this is a serious question. so nobody likes vomit but i have a weird fear of it..it's almost a phobia. Is this going to be a big problem for me? How much puke do med school students encounter?
Fear of Vomit...
- Thread starter takeabow
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Well... depends. Sorry to say it, but you should speak to a professional about this. They can help with counseling. You will undoubtedly see some puke in your med school days...
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people who vomit are usually sick...doctors take care of sick people...you want to be a doctor...therefore...?
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It's called emetophobia. I don't like puke either. I actually used to be afraid of it also but as I am getting older I'm growing out of it. Believe it or not it's actually one of the most common phobias. You'll be fine.
K
kpcrew
you do know that there is a ton of vomit inside of you every time you eat right?
it just hasn't come out yet.
it just hasn't come out yet.
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You'll be okay. I'm not a fan of perirectal abscess, and I felt like I could vomit the first time I saw one I/D'ed, you become accustomed to things you aren't a fan of.
Otherwise, just stick your finger down your throat and bath in your own vomit for a little
Perirectal abscess and bathing in your own vomit...this may be my most disgusting post ever.
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I used to get the gag reflex from seeing other people gag, but now it doesn't even phase me...be optimistic about the future and your ability to get over fears or dislikes!
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I hate poo. Animal/pet poo is fine, I hate human poo. Almost phobia hate just as you said. What did I do? I shadowed a friking gastroenterologist and my overwhelming desire to impress him (i.e. not flip out while he was giving people colonoscopies) forced me to get over it pretty quickly. When you see a turd, black as the night because of an upper GI bleed or whatever being peristalsed, you figure, hey, it can't get any worse than this, and now I'm totally cool with poo. Well, maybe not totally cool, but I manage.
K
kpcrew
but there's a few pounds of poo at different stages of readiness in your intestines...
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EDIT: sorry I didn't get your point the first time I read it (distracted with a-chem ugh). As long as it wasn't in my line of vision, I was cool with it.
Usually they give you what they a Klean-Prep before that evacuates the bowels, so you don't usually see all the goods during a colonoscopy. One particular patient, however, had a mental disability and couldn't give consent to the Klean-Prep (I think that was the deal anyway), so they went in without it and had to navigate through and unending torrent of black turds until they found what they were looking for (I don't even really know what they were looking for because I was too busy trying not to pass out).
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funny
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It's all in your head. Once you feel the "yuck" coming, talk you way out of it. Think of wanting to help that person and realize that person isn't a fan of it either. I'm an EMT and I hate the smell of sick senior citizens, drenched in stuff that would make anyone gag, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Get through med school and be a shrink.
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That tells me those poor senior citizens were neglected. Neglect is a form of abuse. Otherwise, they shouldn't smell like that. When you encounter such smells, can you please ensure that those who abused these poor older people pay for what they did?
I wouldn't let it stop you from going to medical school. I am not sure if I have ever actually seen a patient vomit. I have seen the results and smelled it a few times. Generally you aren't going to be the one cleaning it up (although it could happen in medical school) but you should be able to take a quick glance at it to assess.
I'd work on the issue but it isn't like most doctors are frequently seeing people vomiting (there are anti emetics which work a lot of the time).
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He is going to be putting a lot of nursing homes, and some hospitals, out of business then, if old people smelling is proof of abuse. That, and the fact that many old people who maybe should have at least a home aid helping them out cling to living alone (not that I blame them) and therefore self-neglect is the only thing you can blame their condition on......
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In my experience, a lot less than you'll see routinely in undergrad dorms and apartment complexes on Saturday mornings. And keep in mind, that body fluid biohazards are cleaned up by support staff with special training, not you.
I used to gag at everything, now I can read this lovely thread while eating breakfast. Unfortunately, I have no idea what changed the situation, other than time. But it is definitely not a permanent characteristic of your personality.
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I know this is years later, but if anyone ever googles this question I want them to know this!
I have pretty severe emetophobia (mostly flight response, sometimes FIGHT...absolutely not an ok bedside manner haha). I really would like to be a doctor though, so I've started seeing a psychologist about it. 3 sessions in and I can already see MAJOR improvements. We are expecting about 8 sessions total and my therapist told me there is about a 95% cure rate in anyone who WANTS to be cured.
Here is a place to help on your own: emetophobiaresource
Here is a list of doctors who have emailed in saying they treat emetophobia: emetophobiahelp
^ both are orgs, but I can't post links yet I'm sorry
While I looked for doctors on that list, none in my area took insurance. I found a grad student training program at my local university that offered sliding scale payments and am REALLY happy with how well taken care of I am. They have a number of experienced advisers making plans with the grad students (who also usually have 2-3 years experience) and they do great!
Final word: you do not need to make yourself vomit to cure emetophobia. You CAN when you get to that point, but if you find a counselor whose goal is to fill you up with ipecac, feel free to say NO THANKS.
edit: 7 weeks in and I stood about 5 feet from a vomiting person yesterday! Still anxious and had to take breaks, but WOW. You can do this, stranger
I have pretty severe emetophobia (mostly flight response, sometimes FIGHT...absolutely not an ok bedside manner haha). I really would like to be a doctor though, so I've started seeing a psychologist about it. 3 sessions in and I can already see MAJOR improvements. We are expecting about 8 sessions total and my therapist told me there is about a 95% cure rate in anyone who WANTS to be cured.
Here is a place to help on your own: emetophobiaresource
Here is a list of doctors who have emailed in saying they treat emetophobia: emetophobiahelp
^ both are orgs, but I can't post links yet I'm sorry
While I looked for doctors on that list, none in my area took insurance. I found a grad student training program at my local university that offered sliding scale payments and am REALLY happy with how well taken care of I am. They have a number of experienced advisers making plans with the grad students (who also usually have 2-3 years experience) and they do great!
Final word: you do not need to make yourself vomit to cure emetophobia. You CAN when you get to that point, but if you find a counselor whose goal is to fill you up with ipecac, feel free to say NO THANKS.
edit: 7 weeks in and I stood about 5 feet from a vomiting person yesterday! Still anxious and had to take breaks, but WOW. You can do this, stranger
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