How Do You Deal With Anger

[arthrodisiac]

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So I'm an MS4 right now on AI, and I've probably had the worst day I've had in 2-3 years. I am so angry right now I can pretty much feel the arteries in my arms and legs and forehead pumping at rest. One of my attendings accused me today of not performing all of my responsibilities. Now, I am not one of these people that goes around deluding myself into thinking that I'm blameless and its always someone else's fault. If I screw up, and I'm accused of it, I'll do what I can to fix it and move on. But there isn't a single friggen thing that I'm not doing right now. I'm doing more work than the damn attending and residents combined. They are the laziest sacks of crap I have ever seen in my life, and If I end up having to deal with many of these types of people during my career I am going to end up in a padded room. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, and I hope this seeps out of me by tomorrow, cuz I am going to have an MI. No amount of alcohol is going to cure this, and I'd just like to see what happens to this pathetic medicine team fall apart when they stop having me to do everything while they are in the lounge or the caf.

 

[domer621]

What's AI?

 

[superoxide]

What's AI?

AI = Acting Internship (aka Subinternship)

 

[Ypo.]

Murder is always an effective option.


*KIDDING*

 

[funkless]

Sometimes you gotta get it out of your system...[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ3LFUN_e2I[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Top Gun]

I would suggest playing a violent video game like Mortal Kombat. Pretend all your opponents are your lazy attendings and residents. Then, when you play, beat the living crap out of them.

 

[Blade28]

What rotation are you on?

What are you doing that the residents aren't?

 

[deleted29780]

just perform a valsalva maneouvre ( not maneuver i am not american)

 

[arthrodisiac]

I'm on medicine with a team full of lazy fmg residents and attending. what am i doing that they arent? im having to go to other services to do abdominal taps because my team is no where to be found. im sure as hell not doing unsupervised taps. thats just an example. im much better now though. and the point of this wasnt to explain my situation, it was to find out how you all deal with stressful situations like this.

 

[blz]

I just had the worst experience in the OR today and I got shi!tted on by three surgical residents for 4 hours. It was definitely my worst experience in all of med school. Im usually pretty tolerable of people but this was beyond comprehensible. I really don't know what to do now because I thought I was set on pursuing a surgical field but with the potential to work with the clowns I was with today, derm is looking like a much better option.

 

[domer621]

I just had the worst experience in the OR today and I got shi!tted on by three surgical residents for 4 hours.

You should have just showed them a copy of your Step 1 score sheet. 😉

 

[arthrodisiac]

I just had the worst experience in the OR today and I got shi!tted on by three surgical residents for 4 hours. It was definitely my worst experience in all of med school. Im usually pretty tolerable of people but this was beyond comprehensible. I really don't know what to do now because I thought I was set on pursuing a surgical field but with the potential to work with the clowns I was with today, derm is looking like a much better option.

sorry to hear that. I almost gave up on oto after a similar experience. i think once you leave the protected arena of school and go out into the real world (which is sort of simulated by 3rd and 4th year) you slowly learn that no matter what field your in....blue collar or white collar...you will have to deal with horrible people. its definetely made me jaded about all people being inherently good. whether your in surg or derm, you will run into these types of people again. The feeling after a horrible day is sickening. you'll be ok though. I'm in philly right now, and all i have to do is walk down the street and look at those guys pushing carts full of empty cans, and my life is suddenly not so bad.

 

[DOme2009]

sorry to hear that. I almost gave up on oto after a similar experience. i think once you leave the protected arena of school and go out into the real world (which is sort of simulated by 3rd and 4th year) you slowly learn that no matter what field your in....blue collar or white collar...you will have to deal with horrible people. its definetely made me jaded about all people being inherently good. whether your in surg or derm, you will run into these types of people again. The feeling after a horrible day is sickening. you'll be ok though. I'm in philly right now, and all i have to do is walk down the street and look at those guys pushing carts full of empty cans, and my life is suddenly not so bad.

it really is better to have this experience now and learn about how people really are than to find this out 2 weeks into residency and suddenly regret the field you chose because it's full of dip****s who don't pull their own weight.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

This is maybe not exactly the most mature method but when I get crapped on by a resident/attending I usually meditate for a few minutes on just how badly they suck at life. The residents who are cool people outside of the hospital tend not to need to beat up on medical students. It sort of helps to put things in perspective when you can say, "you may have yelled at me, but at least I am going to have some plans when Friday night rolls around. Enjoy your overnight call!"

