Doubts about whether I have the mental acuity to be a good doctor

[Wiesal]

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I scribe/assist in procedures at a clinic. My mistakes lead to the loss of two biopsies (not life-threatening). One thing that I've learned during my time at this clinic is how common medical mistakes are. This is true for all levels of professionals (physicians, pathology transcriptionists, pathologists, scribes, etc).

I try to keep this in mind when facing my mistakes. But if I'm losing specimen tissues and bottles, am I cut out for medicine? Am I a risk?

 

[ferrouswheeler92]

You're overthinking it. Just use this as an opportunity to grow, and as always try to never make the same mistake twice.


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[Wiesal]

You're overthinking it. Just use this as an opportunity to grow, and as always try to never make the same mistake twice.


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Thank you. I overthink it, because the situation could've been worse. Instead of the tissue it was, it could have been a potentially aggressive, malignant tumor that we encounter every so often. It's hard to get over.

 

[Goro]

Everyone makes mistakes. Just don't make the same mistake more than once.

I scribe/assist in procedures at a clinic. My mistakes lead to the loss of two biopsies (not life-threatening). One thing that I've learned during my time at this clinic is how common medical mistakes are. This is true for all levels of professionals (physicians, pathology transcriptionists, pathologists, scribes, etc).

I try to keep this in mind when facing my mistakes. But if I'm losing specimen tissues and bottles, am I cut out for medicine? Am I a risk?

 

[Kpw101]

I was in a similar situation my first gig as an EMT when I overlooked something (non-threatening) but beat myself up over it for a couple of days because I kept thinking that I was just lucky that it wasn't a serious life-threatening mistake. I got over it quick because I reminded myself that there are moments like this in any field. If you let it hurt your confidence and you don't learn from it, you're just setting yourself up for more mistakes.

 

[pseud0]

Just a bit of a nitpick, pathologists are physicians

Keep going..mistakes happen. it's life!

 

[Sardinia]

I scribe/assist in procedures at a clinic. My mistakes lead to the loss of two biopsies (not life-threatening). One thing that I've learned during my time at this clinic is how common medical mistakes are. This is true for all levels of professionals (physicians, pathology transcriptionists, pathologists, scribes, etc). I try to keep this in mind when facing my mistakes. But if I'm losing specimen tissues and bottles, am I cut out for medicine? Am I a risk?

Yes, you are a risk. But so is every candidate that medical schools pick. Humans are walking risk bombs waiting to implode into giant disappointments. The friction of dealing with responsibility over a human life means that the benefits are sometimes maintaining homeostasis and the downsides are traumatic losses in patient function.

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Everyone makes mistakes, the challenge is to own up to it and make sure you take steps so you don't make the same mistakes again.

 

[libertyyne]

I scribe/assist in procedures at a clinic. My mistakes lead to the loss of two biopsies (not life-threatening). One thing that I've learned during my time at this clinic is how common medical mistakes are. This is true for all levels of professionals (physicians, pathology transcriptionists, pathologists, scribes, etc).

I try to keep this in mind when facing my mistakes. But if I'm losing specimen tissues and bottles, am I cut out for medicine? Am I a risk?

Mistakes happen. How can the process be improved to prevent it from occurring again? That is the question you should be asking and use this incident to make the process better for other people. I can assure you if you made this mistake others will as well.