learning".

Is this true? :blackeye:

I definitely feel this. It's worse because often times, it's something you would know if phrased in MCQ format -- it's just an error in synthesizing the info, and that makes it look like you don't know it.

"Inadequate and worthless"...perfect description of rotating as an MS3.
 
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Yeah, it's quite the jump from seeing a written question, with listed answers, and knowing 70% of the material in question is enough to decipher the probable answer, to seeing real life problems, with no "answer bank", and having to mentally think through everything and come to a plausible answer. I have to think that nothing but practice and continued exposure to real cases will further this transition.

You're not alone in feeling this way.
 
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Thanks guys
 
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Every aspect of 3rd year makes me feel that way, not just not knowing answers to questions. :(
 
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Every aspect of 3rd year makes me feel that way, not just not knowing answers to questions. :(

Oh yeah, like how the CNA's and case managers know more of their specialty-specific clinical medicine than you when you start the rotation? Good times!
 
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Whenever my attending asks us questions and I don't know the answer off the top of my head I feel like ****.

Is this normal? Our attending then told us... "Get used to the feeling of feeling inadequate and worthless"... "it will keep on happening, but you're learning".

Is this true? :blackeye:

For context, I'm an EM PGY 2. About halfway through.

Lot of truth to what was said. You get better at accepting those moments.

Down the road from med school: you'll inevitably do things that you wish you could go back and do differently, even if there was no bad outcome. You'll also have bad outcomes. They may or may not be your "fault" but you'll feel bad regardless.

If you're smart, you'll also do two things:

1. Learn from the above, either about the medicine or about yourself;

2. Get better at relishing the moments where you realize you've come a long way, as attendings aren't always good at providing encouragement or praise, and those moments help sustain you.
 
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2. Get better at relishing the moments where you realize you've come a long way, as attendings aren't always good at providing encouragement or praise, and those moments help sustain you.

Great advice. It's so easy not to do this.
 
Oh yeah, like how the CNA's and case managers know more of their specialty-specific clinical medicine than you when you start the rotation? Good times!

I find it funny when the CNA's take the arrogant route because of this

If you're smart, you'll also do two things:

1. Learn from the above, either about the medicine or about yourself;

2. Get better at relishing the moments where you realize you've come a long way, as attendings aren't always good at providing encouragement or praise, and those moments help sustain you.

Thanks man - agreed
 
Oh yeah, like how the CNA's and case managers know more of their specialty-specific clinical medicine than you when you start the rotation? Good times!

I was super annoyed one day when two scrub nurses started bashing another med student for not knowing something when he got pimped in the OR. There's no real point to this story...

One thing I wish I had spent less time third year on was panicking and beating my self up everytime I did't know something. That's the biggest peice of advice I have for third years. Just don't, its not worth it.
 
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It's normal to feel like crap at least initially. They really do it mainly to teach. Even though I hated getting pimped the few rotations where I wasn't pimped at all (aka I was ignored) were far worse and I felt like I was wasting my tuition money. The only time it's different is on your sub-I where you really want to know as much as possible for your level.
 
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Hate to say this but it doesn't get too much better in 4th year. I'm on a nephrology elective right now and I feel like an imbecile every day.
Doesn't get any better as a resident. I was on nephrology as a 3rd yr FP resident and never felt so stupid in my life. I was just glad to finally anticipate what tests the attending would want and write the consult note before he saw the patient. Those guys are just wicked brilliant and it takes a very special analytical individual to be one of them. I accepted my short comings and took away from the rotation what I could understand and knew when I should be consulting them.
 
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Doesn't get any better as a resident. I was on nephrology as a 3rd yr FP resident and never felt so stupid in my life. I was just glad to finally anticipate what tests the attending would want and write the consult note before he saw the patient. Those guys are just wicked brilliant and it takes a very special analytical individual to be one of them. I accepted my short comings and took away from the rotation what I could understand and knew when I should be consulting them.

i get the sense that for doctors the smarter you are, the worse you get paid
 
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Nope, not true at all. What happens is this: you become a fourth year and that feeling goes away after you realize your transcript is already uploaded to ERAS.

You still won't know the answers, but you will care a LOT less about not knowing.

Except when you're doing audition rotations...
Or when you still get treated like a third year
Or when you ask a question and the attending tells you to shut up
Or when asking a question means questioning their judgement
Or when you know you're right but have to watch the wrong happen because of rank.
It never ends. Especially fourth year
 
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feel stupid cuz my classmates all seem to know everything and i know nothing -,- i could have been a good jon snow.
 
feel stupid cuz my classmates all seem to know everything and i know nothing -,- i could have been a good jon snow.

i get this feeling all the time
a classmate told me i give them the same feeling and i was like wtf what are you talking about
but apparently we all feel the same way
 
growing quite weary of this process and the pettiness involved (I can respect the learning from one's mistakes part).

even worse when your interest is in something competitive, and you feel like each mistake moves you closer toward a specialty you have no desire to do and was never part of the game plan. in too much debt to do anything about it now
 
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growing quite weary of this process and the pettiness involved (I can respect the learning from one's mistakes part).

even worse when your interest is in something competitive, and you feel like each mistake moves you closer toward a specialty you have no desire to do and was never part of the game plan. in too much debt to do anything about it now

Hey now, grab a Snickers.

We're all gonna be doctors in the end. And my memory of discussing Step 1 earlier this year recalls that you'll be a particularly competitive one.
 
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growing quite weary of this process and the pettiness involved (I can respect the learning from one's mistakes part).

even worse when your interest is in something competitive, and you feel like each mistake moves you closer toward a specialty you have no desire to do and was never part of the game plan. in too much debt to do anything about it now
That's your perception but it's not true. Calm down.
 
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