First day as a civilian physician...

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

in a decade (since I graduated from medical school) at a renowned civilian academic medical center. And I spent the day completing online training modules and on hold with the "help desk".

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[Perrotfish]

in a decade (since I graduated from medical school) at a renowned civilian academic medical center. And I spent the day completing online training modules and on hold with the "help desk".

You left the military to go into academic medicine. That's like breaking up with an alcoholic to date a meth addict.

 

[colbgw02]

You left the military to go into academic medicine. That's like breaking up with an alcoholic to date a meth addict.

I ended up in academia, and, at worst, you've got your addicts switched. Military medicine is the meth addict in your scenario (we're considering meth to be worse than booze, right?). And while a certainly see and hear things that remind me of the same problems I saw in the Army, they're just shadows and echoes. The degree of difference is substantial. So, if anything, academic medicine is more like a cigarette smoker or a rude gum chewer.

 

[Perrotfish]

I ended up in academia, and, at worst, you've got your addicts switched. Military medicine is the meth addict in your scenario (we're considering meth to be worse than booze, right?). And while a certainly see and hear things that remind me of the same problems I saw in the Army, they're just shadows and echoes. The degree of difference is substantial. So, if anything, academic medicine is more like a cigarette smoker or a rude gum chewer.

I was going for humorous over exaggeration to express my opinion that academia and military medicine share many of the same problems. I wasn't really trying to say that one was better than the other, or that either one is actually as bad as dating meth addict.

 

[colbgw02]

Yeah, I was tracking the hyperbole. My post wasn't so much for you as it was for the people who might not know that we're joking, albeit with a hint of truth.

 

[pgg]

LOL

I'm on a yearlong FTOS fellowship parole, and I had the exact same thought and experience with orientation / online training modules.

But. I suspect that this place won't make me redo it all every 2-3 months . I once had to repeat a dozen or so unexpired modules in October because the good idea fairy at the command decided everyone should be on a fiscal year schedule, and then I had to do them all again in January because a different fairy thought everyone should be on a calendar year schedule.

 

[d2305]

At least no one will watch you pee.

 

[HighPriest]

unless you pay them.

 

[WernickeDO]

 

[HighPriest]

It's only the beginning

 

[deuist]

Civilian jobs still make you do CBT's for corporate compliance training, but the pace of inprocessing/outprocessing is much quicker. For my civilian moonlighting job, orientation took 4 hours. All of my passwords were set and ready to go the moment I showed up. Compare that to my military job where inprocessing took 3 weeks, I had to go from one department to another to get signatures, and the hospital had not begun work on my privileges despite knowing for months that I was coming.

 

[j4pac]

I had to do about 15 modules as part of my orientation at a world recognized civilian hospital. The difference is that it only took about 2 hours to complete them and I'm done for the year. The military modules are long and frequent. Not to mention the required in person GMT and standdowns. I don't suspect that I'll be doing any LIMDUs or med boards. No non medical meetings.

Apples and oranges.

 

[HighPriest]

I've never spent more than a couple hours in processing at a civilian facility. I'm sure some are longer, some shorter. But as stated, once I'm done, I'm done - not repeating it again in three months. But more importantly the staff makes it their prerogative to help you get set up. 8:00 not good for you? How about 10:15? You can't be in house on Thursday? Let's set up a teleconference at your convenience. Whatever it takes to get you seeing patients, because THATS HOW WE GET PAID.

Contrast that to the Army: we offer this course on the third Thursday of the month at 0800. It's full every time. Show up at 0500 to wait in line, or we won't let you in. We use a conference room that seats 30, but 90 people show up every time. We won't reschedule. Even though we could provide all of this information in an e-mail, you must be here. You cannot work unless you do this. If our employee is sick, we will cancel the course, and you will find out at 08:30 on the day it is scheduled. We will make sure you know that we think you're an @$$hole for showing up when the class was secretly cancelled.

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

Contrast that to the Army: we offer this course on the third Thursday of the month at 0800. It's full every time. Show up at 0500 to wait in line, or we won't let you in. We use a conference room that seats 30, but 90 people show up every time. We won't reschedule. Even though we could provide all of this information in an e-mail, you must be here. You cannot work unless you do this. If our employee is sick, we will cancel the course, and you will find out at 08:30 on the day it is scheduled. We will make sure you know that we think you're an @$$hole for showing up when the class was secretly cancelled.