 

[TheMightyAngus]

I just had the worst experience in the OR today and I got shi!tted on by three surgical residents for 4 hours. It was definitely my worst experience in all of med school. Im usually pretty tolerable of people but this was beyond comprehensible. I really don't know what to do now because I thought I was set on pursuing a surgical field but with the potential to work with the clowns I was with today, derm is looking like a much better option.

What did they do to you? And, why?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

This is maybe not exactly the most mature method but when I get crapped on by a resident/attending I usually meditate for a few minutes on just how badly they suck at life. The residents who are cool people outside of the hospital tend not to need to beat up on medical students. It sort of helps to put things in perspective when you can say, "you may have yelled at me, but at least I am going to have some plans when Friday night rolls around. Enjoy your overnight call!"

This is exactly what I do. The thing to think is that the jerks don't win in life because it's honestly not like they can turn it off when they're in another environment. So they probably have a miserable marriage, kids who don't like them and no real friends.

 

[Blade28]

You should have just showed them a copy of your Step 1 score sheet. 😉

Don't think that would help. 🙂

 

[cdql]

Don't think that would help. 🙂

Sure it does. Sharpie-ing in "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah" usually helps too. 😛

 

[Blade28]

Sure it does. Sharpie-ing in "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah" usually helps too. 😛

Now THAT I agree with! 🙂

 

[Top Gun]

Sure it does. Sharpie-ing in "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah" usually helps too. 😛

Yeah, but how do you know those residents didn't get scores that were equally high or even higher? They might not think those Step 1 scores that you got were a big deal.

 

[cdql]

Yeah, but how do you know those residents didn't get scores that were equally high or even higher? They might not think those Step 1 scores that you got were a big deal.

You can always photoshop an additional zero after your score.

My 1900 was an all time NBME-high.

😀

 

[cbass1350]

It always helps if you don't look at yourself as a victim and don't take things personally. Oh and did you say you do more work than the resident and the attending combined?

yeah...

 

[arthrodisiac]

It always helps if you don't look at yourself as a victim and don't take things personally. Oh and did you say you do more work than the resident and the attending combined?

yeah...

the very fact that you dont consider this possible means you are an as s, or you have never worked with fmg's. A lot of them know less than medical students, and managed to squeek through everything by getting a 186 on each of the boards. There are fmg's in my own family that I am ashamed of....i.e. (what is ringworm uncle? It is a parasite.) So don't give me a sarcastic "yeah" because I AM doing more work than all of them combined.

 

[Shinken]

the very fact that you dont consider this possible means you are an as s, or you have never worked with fmg's. A lot of them know less than medical students, and managed to squeek through everything by getting a 186 on each of the boards. There are fmg's in my own family that I am ashamed of....i.e. (what is ringworm uncle? It is a parasite.) So don't give me a sarcastic "yeah" because I AM doing more work than all of them combined.

Wow...No offense, but this is absolutely hilarious.

 

[cbass1350]

the very fact that you dont consider this possible means you are an as s, or you have never worked with fmg's. A lot of them know less than medical students, and managed to squeek through everything by getting a 186 on each of the boards. There are fmg's in my own family that I am ashamed of....i.e. (what is ringworm uncle? It is a parasite.) So don't give me a sarcastic "yeah" because I AM doing more work than all of them combined.

This speaks volumes about you. As a future physician, I pity the poor people who have to work with you.

 

[gas man mann]

just try to remember that tomorrow is a new day

 

[arthrodisiac]

This speaks volumes about you. As a future physician, I pity the poor people who have to work with you.

Thanks for your pity

 

[Hard24Get]

Thanks for your pity

Yup, don't you hate when you start a thread to rant and people attack or psychoanalyze you?

Being angry during one's acting internship is only natural

vigorous exercise (ie, kicking/punching) before and after going in helps, as does taking extra sleep & veg time for yourself. Not to mention fantasizing about it being over. 😛

Is that your kiddo in your avatar? If so, that should decrease your stress a bit - what a cutie! 😍

 

[Mallory Weiss]

There is NOTHING that can get rid of your anger better than putting on some boxing gloves and wailing away on one of those heavy punching bags they have at the gym until you are so tired you can't lift your arms. I've only done it once so far, but it was very therapeutic.

