How to approach gross anatomy lab teammate who doesn't prepare at all

[curlycorday]

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Hi all,

I am a first year student, and two girls in my lab group out of 4 total completely fail to prepare for lab everyday. In fact, our group has been kicked out of the lab twice because they were late and because they wore miniskirts and heels to lab instead of the mandatory pants and closed shoes. They don't take dissections seriously except right before an exam, when they expect the 4th partner (he is fed up as well) and I to tutor them on 3 weeks of material! 👎 I'm so frustrated with them, and I have mentioned that they need to be prepared when they come to lab, and they don't take it seriously. I am wondering if I should approach the professor, or confront them a second time. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[chopper]

Hi all,

I am a first year student, and two girls in my lab group out of 4 total completely fail to prepare for lab everyday. In fact, our group has been kicked out of the lab twice because they were late and because they wore miniskirts and heels to lab instead of the mandatory pants and closed shoes. They don't take dissections seriously except right before an exam, when they expect the 4th partner (he is fed up as well) and I to tutor them on 3 weeks of material! 👎 I'm so frustrated with them, and I have mentioned that they need to be prepared when they come to lab, and they don't take it seriously. I am wondering if I should approach the professor, or confront them a second time. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

You've got a bit of a tricky situation. I personally would not go to the prof over this. You'll just get a bad rep in class, and the professor will more than likely tell you in some sort of way to fix the problem yourself anyway.

I would NOT help them before the test. Just blow them off until they get the message that you are not available to give them help. I don't think you will ever get anything out of these two, so just have you and your other partner know everything you can and try not to think about the wastes-of-space.

Good luck

 

[SitraAchra]

If they want you to tutor them, just do it on your terms and let it be a reinforcement towards your own studying. If it's only the first or second time they see it, they're gonna fail anyways and you will get the benefit. Teaching something is one of my fav. study habits

 

[SuperTrooper]

Hi all,

I am a first year student, and two girls in my lab group out of 4 total completely fail to prepare for lab everyday. In fact, our group has been kicked out of the lab twice because they were late and because they wore miniskirts and heels to lab instead of the mandatory pants and closed shoes. They don't take dissections seriously except right before an exam, when they expect the 4th partner (he is fed up as well) and I to tutor them on 3 weeks of material! 👎 I'm so frustrated with them, and I have mentioned that they need to be prepared when they come to lab, and they don't take it seriously. I am wondering if I should approach the professor, or confront them a second time. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

are they hot?

 

[logos]

I would relax and let them do what they will. You have no responsability to teach them, but I wouldnt go about making yourself look bad to everyone by making a big issue out of it. Different people learn things in different ways. Some wait until right before a test, others like to study a little everyday.

 

[nosugrefneb]

You certainly don't have to spend time teaching them if they aren't putting effort into teaching themselves, as others have said, and if you're going to talk to anyone, you should talk to them directly and let them know what your expectations are going forward.

However, I learned the best by far during my anatomy course by teaching my labmates, and they learned by teaching me. In fact, we had reviews after we were finished with a day's dissection with one person going over everything we did and the others either asking questions if they were unsure or making corrections if they felt solid. I know how frustrating it can be when you feel like you're working harder than other people, but you'd be surprised how much teaching them reinforces your own knowledge.

 

[45408]

Just talk to #4 and decide to come in on an off day, and skip the actual lab. Those two will show up and go 😕

 

[raidermedic]

You don't want to get a bad rep in the class which unfortunately you will if you do anything. So just go about your business until you are done with lab. If they ask for help and you don't feel like it then tell them you have something that has to be taken care of and let them learn it on their own.

 

[raidermedic]

Just talk to #4 and decide to come in on an off day, and skip the actual lab. Those two will show up and go 😕

Do it on the GI day and let them tie off the bowls.

 

[Vox Animo]

Don't tutor them. Let them fail. I hate laziness.

 

[androman]

are they hot?

This was the first question that entered my head as well.

Assuming you are a male: If they are hot I would keep doing what u are doing to score yourself some major points with them and their friends. Unless you are a total tool, all the help you are giving them could pay off when you guys are all out at a bar drinking after exams. 👍

Assuming you are a female: Keep doing what you are doing and help lab partner #4 hook up. 👍

 

[jennben4]

This was the first question that entered my head as well.

Assuming you are a male: If they are hot I would keep doing what u are doing to score yourself some major points with them and their friends. Unless you are a total tool, all the help you are giving them could pay off when you guys are all out at a bar drinking after exams. 👍

Assuming you are a female: Keep doing what you are doing and help lab partner #4 hook up. 👍

This is awful!! Way to teach them that flagrantly disobeying the rules and slacking off PAYS. They aren't worth your time. If girls in your class are prancing around in mini-skirts and heels, just hit on another one that actually does her share and isn't a flake! You CAN find the best of both worlds. Sheesh. All in all, I agree that teaching and group quizzing is an excellent way to learn. Just do it with others that show up to do the work as well. They will know their stuff better so the teaching becomes a 2 way street. WIN-WIN for you! They are also more deserving of your time than the other two. Don't bother going to a prof, they'll just tell you to deal with it on your own. You've obviously brought this up with them and they still don't get it. I had a similar issue with a partner expecting to be taught and I just blew 'em off. Worked like a charm. She knew that I meant business and was there to learn. If they don't get it now.... they will come third year when some attending rips 'em a new one. Hang in there.

 

[Law2Doc]

This is awful!! Way to teach them that flagrantly disobeying the rules and slacking off PAYS.

If they are hot they are going to find somebody to tutor them and be grateful to, so they will do fine either way. Might as well be the OP.

 

[jennben4]

If they are hot they are going to find somebody to tutor them and be grateful to, so they will do fine either way. Might as well be the OP.

Yeah, but that kind of behavior is so obvious & people (girls) notice. When they move on to the next piece of meat and leave him in the dust, then what? More of the same, hopefully with some kind of benefit to him? Anybody worthwhile is going to pass him by for being a skirt-chasing cop-out. