Dealing with Obnoxious Classmates on the Wards

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Kalydeco

Kalydeco

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Hey SDN,

Lend me your ears. During my clerkships, I feel like I have yet to be paired on a team with a normal human being. The folks I rotate with:
  • Talk about completely irrelevant things at inopportune or straight up inappropriate times (no, classmate, I do not want to loudly discuss Ivanka Trump's physique outside this patient's room, within earshot of housestaff; no, classmate, I do not want to watch that SNL skit with the sound on in the touchdown room; yes, classmate, I did complain about that assignment to you privately but i don't want to continue the conversation here where the clerkship director can hear us... etc.)
  • Complain about elements of rotations, even other residents/attendings, in the presence of residents and attendings
  • Interrupt constantly and take credit for things, even when questions are very obviously directed at me
I can be pretty patient when my grade depends on it, but sometimes even my tolerance for these people runs out. Also, I'm concerned about guilt by association. I take heroic measures to politely dissociate myself from these clowns but I'm worried that my evaluators just remember "the medical students" as a collective when they write reviews. Finally, it's just annoying to put up with when I just want to keep my head down, participate in patient care, work hard, and learn. Is it too much to ask to rotate with people who can behave like adults?

Just needed to vent. Hopefully others experience this.
 
Welcome to third year.

I'm pretty good friends with all my classmates so I've never had to deal with the whole competing for questions thing. Everyone in my class knows to not answer unless it's directed at you.

In terms of inappropriate discussions and the SNL video thing... I've actual told a classmate to stop/to kindly shut up. Idgaf because if they are being immature infront of the faculty and involving you it makes both of you look bad. Even though I've been a pretty big dingus (and they have deserved it) it didn't hurt my relationship with them at all. In fact it probably got them better Evals too because they stopped acting like a child. And when you do get a free chance and are in private you can say, "hey about that video id like to see it."

Never complain about assignments or anything school related to a classmate. Unless it's a close friend just keep it to yourself.
 
Kalydeco said:
Hey SDN,

Lend me your ears. During my clerkships, I feel like I have yet to be paired on a team with a normal human being. The folks I rotate with:
  • Talk about completely irrelevant things at inopportune or straight up inappropriate times (no, classmate, I do not want to loudly discuss Ivanka Trump's physique outside this patient's room, within earshot of housestaff; no, classmate, I do not want to watch that SNL skit with the sound on in the touchdown room; yes, classmate, I did complain about that assignment to you privately but i don't want to continue the conversation here where the clerkship director can hear us... etc.)
  • Complain about elements of rotations, even other residents/attendings, in the presence of residents and attendings
  • Interrupt constantly and take credit for things, even when questions are very obviously directed at me
I can be pretty patient when my grade depends on it, but sometimes even my tolerance for these people runs out. Also, I'm concerned about guilt by association. I take heroic measures to politely dissociate myself from these clowns but I'm worried that my evaluators just remember "the medical students" as a collective when they write reviews. Finally, it's just annoying to put up with when I just want to keep my head down, participate in patient care, work hard, and learn. Is it too much to ask to rotate with people who can behave like adults?

Just needed to vent. Hopefully others experience this.
Click to expand...

You don't want to discuss how hot ivanka trump is? You sound like the weird one...
 
Most attendings and residents can distinguish between individual students. Just take a look around the room before expressing any tone other than a chirpy, curious one.

Unfortunately, however, a lot of doctors cannot tell when one student is "hogging" opportunities to demonstrate medical knowledge. There's nothing for this but to be quick on your feet and firm when a question is asked of you.
 
Get used to it. Today's med students are tomorrow's attendings. Today's attendings don't seem that great either.
 
sliceofbread136 said:
Get used to it. Today's med students are tomorrow's attendings. Today's attendings don't seem that great either.
Click to expand...

With the agenda of many admissions committee members and faculty, could you expect any less? Students often end up bitter. I've seen many friends and even a couple of family members turn into cynics largely due to the process. That's not even talking about the 6000% increase in tuition above inflation. It is ridiculous
 
Every single rotation I had, the other med students, both male and female, went ballistic screaming and yelling at me. They even stooped so low as to suggest I was a dumb bimbo because I wore designer silk clothes (that I bought at Target), high heels, earrings, and makeup everyday, and then they started pimping me with impossibly difficult questions in front of the attending.

I did not fight back, I just quietly answered all of their questions correctly, with a very lengthy explanation including current research for each one, and they all got quiet, hung their heads, stared at their shoes, looked like idiots...and then walked away. LOL.
 
PrettyDoc82 said:
Every single rotation I had, the other med students, both male and female, went ballistic screaming and yelling at me. They even stooped so low as to suggest I was a dumb bimbo because I wore designer silk clothes (that I bought at Target), high heels, earrings, and makeup everyday, and then they started pimping me with impossibly difficult questions in front of the attending.

I did not fight back, I just quietly answered all of their questions correctly, with a very lengthy explanation including current research for each one, and they all got quiet, hung their heads, stared at their shoes, looked like idiots...and then walked away. LOL.
Click to expand...

If everyone doesn't like you...
 
PrettyDoc82 said:
Every single rotation I had, the other med students, both male and female, went ballistic screaming and yelling at me. They even stooped so low as to suggest I was a dumb bimbo because I wore designer silk clothes (that I bought at Target), high heels, earrings, and makeup everyday, and then they started pimping me with impossibly difficult questions in front of the attending.

I did not fight back, I just quietly answered all of their questions correctly, with a very lengthy explanation including current research for each one, and they all got quiet, hung their heads, stared at their shoes, looked like idiots...and then walked away. LOL.
Click to expand...

If one person says you're a horse, ignore it.

If two people say you're a horse, consider it.

If three people say you're a horse, buy your ass a damn saddle.
 
teeayejay said:
Second time I've seen this quote today. The cosmos are trying to tell me something....
Click to expand...
The cosmos is trying to tell you you're a horse. This is you dude:
27007659_825t.jpg
 
Kalydeco said:
Hey SDN,

Lend me your ears. During my clerkships, I feel like I have yet to be paired on a team with a normal human being. The folks I rotate with:
  • Talk about completely irrelevant things at inopportune or straight up inappropriate times (no, classmate, I do not want to loudly discuss Ivanka Trump's physique outside this patient's room, within earshot of housestaff; no, classmate, I do not want to watch that SNL skit with the sound on in the touchdown room; yes, classmate, I did complain about that assignment to you privately but i don't want to continue the conversation here where the clerkship director can hear us... etc.)
  • Complain about elements of rotations, even other residents/attendings, in the presence of residents and attendings
  • Interrupt constantly and take credit for things, even when questions are very obviously directed at me
I can be pretty patient when my grade depends on it, but sometimes even my tolerance for these people runs out. Also, I'm concerned about guilt by association. I take heroic measures to politely dissociate myself from these clowns but I'm worried that my evaluators just remember "the medical students" as a collective when they write reviews. Finally, it's just annoying to put up with when I just want to keep my head down, participate in patient care, work hard, and learn. Is it too much to ask to rotate with people who can behave like adults?

Just needed to vent. Hopefully others experience this.
Click to expand...
Who cares? 3rd year sucks, just keep ur head down and hope it ends soon.

Sent from my SM-N910P using SDN mobile
 
Recently I was in the elevator at the academic medical center that I work at, I was delivering controlled substances up to the floor. I had some iv midazolam, fentanyl, methylphenidate, methadone, and Librium, and a few ms3's hopped on with me and this dude looks at me and says "now he has the good stuff!"

Adding some levity around stressed out classmates is understandable, but I've found that hospitals have a caste system. The grunts (laundry, dining services, house keeping, janitorial) always keep to their own, just as most attendings would never say a word to them either, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, just as most of the pharmacists I work with will never socialize with the "grunts".I think medical students should follow suit; be reticent, and mindful of what you say and who you say it to (granted the ms3 had no clue I'm a pharmacy student, he just knew that I was a pharmacy technician, but he sounded like an idiot)
 
Penguin Fan said:
Recently I was in the elevator at the academic medical center that I work at, I was delivering controlled substances up to the floor. I had some iv midazolam, fentanyl, methylphenidate, methadone, and Librium, and a few ms3's hopped on with me and this dude looks at me and says "now he has the good stuff!"

Adding some levity around stressed out classmates is understandable, but I've found that hospitals have a caste system. The grunts (laundry, dining services, house keeping, janitorial) always keep to their own, just as most attendings would never say a word to them either, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, just as most of the pharmacists I work with will never socialize with the "grunts".I think medical students should follow suit; be reticent, and mindful of what you say and who you say it to (granted the ms3 had no clue I'm a pharmacy student, he just knew that I was a pharmacy technician, but he sounded like an idiot)
Click to expand...

This is why I only talk to other non-binary MS4's on the same rotation as me, who have completed their clerkships in the exact same order as me, and are both the same astrological and Chinese symbol as me.
 
Penguin Fan said:
Recently I was in the elevator at the academic medical center that I work at, I was delivering controlled substances up to the floor. I had some iv midazolam, fentanyl, methylphenidate, methadone, and Librium, and a few ms3's hopped on with me and this dude looks at me and says "now he has the good stuff!"

Adding some levity around stressed out classmates is understandable, but I've found that hospitals have a caste system. The grunts (laundry, dining services, house keeping, janitorial) always keep to their own, just as most attendings would never say a word to them either, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, just as most of the pharmacists I work with will never socialize with the "grunts".I think medical students should follow suit; be reticent, and mindful of what you say and who you say it to (granted the ms3 had no clue I'm a pharmacy student, he just knew that I was a pharmacy technician, but he sounded like an idiot)
Click to expand...
I'm sorry. What is your point?
 
jw3600 said:
I'm sorry. What is your point?
Click to expand...

I think it was that if someone tells a joke you don't think is funny, no one of that person's rank and career path should ever speak to anyone of your rank and career path again.

Also, you should be mindful of what you say, lest that person turn out to be someone important (like a pharmacy student, for example).

Also, common laborers are "grunts" who are not to be spoken to (I'll keep this in mind when it's time for me to interview - my knowledge of this tidbit of etiquette will surely impress).

This all ties in to the thread topic because he's an obnoxious classmate that people don't want to deal with.
 
Penguin Fan said:
Recently I was in the elevator at the academic medical center that I work at, I was delivering controlled substances up to the floor. I had some iv midazolam, fentanyl, methylphenidate, methadone, and Librium, and a few ms3's hopped on with me and this dude looks at me and says "now he has the good stuff!"

Adding some levity around stressed out classmates is understandable, but I've found that hospitals have a caste system. The grunts (laundry, dining services, house keeping, janitorial) always keep to their own, just as most attendings would never say a word to them either, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, just as most of the pharmacists I work with will never socialize with the "grunts".I think medical students should follow suit; be reticent, and mindful of what you say and who you say it to (granted the ms3 had no clue I'm a pharmacy student, he just knew that I was a pharmacy technician, but he sounded like an idiot)
Click to expand...

Wow, sounds like he was just trying to joke around with you. It happens all the time. Most people without a chip on their shoulder would joke along. Its not like patients or even attendings (they'd probably be laughing too) were around to hear it.

I think you read far too into this benign event. Like do you really think they knew you were even a pharmacy tech? Do they even really know the difference in terms of duties of a pharmacy tech and pharmacy student? My guess is that most (sheltered) med students wouldn't, despite the fact that its such an important distinction to you at this moment (it probably won't be after you graduate).

Knowing your place is one thing, but even the fact you called other staff "grunts" that you and your pharmacist buddies would never associate with is a little telling.
 
Penguin Fan said:
Recently I was in the elevator at the academic medical center that I work at, I was delivering controlled substances up to the floor. I had some iv midazolam, fentanyl, methylphenidate, methadone, and Librium, and a few ms3's hopped on with me and this dude looks at me and says "now he has the good stuff!"

Adding some levity around stressed out classmates is understandable, but I've found that hospitals have a caste system. The grunts (laundry, dining services, house keeping, janitorial) always keep to their own, just as most attendings would never say a word to them either, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, just as most of the pharmacists I work with will never socialize with the "grunts".I think medical students should follow suit; be reticent, and mindful of what you say and who you say it to (granted the ms3 had no clue I'm a pharmacy student, he just knew that I was a pharmacy technician, but he sounded like an idiot)
Click to expand...
your and idiot
 
You people really are something else. Guess how young the patient getting the versed is?

And never mind the well dressed, quiet old man, walking down the hallway by himself in the cancer center today (I deliver chemo too) not knowing how much longer his wife has left to live.

You stay in your niche, and never see the hard work that's done behind the scenes, yet you complain more than anyone. God forbid I say what I think, or I'll be berated on sdn, oh wait I don't give two f**ks....You'll get over it. I'm done with this thread because the only thing I care about are the patients I serve.
 
Penguin Fan said:
You people really are something else. Guess how young the patient getting the versed is?

And never mind the well dressed, quiet old man, walking down the hallway by himself in the cancer center today (I deliver chemo too) not knowing how much longer his wife has left to live.

You stay in your niche, and never see the hard work that's done behind the scenes, yet you complain more than anyone. God forbid I say what I think, or I'll be berated on sdn, oh wait I don't give two f**ks....You'll get over it. I'm done with this thread because the only thing I care about are the patients I serve.
Click to expand...

First, are you on "the good stuff" right now? Second, if you say what you think of what others say (the "MS3s"), don't complain when other people have opinions of what you say.
 