"Talking it out" isn't very good, because it makes you focus on it, and you should try to start letting it go instead.

Also, when I am upset because someone has criticized me, I remember a patient I had once. Back when I was in nursing school, I made a minor mistake and my nursing instructor talked to me about it. She really wasn't mean, but I was devastated that she had to correct me, so as she left, I ducked into my patient's room and tried to hold back tears. My patient noticed that I was about to lose it. He said "Back when I worked as a welder, there was this one supervisor that used to criticize me all the time. I thought it was because I was black, and he was white, and so every time he criticized my work, it made me angry. I started having trouble at work because of all of my anger. Then, one day, I decided to change my own outlook. Every time he criticized me, I listened. I would change what I was doing each time. After a while, I became the best welder that the company had, and it was because I had learned from each time he criticized me. When the company began laying off welders, I was the last one working there, because I was the best."
Honestly, that's the best advice I had ever gotten. It really helps me to listen to the criticism objectively and not get angry. Even if the criticism is totally unfounded, you can ask yourself what you have done to give this person that impression, and what you can do to change it.

 

[Gem134]

👍

I think Mallory has it just right. I had a hard time with anger in the begining of my clinical work. Some people aren't very good teachers and their comments on my work was less teaching and more along the lines of "what is wrong with you? why don't you already know how to do this? You are never going to 'get it.' " Having had a previous life before school, I was not used to comments like that. Especially when it is your first rotation, or early into your second. Not much teaching but lots of extraneous ****. Possibly even emotional dumping by an immature resident or attending.

Medicine doesn't tolerate 'anger' in underlings and so it is an excellent skill to be able to somehow diffuse these feelings. The feelings are natural and appropriate - of course you should be mad when you really are doing someone one else's work - but we cannot show it.

I try to learn from the feedback I get, like the welder above. I smile when I do someone else's work for them and they take the credit. In the end, you can be the bigger person and know that people can see what is really going on. Each person's behavior reflects only on them. If you maintain your dignity and grace under pressure, can smile and be friendly to them despite their poor behavior, you will have learned a good skill for the future.

 

[Tired]

Medicine doesn't tolerate 'anger' in underlings and so it is an excellent skill to be able to somehow diffuse these feelings. The feelings are natural and appropriate - of course you should be mad when you really are doing someone one else's work - but we cannot show it.

Wrong. Anger is tolerated as long as it is directed down, not up. Residents can go after interns, interns can go after students, MSIVs can go after MSIIIs.

For the MSIIIs, it's a little more difficult. I would recommend looking for student nurses or recent grads. Radiology techs are okay too. Avoid CT techs or anyone who works behind a desk (ironically they outrank attendings, since they control access to departments).

Remember the basic rules: No swearing, and nothing that can be construed as sexual or racial harassment. If anyone tries to bust you for getting angry, just say that you felt your patient's well-being was threatened.

 

[leechy]

Wrong. Anger is tolerated as long as it is directed down, not up. Residents can go after interns, interns can go after students, MSIVs can go after MSIIIs.

This is so true. People grasp onto any minor difference in status as an excuse to treat you poorly. I even got yelled at by a sub-i (I took a risk and argued back in that instance, but that might have been risky).

I'm on ob/gyn right now, and basically I've had negative, nasty encounters with just about everyone, from nurses to residents to scrub techs to anesthesiologists. Occasionally their comments are justified, but more often they are just idiotic. Example: nurse asks me to get baby scale on my first day of ob, i ask her where it is, and she yells at me for not knowing. Like I'm supposed to be clairvoyant.

My trick for dealing with anger is to consider these people as basically wild animals (or dumb animals, depending on the situation). You don't feel angry at an animal for being mean, dumb, or lazy, and you can't personalize it either, really. That strategy has been working decently for me in recent times.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Sleep with the attending's girlfriend.

 

[howelljolly]

How do you deal with anger when it's because of patients?

I saw a patient yesterday what wanted us to change their asthma medications because they were having 5-6 attacks daily for the last two months. "What changed in the last two months", you ask? Patient now smokes pot 5 times daily. "Perhaps if the patient refrained from smoking pot 5 times a day, they might not have an exacerbation of asthma 5 times a day", you say? NO! Its your job to manage the patient's meds so that they can have the lifestyle they desire.

How do you deal with this sort of thing and not want to give up?

