Ever get yelled at by an attending?

[ocean11]

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So far managed to not get yelled at.... except for 2 nights ago. I was the only resident in this small ED dept (we have several in our hospital) and PGY-2's have to cover this small dept of a max of 7 'not so critical but sick patients' . I had 3 attendings come in and out and tell me that they were giving me patients... that was fine... I didn't realize that the dept was actually under ONE attending... anyhow, I was pressured to keep processing these people in and out... and actually did a great job of it... UNTIL... one patient who went for a CT scan developed an anaphylactic shock to the contrast. The radiologist called us and told us he was going to give her epi... which I ordered... I paged the attending that I saw an hour earlier twice about her. didn't hear back... anyhow, she was fine, satting well, vitals ok and comfortable.... fast fwd an hour later: another attending walks in and asks about her. I proceed to tell him what happened. He became enraged that I hadn't paged him about her earlier. I felt bad b/c I didn't realize he was managing all the patients in that room. He proceeds to yell that "I should know that he's the attending in charge" even though I've never worked in this section before. Make a long story short, I was yelled at infront of the entire staff + patients. BTW... patient did great and was observed for 24 hours...

My patients came up to me (even the non-english speaking ones) to give me their condolences. I was so humiliated. The staff told me this happens with this guy all the time.

Anyhow, a day later he curbsided me and apologized.

How many of you have been yelled at? I think its so unprofessional and humiliating. Makes you feel like ****** as well. Its so funny how you can do so many good things and make so many right decisions all night and one administrative error can just ruin your entire night.

The funny thing is I was really enjoying the ED until then, thinking that I should have done a combined IM/EM program.... but that just ruined it for me.

 

[Frugal Traveler]

Not a resident yet... but in my experience, this happens to everyone at least once. The attending apologized, so that it good.

I've know great residents that were on top of everything and get yelled out for something here and there because let's face it... medicine is full of idiosyncratic people used to having it their way... so you can't please everyone.

By the, LOL at this story revolving around the ED and CT scan... so typical

It sounds like you did the right thing by taking the care of the patient and not the nebulous chain of command.

 

[SocialistMD]

So far managed to not get yelled at.... except for 2 nights ago.
How many of you have been yelled at?

Ah, the differences between IM and surgery...

Some people occasionally loose their cool and some people have no cool to lose. It is unfortunate and nearly often unnecessary, but it happens all the time. At least you got an apology. Take comfort in the fact that you weren't really doing anything wrong and forget about it.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Ah, the differences between IM and surgery...

Yeah, I was thinking wouldn't it better to ask, "who hasn't been yelled at?"

 

[DarthNeurology]

So far managed to not get yelled at....

Anyhow, a day later he curbsided me and apologized.

How many of you have been yelled at? I think its so unprofessional and humiliating. Makes you feel like ****** as well.

Wow, I was yelled at so much as a medical student, how could you go until residency without being yelled at? I was yelled at daily by one attending, yelled at by another attending on another clerkship, . . . and on and on.

It was nice that the attending apologized, but some schools make it so it is pretty much legit if attendings yell at students, happens to residents to, but less so.

I don't get why he apologized as the people who do this habitual don't have time to apologize to everybody as they yell at everybody.

While you did feel like you made a mistake, it looks bad like you don't have situational awareness and know who to page so always double check after half a year you will know the totem pole and who is in charge etc.

I feel your pain, it is hard to know what to do in a new place.

Even if it isn't your fault you have to act like it is your fault.

 

[Moonglow]

..., it looks bad like you don't have situational awareness and know who to page...

Bingo.