Do all medical students practice drawing blood on their classmates?

[ModerateMouse]

I don't mind having my blood drawn for tests, since the techs who draw it are normally quite experienced (little pain and it's over before I know it).

But, there is something about the idea of other med students practicing on me that's disturbing. What if I get a "digger" (someone who sticks the needle under my skin and then looks around for the vein)? What if the vein keeps rolling, and my partner keeps poking me over and over again? 😱

I found one thread on the topic. It seems that at some schools practicing on each other is optional. Is this true?

I just wanted to hear how this is done today at most schools. Is it optional at your school? Does everyone need to do it? Do you have dummies to practice on first before you poke your classmates?

I wouldn't be uncomfortable if someone practiced performing pelvic or rectal exams on me. Go nuts. 😛 It's just the idea of needles penetrating my skin and poking around that's unappealing.

P.S. I don't want to hear the whole "you'll be a doctor, so get used to it" rant. 😛

EDIT: of course, there is always the philosophical approach for dealing with this squeamishness. I will "practice" on patients as a resident, so sacrificing my vein for my classmate's learning is the least I can do to better understand what a patient would feel.

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[mvenus929]

I have no idea how other schools do it, but at our school, it's pretty much required. You pair up, and in order to practice on someone, you have to let them practice on you.

And they don't teach the med students how to adjust the needle, so I wouldn't be too worried about 'diggers'. Our class did it with butterflies, and if you can't get a vein with a butterfly, you're going to have a real hard time getting it any other time.

IVs we practiced on dummies. And while I'm pretty sure I can get an IV into someone, these dummies were really tough. Not at all realistic.

 

[Rollo]

It's optional to let somebody else draw blood on us, but it's mandatory to draw blood on somebody else here at PCOM.

 

[WorldChanger36]

Eh... what is the worst that cost happen.... Break off the nedle and have to dig it out. Practice a lil' surgery...

Any horror stories?

 

[TropicalKitty]

Eh... what is the worst that cost happen.... Break off the nedle and have to dig it out. Practice a lil' surgery...

Any horror stories?

This!

Now the focus of the thread!... I think I'm having an evil Friday brewing...

I do know that if I end up having people practice on me and they miss it on the first stick, they're done for. My veins shrivel and run for the hills. You'd think I was part of the zombiepocalypse with the lack of blood flow.

 

[silverhorse84]

For us it was required for our physiology lab (we tested our own blood for sugar and A1c levels). However, if your partner couldn't get you on the first or second stick (as it was with me, I'm a horrible stick!), there were nurses in each room who would do it.
I don't know how it is at other schools, but most students here are generally pretty nice if they know you're a little uncomfortable with it. One of the people at another table only tried once with his partner and wasn't a "digger" because he knew his partner really didn't like needles.

 

[avion321]

I'm in for volunteering to have my blood drawn, you can hit my veins from a mile away.

 

[orthomyxo]

Well this sounds awful. Can't I just draw my own blood? 😎

 

[WorldChanger36]

Actually it sounds like fun... just let the other person go first, staring them in the eye the whole time, making sure they know they are next...

 

[ozzi22]

Actually it sounds like fun... just let the other person go first, staring them in the eye the whole time, making sure they know they are next...

that'sthe best approach

 

[Geekchick921]

Actually it sounds like fun... just let the other person go first, staring them in the eye the whole time, making sure they know they are next...

I want to do this so bad now... think I can perfect the creepy stare Dexter has at the end of the opening sequence in a year?

 

[Isoprop]

Eh... what is the worst that cost happen.... Break off the nedle and have to dig it out. Practice a lil' surgery...

Any horror stories?

Hit a nerve. Nick an artery. Yeah, venipuncture errors can be quite serious.

 

[TropicalKitty]

Well this sounds awful. Can't I just draw my own blood? 😎

I pictured you sitting at a table with a box of crayons and paper when I read this

 

[orthomyxo]

i pictured you sitting at a table with a box of crayons and paper when i read this

 

[WingedOx]

Never had the school draw my blood, but they certainly did a good job sucking out my soul.

 

[Dr Oops]

we had to do it, its actually not that bad.

