How I Met the Chief of Surgery - and other Med School Encounters!

[Doctor-S]

When I began my first week of clinical rotations a long time ago, I encountered an elderly patient, with thinning white hair, and a cane, who was waiting for a shuttle at the AMC.

Although he was casually dressed, he looked ancient (at least to me) and I noticed that he was leaning against the wall, as if he was unsteady on his feet. He was all alone and (as a newly-minted scrubs-and-white-coater on my way to clinical rounds ), I wanted to "help" this aging patient.

So, feeling inspired and charitable, I said something like, "Sir, may I help you find a shady place to sit down and rest your feet?"

Slightly annoyed, he looked at me and replied in a sharp tone, "I do this every day, and I don't need anything from you!"

Feeling humbled and foolish ... I quickly apologized to the patient and fumbled myself over to clinical rounds, feeling chastised and dismissed.

Later, I learned "the patient" was the Chief of Surgery at the AMC!

Your stories please?

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[psychMDhopefully]

? IDK, one of the gyn patients I had during my ob/gyn rotation decided to come up to me in Walmart and start a conversation. Kinda odd, knowing that I had my hand inside her not that long ago.

 

[Foot Fetish]

? IDK, one of the gyn patients I had during my ob/gyn rotation decided to come up to me in Walmart and start a conversation. Kinda odd, knowing that I had my hand inside her not that long ago.

She was hitting on you

 

[Doctor-S]

? IDK, one of the gyn patients I had during my ob/gyn rotation decided to come up to me in Walmart and start a conversation. Kinda odd, knowing that I had my hand inside her not that long ago.

@psychMDhopefully, thank you for this comment.

Like you, I have encountered some patients in public places (e.g., grocery store) - not too often, but enough times for me to appreciate the subject matter of your post.

When my patient and I encounter each other in a store, it is common for the patient to first say "hello" and then wish me a nice day, or something else benign. They are aware of patient confidentiality and know that I am the keeper of their solemn secrets - so nothing remotely "personal" is exchanged by either one of us during these "chance" public encounters.

Most of the time, these chance encounters probably feel awkward to them - after all, they identify with me as their doc, who has seen them at their worst moments, as well as their best moments. I would never want my patients to feel disrespected - in private nor in public, and certainly not by me.

So, it sounded as if you treated your gyn patient with common courtesy and respect when you encountered her in Walmart - good work and well done!

 

[racerwad]

When I began my first week of clinical rotations, I encountered an elderly patient, with thinning white hair, and a cane, who was waiting for a shuttle at the AMC.

Although he was casually dressed, he looked ancient (at least to me) and I noticed that he was leaning against the wall, as if he was unsteady on his feet. He was all alone and (as a newly-minted scrubs-and-white-coater on my way to clinical rounds ), I wanted to "help" this aging patient.

So, feeling inspired and charitable, I said something like, "Sir, may I help you find a shady place to sit down and rest your feet?"

Slightly annoyed, he looked at me and replied in a sharp tone, "I do this every day, and I don't need anything from you!"

Feeling humbled and foolish ... I quickly apologized to the patient and fumbled myself over to clinical rounds, feeling chastised and dismissed.

Later, I learned "the patient" was the Chief of Surgery at the AMC!

Your stories please?

If you are a "newly-minted" clinical medical student, why does it say "Attending" under your avatar?

 

[Doctor-S]

If you are a "newly-minted" clinical medical student, why does it say "Attending" under your avatar?

I was "newly-minted," a long time ago. In this thread, I was providing a story from my past, when I was in my 20's ... and younger than I am today.

 

[racerwad]

I was "newly-minted," a long time ago. In this thread, I was providing a story from my past, when I was in my 20's ... and younger than I am today.

Ahhh, gotcha. My reading comprehension lags behind my snarkiness My apologies.

 

[Doctor-S]

Ahhh, gotcha. My reading comprehension lags behind my snarkiness My apologies.

No worries @racerwad. I'll highlight "a long time ago" in my OP just so there is no confusion.

 

[racerwad]

No worries @racerwad. I'll highlight "a long time ago" in my OP just so there is no confusion.

