Free Medical Advice

[docB]

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The "MD on checks" thread had a lot of people saying that they try to keep their profession hidden from others in social situations to avoid the free advice problem. I'm right there with them but I think that this is mainly because I worry about liability more than being taken advantage of. I don't want to hear from the plaintiff on the stand, "Well, DocB and I were drinking at a party and he said I'd probably be OK so I never sought help and now I'm all jacked up. Gimme his house."
A buddy of mine came up with an interesting way of dealing with this when a woman kept bugging him about her sore throat at a bar. He had tried all the standards, "Yeah, you should probably be seen.", "You ought to check with YOUR doctor." etc. and nothing worked. Finally he said in a relatively loud voice, "Maybe it's gonococcal pharyngitis. Do you have oral sex with lots of sketchy guys?" Problem solved.

 

[DR]

While I am not surprised that most thought it unnecessary to do the M.D. on the checks thing (as I too thought it was), I do find it a little interesting how so many are preoccupied with the mission of hiding their accomplishments, and profession. Although I agree that there is no need to flaunt it (especially in a society that probably has a large number of people who have some negative feelings toward M.D.'s), I also tend to feel that after all the hard work and sacrifice, and after all the devotion to a job that has its roots in a deep desire to help people, I don't always understand the "Clark Kent" phenomenon (not the SD member!). I get the point that people don't want to appear as though they are 'special', or to brag; however, if it is to a degree that one avoids bringing it up in conversation whenever possible (as some have said), then one wonders: are they a) truly a bit ashamed, b) embarrassed, or possibly c) really feeling 'special', and are purposely overly down-playing it since they in fact feel the opposite. While I don't think it is necessary to go around with it printed on my forehead, I also do not avoid talking about it at all costs...it's my job! Anyway, I just found it interesting is all.

 

[TeleoDeum]

😀 TO give credit where it is due, I believe this was an Ann Landers quote/story. A doctor was constantly being hounded for free medical advice by a female friend at a cocktail party, She would not take no for an answer and the usual brush off lines did not work. Finally, in front of his spouse and hers, he said in a loud voice, audible to most of the room, "OK Jan, why don't you go in to the bedroom, take off all your clothes, and I'll be there shortly!"

 

[mikecwru]

Originally posted by TeleoDeum
😀 TO give credit where it is due, I believe this was an Ann Landers quote/story. A doctor was constantly being hounded for free medical advice by a female friend at a cocktail party, She would not take no for an answer and the usual brush off lines did not work. Finally, in front of his spouse and hers, he said in a loud voice, audible to most of the room, "OK Jan, why don't you go in to the bedroom, take off all your clothes, and I'll be there shortly!"

This isn't academia. Credit is only due when you've actually heard the story. I've never heard of this one, but I've used stuff similar to the clap pharyngitis someone mentioned.

The first day of med school, they tell you how the white coat, etc, magically opens people up to you. This is unfortunately very true, even without the coat once people know. I've had too many friends/family come up to me asking about their ass problems, erectile dysfunction. Kind of disturbing, actually.

mike

 

[Annette]

Didn't SDN's very own Womansurg have a very edited letter appear in Dear Abby not too long ago about this very same problem?

 

[womansurg]

Originally posted by Annette
Didn't SDN's very own Womansurg have a very edited letter appear in Dear Abby not too long ago about this very same problem?

Yes I did . I think someone copied it on a thread, so it's in the archives somewhere.

 

[docB]

Stories, urban legends, etc. go round and round. As for this episode my friend said this to a girl in a bar in front of several other people I know who all corroborated it. If it was truly original or not I can't say.
Some of these things just happen over and over. We've all heard the story about the woman who stabbed her husband and was arrested. When he died at the ER she was told by the police that she was to be charged with murder. Her reply was, "That bastard! I stabbed him before and he never died." That's the urban legend (was also in the movie The Big Easy).
Well I had these 2 guys come in, one shot in the leg and one in the belly. The leg wasn't too bad but the belly wound needed an exlap and the guy was 350+ lbs with no neck and had to be trached for an airway. I went and told his buddy, "He's pretty sick. He's in the OR. They had to cut a hole in his neck and he may not make it." I swear this guy's answer was, "Damn, he been shot lotsa times and didn't get hurt. I figured this was no big deal."

 

[fourthyear]

funny stories - i like them all!

To reply to DR, I guess I am kinda embarrased depending on who I'm talking to. If I'm in a group of professional people, I'll readily admit what I do. But if I'm talking to acquanintences I barley know, I am afraid it will come off as bragging. Sometimes people would be okay with my answer "I'm still in school" and if they asked further I'd say medical school. Now I just moved to start residency and strangers keep asking why I moved and I say for work and leave it at that. I just don't see a need for the clerk at the store or the man who cleaned my gutters to know. I guess I'm afraid they'll think I'm showing off my education level or my big money they might assume I have.

Mabey this comes from when I was growing up in a low-mid class area and my parents actually were relatively well-off in comparison to the other kids families (although my parents are not well-off in comparison to my college or med school classmates by any stretch). Anyway, I always learned it was nice to not make a show of having things others didn't have-expensive brands, whatever. I once had a friend get mad at me in 5th grade b/c I wore a new Guess jean jacket AND 2 swatch watches to school and she thought I was trying to act too cool. Okay, it was 5th grade, but it's also human nature that carries to adulthood. I just have found it's easier to make friends and get along with acquaintences better if you don't shove anything in their face that says "I have something you only could wish you had".

Additionally, I dont' like to start the discussion of medical education with people who know nothing about it - they ask how long does it take for school, then residency - then there's that difference between all specialties and the length of residency, then they ask what residency you want to do - maybe they truly are interested, but 3 minutes into the explanation I think they're just being polite at this point and they're probably totally bored with me, so I wish I didn't have to explain. I always wish I were a better lier and just said I was in nursing school b/c everyone knows what nurses do - there's not much explaining needed.

 

[edinOH]

I agree fourthyear, that is kind of my take on things as well.

Many times, I just don't want to get into the specifics about my education and career path. Most of the time I would just tell people that "I'm a student" and try to leave it at that. I'm like you in that when I'm in a group of other professionals or relatively educated people, I don't mind mentioning what it is I do. Otherwise I have found its best to be as vauge as possible. I think I do this to avoid coming off as "better than you" or whatever. It is hard to casually mention you are in medical school, or more recently, that you are a physician. It seems like whenever I say this people invariably look at you differently as either, really smart, really rich, or really stuck up. Since I am none of those things, I hate being put in the position where others might perceive me as such. Plus when the topic does come up, usually at a party or other social gathering, I just love it when I tell people I am going into EM and their next question is, "so you aren't going to go for a specialty?" (When this happens, I can't help but think of poor Greg Focker being asked about the "MCATs" by his future father-in-law 😀 ) At this point I usually just smile, nod my head, and grab another drink.

 

[ApacheIndian]

Whenever this happens to me I say:

1) I'm a Caribbean grad... you sure you still want my advice? 😛

... and if that doesn't shake 'em I say:

2) How would I know!? I'm going into Radiology (looking exasperated) 😡 !

😎

 

[Tazmaniac]

But wait a minute...they're the ones who asked! Their fault, not yours. Go right on ahead and tell them. Most people aren't THAT impressed. I think med students, residents, doctors can easily delude themselves in thinking, well, hey, my grandeur is so full of luminescence that they'll be blinded and shirk away in jealous awe. They're not going to remember you the next day anyways, what with that margarita and all.

It would be interesting to see which specialties get the most annoying follow-up free advice questions. If a someone was revealed to another as a psychiatrist, would they prompt for free psychiatric advice/therapy? I'd imagine derm people get random strangers baring themselves: "Look at this welt on my butt! See it?" Peds docs might get annoying whiny parents on how to deal with their bratty or antisocial or promiscuous child, etc? Maybe I'm completely off.

-Todd MS IV

 

[WaitingForJuly]

I agree with Taz, medicine is a respectable field but I don't think it carries with it the awe and jealousy in the general population that people here are assuming. It's one thing to skirt the issue to avoid the annoying free-advice questions, but no one is going to think you're bragging if they ask you what you do and you tell them. Using it as a pickup line though is bragging and poorly done at that.

The only time I've been asked a rads-specific advice question was when my mother insisted on getting my interpretation of her knee MRI. I dread the day when people start carrying around their films on their PDAs - "uh... well I guess that pixel could be a lung CA, how do you adjust the windowing on this thing?"