 

[RockfordWF]

So I'm an MS4 right now on AI, and I've probably had the worst day I've had in 2-3 years. I am so angry right now I can pretty much feel the arteries in my arms and legs and forehead pumping at rest. One of my attendings accused me today of not performing all of my responsibilities. Now, I am not one of these people that goes around deluding myself into thinking that I'm blameless and its always someone else's fault. If I screw up, and I'm accused of it, I'll do what I can to fix it and move on. But there isn't a single friggen thing that I'm not doing right now. I'm doing more work than the damn attending and residents combined. They are the laziest sacks of crap I have ever seen in my life, and If I end up having to deal with many of these types of people during my career I am going to end up in a padded room. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, and I hope this seeps out of me by tomorrow, cuz I am going to have an MI. No amount of alcohol is going to cure this, and I'd just like to see what happens to this pathetic medicine team fall apart when they stop having me to do everything while they are in the lounge or the caf.

You should probably try doing some elective rotations at places where people aren't like this. They do exist.

 

[jdh71]

I just had the worst experience in the OR today and I got shi!tted on by three surgical residents for 4 hours. It was definitely my worst experience in all of med school. Im usually pretty tolerable of people but this was beyond comprehensible. I really don't know what to do now because I thought I was set on pursuing a surgical field but with the potential to work with the clowns I was with today, derm is looking like a much better option.

Don't let the emotional defectives get you down. They don't know any better. It's actually tragic and sad that surgeons act like that. I just feel sorry for them.

 

[ocean11]

Dude! I totally sympathize, I had the worst sub-intership from HELL in July! I was at this hospital with yes 100% FMG (althogh in their defence most were fantastic) but the one that I got stuck with was a total doochbag! He made us do ALL the work, he did hardly anything, in addition.... on our call nights he slept and told us to 'sign for him' which is illigal. He would yell at me often and only gave me one patient b/c he didn't think I was 'competent' he hated my guts and would often tell me 'how dissapointed he was in me' and how I was 'unacceptable'. Finally I stopped caring, the experience made me stronger for sure! during the SAME rotation an attending hit on me and was totally sleazy! Although, he made my life a little easier and scutted out residents instead of me LOL b/c he was hoping I would date him!.....thankthfully it was towards the end of the rotation. I will never again EVER rotate there..... it is the WORST place on earth! I did well overall, but I still harbour terrible feelings about that place, I've never had an experience like that since and all my medicine rotations since have been wonderful! my 'second' sub-I done as an audition elective was AWSOME! great people.... so at the end of the day you realize it really isn't you, but the $hitty residents or attendings that are pissed that you are a US grad or that they are stuck in a horrible place..... etc etc... bottom line is.... and best advice I EVER got.... they CAN'T stop time! you will pass and you will eventually become a doctor and just take it one day at a time.... you'll be ok!

 

[Brian Griffin]

Dude! I totally sympathize, I had the worst sub-intership from HELL in July! I was at this hospital with yes 100% FMG (althogh in their defence most were fantastic) but the one that I got stuck with was a total doochbag! He made us do ALL the work, he did hardly anything, in addition.... on our call nights he slept and told us to 'sign for him' which is illigal. He would yell at me often and only gave me one patient b/c he didn't think I was 'competent' he hated my guts and would often tell me 'how dissapointed he was in me' and how I was 'unacceptable'. Finally I stopped caring, the experience made me stronger for sure! during the SAME rotation an attending hit on me and was totally sleazy! Although, he made my life a little easier and scutted out residents instead of me LOL b/c he was hoping I would date him!.....thankthfully it was towards the end of the rotation. I will never again EVER rotate there..... it is the WORST place on earth! I did well overall, but I still harbour terrible feelings about that place, I've never had an experience like that since and all my medicine rotations since have been wonderful! my 'second' sub-I done as an audition elective was AWSOME! great people.... so at the end of the day you realize it really isn't you, but the $hitty residents or attendings that are pissed that you are a US grad or that they are stuck in a horrible place..... etc etc... bottom line is.... and best advice I EVER got.... they CAN'T stop time! you will pass and you will eventually become a doctor and just take it one day at a time.... you'll be ok!