This guy sounds like he should be no where near 'serving' patients. Get some help dude, I'm sure pharmacy school isn't helping whatever unresolved issues you're harboring
 
Penguin Fan said:
You people really are something else. Guess how young the patient getting the versed is?

And never mind the well dressed, quiet old man, walking down the hallway by himself in the cancer center today (I deliver chemo too) not knowing how much longer his wife has left to live.

You stay in your niche, and never see the hard work that's done behind the scenes, yet you complain more than anyone. God forbid I say what I think, or I'll be berated on sdn, oh wait I don't give two f**ks....You'll get over it. I'm done with this thread because the only thing I care about are the patients I serve.
Click to expand...

Buddy, you're wound way too tight. You somehow equated someone making a joke about pharmaceuticals to somehow joking about a patient's medical condition. What you don't realize is that every freakin one of us sees terrible things happen to patients on an almost daily basis. If we spent every aspect of our lives ruminating on anything related to the terrible things we see, we wouldn't function, and you know what, neither would patients. Don't mistake an innocuous joke about meds to not caring about patients and their serious medical conditions.

Hell, if we couldn't joke about anything related to medicine, everyone walking around the hospital would be sulking in a corner, and that's a great environment in which to promote healing, am I right?

Take it easy. You're young yet.
 
Penguin Fan said:
Recently I was in the elevator at the academic medical center that I work at, I was delivering controlled substances up to the floor. I had some iv midazolam, fentanyl, methylphenidate, methadone, and Librium, and a few ms3's hopped on with me and this dude looks at me and says "now he has the good stuff!"

Adding some levity around stressed out classmates is understandable, but I've found that hospitals have a caste system. The grunts (laundry, dining services, house keeping, janitorial) always keep to their own, just as most attendings would never say a word to them either, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, just as most of the pharmacists I work with will never socialize with the "grunts".I think medical students should follow suit; be reticent, and mindful of what you say and who you say it to (granted the ms3 had no clue I'm a pharmacy student, he just knew that I was a pharmacy technician, but he sounded like an idiot)
Click to expand...

Dude are you kidding me?! Don't you ever watch scrubs...

There is a very robust and complex system of social interaction between janitorial services and medical staff. It usually involves silly pranks, but on occasion can escalate to sabotage and even in rare cases a janitor may impersonate themselves to be a medical doctor.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Penguin Fan said:
Recently I was in the elevator at the academic medical center that I work at, I was delivering controlled substances up to the floor. I had some iv midazolam, fentanyl, methylphenidate, methadone, and Librium, and a few ms3's hopped on with me and this dude looks at me and says "now he has the good stuff!"

Adding some levity around stressed out classmates is understandable, but I've found that hospitals have a caste system. The grunts (laundry, dining services, house keeping, janitorial) always keep to their own, just as most attendings would never say a word to them either, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, just as most of the pharmacists I work with will never socialize with the "grunts".I think medical students should follow suit; be reticent, and mindful of what you say and who you say it to (granted the ms3 had no clue I'm a pharmacy student, he just knew that I was a pharmacy technician, but he sounded like an idiot)
Click to expand...

No offense, but you sound like a tool.
 
Penguin Fan said:
Recently I was in the elevator at the academic medical center that I work at, I was delivering controlled substances up to the floor. I had some iv midazolam, fentanyl, methylphenidate, methadone, and Librium, and a few ms3's hopped on with me and this dude looks at me and says "now he has the good stuff!"

Adding some levity around stressed out classmates is understandable, but I've found that hospitals have a caste system. The grunts (laundry, dining services, house keeping, janitorial) always keep to their own, just as most attendings would never say a word to them either, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, just as most of the pharmacists I work with will never socialize with the "grunts".I think medical students should follow suit; be reticent, and mindful of what you say and who you say it to (granted the ms3 had no clue I'm a pharmacy student, he just knew that I was a pharmacy technician, but he sounded like an idiot)
Click to expand...

You don't by chance go to NYU do you? Resident I had in research was very much like you and shocked that I would ask him to do something in the basic science lab research project because I'm a med student. He figured out that outside of the hospital he is not my superior just like you need to figure out that you're not my superior inside or outside of the hospital. Also you speak like a spoiled brat child who has never had to work one of the "grunt jobs", you should really learn some respect.
 
****, If medical school doesn't allow you to joke around then I'm gonna be screwed... Half the stuff that comes out of my mouth are jokes. I guess I spent to much time around trauma bay nurses and ER/Trauma docs... they're straight ruthless comedians!
 
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