 

[mtbtx]

 

[Dr Fraggle]

We did it. And because I knew going in how to draw and was happy to teach, I had my blood drawn four times that day. Suck it up and don't forget your ammonia if you are a fainter. 😉

My very first draw ever was on my boss at the time, a family practice doc. My second was on the local cardiologist. I learned darn quick how to do it right. 😵 I had to learn to give ppd's by giving one to my boss and one to me.

 

[bacalaca]

We did it during Orientation as an Ice Breaker.... it made for some good stories

 

[tomh98]

We did it during Orientation as an Ice Breaker.... it made for some good stories

woah, that's the creepiest ice breaker I've ever heard of.


Reminds me of this woman that used to work in our lab... we needed to find some healthy volunteers around the department for an ELISA. The woman strongly resembled Mrs. Trunchbull but taller and bigger and scarier, and she would hover over people and say "Can I have your blood???"

People became afraid of her and we had to fire her. No joke.

(we did have IRB approval and there was paperwork involved before Trunchbull could whip out a needle of course...)

But anyway, I don't think the practicing on other students thing bothers me.

 

[DbDan]

I don't think I'd have any problem with my classmates practicing on me. If you can't get it right on me you are pretty much screwed. You can see my veins from a mile away No one has ever even used a tourniquet (sp?) when drawing from me

 

[MilkmanAl]

We had a phlebotomy lab, and my roommate and I drew each other's blood...after quite a lot of effort. We each stuck the other 3 times to get enough which, considering that we're both in pretty good shape and have massive veins, is pretty sad. At least we got it done. 😛

 

[DbDan]

We had a phlebotomy lab, and my roommate and I drew each other's blood...after quite a lot of effort. We each stuck the other 3 times to get enough which, considering that we're both in pretty good shape and have massive veins, is pretty sad. At least we got it done. 😛

Ya that sounds about where I'll be, at least I'm not squeemish when it comes to blood and needles. BTW, how are you an hSDN alumni and medical student when you joined in 2008 change in username? lol

 

[MilkmanAl]

Fun moderation hijinks. 🙂

 

[DbDan]

Fun moderation hijinks. 🙂

The power!! *evil laugh*

Sorry, its late I need to entertain myself at work somehow lol

 

[TallScrubs]

Seriously, drawing blood from anyone who is young is a joke.

The elderly...that is a different story. A 68 y.o. nephrologist let me take it from his hand...that was sweet.

If you're so scared, just use smaller needles.

 

[familyaerospace]

I was told in a lot of places it is optional to let them practice on you (especially if you have certain medical conditions), but you do have to do it to someone else.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

I think a lot of schools are moving towards the use of fake arms and stuff in simulation centers. At least that's what I noticed when I interviewed, and it seemed as though some of the first years hadn't done any drawing on each other.

I wouldn't mind letting people draw on me since my veins are impossible to miss. If you miss my veins, you don't belong in medicine.

 

[bioteach]

We do not practice on each other at our school. Kinda wish they did because it would be better practice, but they teach us using fake arms. During a slow call night a classmate and I practiced IVs on each other just to get better at it, but that was by choice.

 

[wolverinepwns]

I don't like being poked by a needle (although I love poking people with it!), but there is no escaping this so I'll deal with it when the time comes, I WILL HOWEVER, tell my partner that if he/she misses after the first time I'll let it slide, the second time of missing my vein however will cost her/him!

 

[MossPoh]

Most med students are terrified of the needle at first, so them really digging around is unlikely. They are usually very hesitant and apprehensive, which leads to its own set of problem.

Just doing something like flu shots is amusing enough to watch.

 

[MisterVeil]

We did it during Orientation as an Ice Breaker.... it made for some good stories

Icebreaker? Do you go to a school for vampires or something?

 

[curlytop]

We did it for a phlebotomy class at my undergrad. We practiced on fake arms first then on each other and couldn't pass until we had 10 successful draws. It's really not bad at all, no one got hurt in the slightest.

Not medical school...but we were all about 20 years old. So hopefully the extra years of life your classmates have will be comforting.

 

[Caristra]

We do not practice on each other at my school. I think a student fainted once and they decided it was too much of a liability. We practice on a fake arm instead. The we get sent out with a phlebotomist to practice on patients.