If you made it impossible to jump to conclusions and eliminate baseless opinions, the internet would just be porn and anti-vaccination blogs. I gotta have something else to read during the inbetween.

 

[Strider_91]

The day of my interview, before it started I was in the elevator of the Parking garage and some guy comes in wearing a t shirt and jeans. I was on my A game and wanted to be nice to everyone who I encountered from the second I stepped out of my vehicle and casually started a conversation with him.."hey how are you" and small talk about the weather or some other bs. It turned out he had an accent and was foreign, I figured he was there to visit a patient in the hospital (I'm not sure if that's me being racist but I hope not). Some other young kid gets on the elevator at a different floor and I start chatting to him as well.

I get off the elevator and ask the kid, who seemed like he would be more familiar with the hospital if he knew how to get to the medical school. The foreign guy behind in jeans in a t shirt interupts us and just says "come with me" in a European-ish accent. I follow. He asks me if I'm interviewing for medical shool or dental and I realize this guy isn't some shmoe. As we are walking I ask him if he works at the school or hospital and it turns out he was the head of cardiothoracic surgery there. He walked me all the way to my interview and we talked the entire way which took about 5 minutes.He asked me my first and last name when our conversation ended. Idk if he said anything to anyone (he probably didn't) but I did get into that school.

 

[JustPlainBill]

So, I'm on my 3rd year EM rotation, doing it down at Memorial Herman as I was thinking about applying to that residency; I've been there just a few days and am lost in the maze trying to get to the front of the hospital. As I'm bebopping down this hallway looking for the exit, I spot someone from behind in a scrub cap, long white coat and scrubs so I politely ask,"Excuse me, can you please tell me how to get to the front of the hospital, I'm lost" -- this attending slowly turns around and looks me dead in the eye -- I must have stood there looking like an idiot as I'm face to face with Dr. Red Duke who promptly and kindly gives me directions to the front of the hospital. I noted the crossed sabers on the tank insignia of Armored Cav, recalled who this hitter was and what he did for a living, thanked him, made the left turn and went about my business.

 

[Doctor-S]

So, I'm on my 3rd year EM rotation, doing it down at Memorial Herman as I was thinking about applying to that residency; I've been there just a few days and am lost in the maze trying to get to the front of the hospital. As I'm bebopping down this hallway looking for the exit, I spot someone from behind in a scrub cap, long white coat and scrubs so I politely ask,"Excuse me, can you please tell me how to get to the front of the hospital, I'm lost" -- this attending slowly turns around and looks me dead in the eye -- I must have stood there looking like an idiot as I'm face to face with Dr. Red Duke who promptly and kindly gives me directions to the front of the hospital. I noted the crossed sabers on the tank insignia of Armored Cav, recalled who this hitter was and what he did for a living, thanked him, made the left turn and went about my business.

Thank you for sharing a memorable story @JustPlainBill.

You encountered a true icon of trauma surgery, Dr. Red Duke. I looked him up - Dr. Red Duke attended to President John F. Kennedy, after President Kennedy was shot in Dallas.

Great story - thank you!

 

[Strider_91]

Thank you for sharing a memorable story @JustPlainBill.

You encountered a true icon of trauma surgery, Dr. Red Duke. I looked him up - Dr. Red Duke attended to President John F. Kennedy, after President Kennedy was shot in Dallas.

Great story - thank you!

I just googled dr red duke and he looks exactly how you would imagine a guy who goes both by "red" and "duke" would look. Makes the Marlboro man look like a sissy

 

[JustPlainBill]

Thank you for sharing a memorable story @JustPlainBill.

You encountered a true icon of trauma surgery, Dr. Red Duke. I looked him up - Dr. Red Duke attended to President John F. Kennedy, after President Kennedy was shot in Dallas.

Great story - thank you!

Take a WAG (wild a** guess ) at who started CareFlight using the medical model from Korea/ VietNam? Dr. Red Duke.....legendary for good reason....

 

[Psai]

I just googled dr red duke and he looks exactly how you would imagine a guy who goes both by "red" and "duke" would look. Makes the Marlboro man look like a sissy

I am going to grow a mustache. And a badass personality