I've been stationed at places like that, but its not everywhere. I'll never forget the first time one of my old departmental NCOICs walked into my office and told me to "sign here". I asked him what I was signing and he told me it was the attendance sheet for the 3 hour resiliency course he had just finished teaching. My look of incredulity must have been so arresting that he said by way of explanation, "I figure that the mission here at the hospital is taking care of patients, not sitting in training sessions, and I figured that if you got home at a reasonable time tonight that might make you more resilient".

I had to do about 15 modules as part of my orientation at a world recognized civilian hospital. The difference is that it only took about 2 hours to complete them and I'm done for the year. The military modules are long and frequent. Not to mention the required in person GMT and standdowns. I don't suspect that I'll be doing any LIMDUs or med boards. No non medical meetings.

Apples and oranges.

Every time I hear the bells of Plummer peal I'll think of you, dutifully completing internet training modules on the awesomeness of Dr. Will and Dr. Charlie.

Lowenstein... Lowenstein...

 

[HighPriest]

I've been stationed at places like that, but its not everywhere. I'll never forget the first time one of my old departmental NCOICs walked into my office and told me to "sign here". I asked him what I was signing and he told me it was the attendance sheet for the 3 hour resiliency course he had just finished teaching. My look of incredulity must have been so arresting that he said by way of explanation, "I figure that the mission here at the hospital is taking care of patients, not sitting in training sessions, and I figured that if you got home at a reasonable time tonight that make you more resilient".



Every time I hear the bells of Plummer peal I'll think of you, dutifully completing internet training modules on the awesomeness of Dr. Will and Dr. Charlie.

Lowenstein... Lowenstein...

It shouldn't - and doesn't have to - be that way anywhere. That's the problem. So far 2 of 3 have been that way from my experience.

 

[j4pac]

Every time I hear the bells of Plummer peal I'll think of you, dutifully completing internet training modules on the awesomeness of Dr. Will and Dr. Charlie.

Lowenstein... Lowenstein...

As is tradition...the way the good lord Mayo desired it.

 

[Kilgoretrout 65]

in a decade (since I graduated from medical school) at a renowned civilian academic medical center. And I spent the day completing online training modules and on hold with the "help desk".

How much did you pay for the parking permit? $500?

 

[Shikima]

How much did you pay for the parking permit? $500?

Physicians don't pay, all others must.
Unless you're at the VA, then it is the other way around....

 

[HighPriest]

yeah. I've had parking privileges at 7 civilian hospitals. I've never paid for any of them, and I've never been asked to park as far away from the facility as possible (the Army standard).

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

How much did you pay for the parking permit? $500?

I wasn't required to shell out for a parking pass. The amount that I had to shell out for a "professional civilian wardrobe" on the other hand... You know my proclivities Kilgore, so lets just say that certain Cabela's purchases were put in abeyance. Ah sweet irony, my wife has complained for the entirety of our marriage that I dress like a schlub, and now that I'm required to demonstrate a bit of sartorial elegance for a year, she's not around to see it.

If you can, put your ave atque vale off 'til the end of the summer so I can attend. If you can't though, you, me, and our perpetually aggrieved comrade will have to find a mutually agreeable date to pickle our livers.

 

[d2305]

I heard that Mayo requires a suit every day, and you can't take off the coat.

 

[Shikima]

I heard that Mayo requires a suit every day, and you can't take off the coat.

So much for my cargo pants and Hawaiian shirt combo.

 

[j4pac]

I heard that Mayo requires a suit every day, and you can't take off the coat.

If you are a physician...you SHALL wear your suit into the building, and when in interacting face to face with a patient in a non-procedure setting. This includes jacket, slacks, button down shirt, tie, and non-flashy socks. Scrubs outside the hospital...unauthorized. Interacting with patients without a jacket is unauthorized except for approved personnel. I've seen people bike in who get away with not wearing format clothing.

But it's the price of admission. Best hospital in the world...I'm pretty confident in that. Walt Disney created a world for children...the Mayo Brothers created a world for healthcare providers and patients. Unless you work here...you can't wrap your mind around it.

 

[HighPriest]

Wearing a suit every day sounds fantastic to me. And better than the monkey suit I wear now. If they made a scrub suit, I'd wear it. I realize I'm not in the majority on this point.

 

[WernickeDO]

 

[Kilgoretrout 65]

I did my fellowship at large midwestern hospital and I was offered the cheap parking permit for $395. For that bargain price you parked a long way from work and caught the shuttle from the parking lot ala BAMC in 2008. I told them I didn't want it and that I would walk/ride a bike to work.
The joys of commuting that way are not to be underestimated. I only had to warm up by walking through the fitness center once that winter.