I also happen to be rotating at a place in which the internal medicine program is comprised of 100% FMGs... and I hate to seem like I'm making generalizations about FMGs (because like ocean11 said, most of them are very nice and good about teaching)... but the intern I happen to be working with is just miserable. Pretty much every other intern I've worked with in other specialties and hospitals has been very friendly and easy to get along with. I can't say that I'm *angry* all the time (mostly because I stopped taking it personally after the first week)...but I'm not having a pleasant experience. I almost wish I could say that she makes me do all of her work...then maybe I'd be getting some good experience...but no, it's the total opposite situation. She pretty much just constantly excludes me and I can tell she thinks I'm totally incompetent. And I know I should just "be more assertive" or whatever, but it's hard when someone makes it painfully obvious that they don't want you around no matter how many times you offer to help or do things. But one thing I'm noticing after being in third year for a few months now is that the people who are nasty or miserable to me act like that towards everyone, so I know for sure not to take it personally. This particular intern is unfriendly and acts like she has a superiority complex when she deals with the nurses, the patients, and even the other residents.

One thing that's helping me get by is to try to sort of latch onto other people who are more into teaching (which is hard when they're not on my team, but sometimes opportunities come up). I'm mostly just getting a little worried about how my evaluation is going to look, specifically if this intern has input in it, and even more importantly, I'm worried that I'm not learning enough and I'm going to be behind in my skills/knowledge level for my next rotation. 🙁

 

[misery]

How do you deal with anger when it's because of patients?

I saw a patient yesterday what wanted us to change their asthma medications because they were having 5-6 attacks daily for the last two months. "What changed in the last two months", you ask? Patient now smokes pot 5 times daily. "Perhaps if the patient refrained from smoking pot 5 times a day, they might not have an exacerbation of asthma 5 times a day", you say? NO! Its your job to manage the patient's meds so that they can have the lifestyle they desire.

How do you deal with this sort of thing and not want to give up?

Everyone on earth has a purpose for their life and existence. Some are merely here to train doctors how to take care of productive members of society. If you don't agree go wall through the Trauma ICU.

 

[howelljolly]

Everyone on earth has a purpose for their life and existence. Some are merely here to train doctors how to take care of productive members of society. If you don't agree go wall through the Trauma ICU.

Nice. I just wish that those "teaching service" patients didnt make me so darn cranky.

 

[ForbiddenComma]

(edit) second thoughts about laying out the details of my problem... let's just say that not all bosses are created equal 🙄

 

[chagall]

I have another problem...I need to learn how to deal with patient-related sadness. Too many people with massive strokes (or strokes in just the wrong places) with nice, hopeful families...I have to hold back tears a good part of the day lately, even when talking with them. Yikes...

 

[Tired]

I have another problem...I need to learn how to deal with patient-related sadness. Too many people with massive strokes (or strokes in just the wrong places) with nice, hopeful families...I have to hold back tears a good part of the day lately, even when talking with them. Yikes...

Rule #4.

 

[Doowai]

In my twenties I worked security in a real dive bar. Several fights every night. The first time I spoke with my mother in law (who is a super sweet super religious woman) I was all pumped up from this fight with 3 guys I got into and knocked this one guy out so that his eyes were all rolled up in his head - I was all excited and got on the phone and told her about it. I am amazed she let me marry her daughter. But you learn alot about people doing security

Anyway one thing I learned in life - guys who get dumped on ask for it. In all my rotations I never had someone dump on me - of course I am older and that may be part. I have owned several successful businesses - made more money than many of my preceptors. They knew I did much martial arts, won many championships, and one preceptor in Phoenix googled my name prior to my starting my rotation and saw I have been in virtually every martial arts magazine. So that may have been part of it.

I also did a psyche elective in the prison hospitals in Phoenix. Many studies on violent criminals show that when they watch film of people and asked whom they would pick as violent crime victims, they almost unanimously pick the same people - so if you find you are getting picked on, find out what message you are sending out to the universe that says : I am a wuss, pick on me. Then change the message - be the type of person whose physical presence demands enough respect that when they correct or teach you they do it with some respect, or that they don't lead you on scutwork snipe hunts, or when someone asks for volunteers you are left when everyone takes one step back. Right now they have you pegged as some punk who they can dump on. Anger lets you know something is going wrong - if you are being abused on a daily basis you must be begging them to abuse you.

