Blood?

[LilyMD]

I know this is a really stupid question for anyone considering med school, but does any get a little grossed out by the sight of blood? I have to admit that sometimes I turn away in bloody TV or movie scenes. But I want to go to medical school. I know I will never be a surgeon. And I know you still have to do a surgery rotation and other bloody ones, but I've heard and am hoping that in time I will not get grossed anymore because eventually a doctor begins to view the body as machine - like a mechanic views a car and blood won't be gross anymore just a liquid. Is this true? I can't imagine most people just like the sight of blood.

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[Wrigleyville]

I don't think anyone relishes the sight of blood. But it is definitely something you get used to over time.

 

[nibrocli]

i used to get grossed out by it too. try watching surgeries on tv. if it's something you're interested in, the blood will be secondary. after watching enough times, eventually, you won't be grossed out anymore. i did this when i found out i had to be in the o.r. for my job. it worked for me!

 

[eyeful]

Originally posted by Wrigleyville
I don't think anyone relishes the sight of blood.

you'd be suprised.

not me of course

 

[Eraserhead]

I wasn't sure about this too when I first considered medicine, but after drawing blood for 4 years, nothing about it bothers me. I rather enjoy seeing blood fill the tube actually. And veins are cool too.

 

[allmightylong]

i used to freak out at sight of any surgical procedures. 1st time I saw an episode of Residence's life I have a pool of sweat under my feets Seeing blood is something I had to work on to be able to withstand it(esp. blood that is pumping profusely in an open artery)

 

[finnpipette]

Originally posted by LilyMD
I know this is a really stupid question for anyone considering med school, but does any get a little grossed out by the sight of blood? I have to admit that sometimes I turn away in bloody TV or movie scenes. But I want to go to medical school. I know I will never be a surgeon. And I know you still have to do a surgery rotation and other bloody ones, but I've heard and am hoping that in time I will not get grossed anymore because eventually a doctor begins to view the body as machine - like a mechanic views a car and blood won't be gross anymore just a liquid. Is this true? I can't imagine most people just like the sight of blood.

i've heard of med students passing out at the sight of blood. no sweat. there's always psych

 

[Blade28]

It might be a problem early on (not just in surgery, but in OB)...but I think everyone tends to get used to it. It helps that in surgery, you drape the body so that you're only able to see the field (usually only a square-shaped area of the body is exposed)...not so in OB, of course.

Unfortunately, sometimes the combination of blood + sore feet + aching back + hunger + sleep deprivation + tightly-fitting mask is enough to make people feel like fainting in the OR. A couple of my classmates have had problems.

 

[ForensicPath]

Observe an autopsy. Plenty of blood there (and other fluids too!).

 

[tugbug]

Its not the blood that gets me... or any of the other relatively disgusting things that can come out of people (although, this one older lady who couldnt control her bowel during my tech shift just about sent me over the edge)... ITS THE SMELLS!!! The smell of a bad UTI or especially of any surgery with a cauterizing (sp) knife (smells like pork rinds to me) causes a physical rxn that is difficult to deal with even if it doesnt actually gross me out. Also, really the grossest thing Ive run into is the feeling of ribs breaking during CPR... then rubbing each other with each compression...

I just decided to go into accounting.

 

[Blade28]

Originally posted by tugbug
Its not the blood that gets me... or any of the other relatively disgusting things that can come out of people (although, this one older lady who couldnt control her bowel during my tech shift just about sent me over the edge)... ITS THE SMELLS!!! The smell of a bad UTI or especially of any surgery with a cauterizing (sp) knife (smells like pork rinds to me) causes a physical rxn that is difficult to deal with even if it doesnt actually gross me out.

Wait until path or OB.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by Wrigleyville
I don't think anyone relishes the sight of blood. But it is definitely something you get used to over time.

I am a huge fan of the Romero "Living Dead" trilogy ... hopefully Twilight of the Dead will be out someday .... until then ... for zombie flicks!

Coops

 

[NE_Cornhusker1]

i've got the rare talent of being completely ungrossed out-able [if there is such a word]. i just rationalize things quickly [the blood is spurting like a fountain because he got shot-better go fix the wound]. try that-think about why you're seeing the blood or why the old lady crapping her drawers or why there is extra cheese on the taco and figure how to 'fix' it.

 

[ezekiel]

I'm not scared of blood but I am worried about hearing people screaming and crying because of trauma.

But I think surgeons deal mostly with situations like that not general practice doctors.

 

[Stroganoff]

I'd rather be a doctor in a safe environment than a soldier in the middle of a combat zone. I can't even imagine the mental and physical trauma they experience. Saving Private Ryan is only Hollywood, but even that it too much for me to imagine.

I think I'll just have to get used to it in medicine...

 

[gary5]

Remember to breathe and you won't pass out.

 

[DrDad]

Originally posted by LilyMD
...but I've heard and am hoping that in time I will not get grossed anymore because eventually a doctor begins to view the body as machine - like a mechanic views a car and blood won't be gross anymore just a liquid. Is this true? ...

I hope not....!!!!!!!!!

 

[jlee9531]

kinda excited to get to start and do all these things actually.

not really grossed about anything too much...tho sawing off the spinal cord from the brain during anatomy class might be kinda weird.

 

[Docgeorge]

It's not so much the site of blood that takes a little getting used to but rater the smell, espically if there's large ammounts of it. It's this coppery smell. Not only do you smell it you taste it as well...and that takes a little time to get used to.

 

[ForensicPath]

Originally posted by Docgeorge
It's not so much the site of blood that takes a little getting used to but rater the smell, espically if there's large ammounts of it. It's this coppery smell. Not only do you smell it you taste it as well...and that takes a little time to get used to.

What smells even better is melaena, which is basically a person's stool mixed with blood. A lot of hardcore alcoholics will have this.

However, the king of all smells still is and always will be decomposing human flesh. This smell gets on you, your clothing, and in your mouth and nose. It does not leave you. Now you may think that you will never have to deal with this because you are not planning on doing anything in a forensic setting. Well, when I worked in the ER we had a case of a homeless guy who basically had gangrene in one of his legs. He actually had maggots living on the rotting flesh of his leg. I don't know what ever became of him, but let me tell you, that was one stinky leg.

My point is, blood is the least of your worries. There will be plenty of other things to "gross" you out in the course of your medical career. Wet, long, dirty hair is what usually gets me, especially if it smells.

 

[sumdaponda]

Blood's fine, give me the old surgery video or a slasher flick and I'm ready for supper.

Needles, however, are a different story!

 

[TRUE]

Originally posted by sumdaponda
Blood's fine, give me the old surgery video or a slasher flick and I'm ready for supper.

Needles, however, are a different story!

Yup...same with me.

 

[hilikus]

even thought of things like that or some awful disease freaked me out but i knew if i wanted to do this i had to get past it.

what helped me a lot was to watch surgeries on tv...i know it sounds corny but i watch a lot of discovery health channel...i go out of my way to tape shows like resident life, the critical hour, and other shows that might be on...helped me get past it...no i can look at pics of surgery and not think twice about it

 

[Zahri]

I don't mind blood so much as throw-up. I get the chills anytime anyone pukes I got use to the smell of cauterization (sp??) from watching implants and necropsies but boy oh boy throw up still bothers me. I think it would be hard not to cringe if someone puked on you too.