You sound good at dealing with anger - people who don't deal with anger well get in trouble - you are too "nice" to get in trouble. Sounds like anger is a frequent problem - because you are often frustrated. What you sound like you have a problem with is getting frustrated or knowing how to gain respect in social situations. This is OFTEN a problem with medical students - they got where they are by being good with the books ("my favorite column on the periodic chart is the noble gasses") - when in reality medicine is a people profession. They are good at memorizing junk. but poor at recognizing social lines.

If that does not work stick a toothpick in their drivers door lock (if they don't have remote electric locks on their cars - but why would they, they are FMG's so they must be backwards), then they will leave their car unlocked - then poor some condensed milk into their air vents - whewee talk about stink when they run their heater. Just kidding - don't do this.





BTW - I am a FMG. Many FMG's have dealt with junk many AMG's just can't - especially eastern Indian FMG's - putting chest tubs in their 2nd year, dealing with leprosy

 

[Doowai]

I was at this hospital with yes 100% FMG (althogh in their defence most were fantastic) He made us do ALL the work, he did hardly anything, ..... and only gave me one patient b/c he didn't think I was 'competent'

So ALL the work was ONE patient? It seems like either he gave you all the work.....or he gave you one patient. If he really only gave you one patient, then you actually were entrusted with very little work.

Does this seem contradictory to anyone else - or do just AMG's think this way?

 

[The Buff]

Does this seem contradictory to anyone else - or do just AMG's think this way?

Yes, all AMG's think exactly the same way. We are, in fact, just one multi-headed autonomous machine. 🙄

 

[Myempire1]

When I am that frustrated, I go run a 10K.... you can't be mad after running 10k. If that doesn't work for some reason, I usually go to the shooting range or skeet shooting.

My exposure to residents is much more limited than your's, but if I had to put in my 2 cents.....Physicians are notoriously hard people to work with. I know plenty of doctors who were disliked socially during their youth (whether it be due to arrogance or just a low social aptitude). And there are plenty who seem to have lost all patience and personable qualities through the course of their overwhelming and difficult training. Such physicians may have no interest in interacting with you; unless you fit into the algorithm they have devised for themselves, you are nothing to them. There is nothing you can do about that but grow a thick skin, do whatever they want, find aspects of what you are doing that you like, and have fun.

But usually, there are people who have some humanity left in them... even if they are post-call, Parkinsonian, and affect-less. Eventually, you can get to these people. I partially agree with Doowai about one thing: if you have an aura that commands respect, then you are less likely to feel dumped on. For example, you are not likely to get any respect for what you know, because you are outranked by and may know less than your seniors. However, you can command respect with other things. A resident might notice that you have an overwhelming interest in and passion for what you are doing. They might notice that you are very meticulous and careful. They might notice that you stay working when you've been dismissed or that you are reading a review article on something they probably should be reading about.

In the end, I'd say: don't worry about it and grow a thick skin. You are there to learn something. If you feel that you have been dumped on and screwed by your residents, treat yourself to something extra to learn [i did this... I was pissed off so I left to check out a patient and chart on a rare disease..]

I am sure this may come off as naive, amd am sure I will be burned out by the end of this year. But, I hope never to be a jaded, stone-face, asocial physician.

 

[808premed]

I just had a terrible 3rd year clinical skills test experience and even ended up crying a bit during the exam (bad experience for other reasons than my performance), and have been feeling bad all day. Reading people's postings are helping me get passed my feelings of inadequacy and feeling like I don't want to go on. Thanks everyone! 😳

 

[tony montana]

Prayer!

 

[persia]

I try and find a quiet place inside myself, where I hold my true self worth. When I am with family and friends, I can bring it out and be myself. Yippee!

When I am in the hospital, sometimes I can bring some of it out but mostly I put on a pleasant mask of benign, friendliness. I smile, I don't say much. I say things like: 'oh my gosh, that is so interesting!' or whatever. If someone is being a pig, and insulting me or whatever I smile and say 'thank you so much for the feedback. I really appreciate the opportunity to learn from my mistakes.' or whatever. Sometimes, I feel compassion and sadness for the really weird and mean people. How uncomfortable it must be to walk around in their skin, and have people cringe when they see you coming. That must be a sad way to live, and I don't think I would like that.

But I always protect that place inside me where I know my true value lives. There are lots of wonderful people in medicine, but there are equally as many meanspirited, cruel (unhappy?) people. I try and walk extra gently around the latter, but actively seek out the former. 😉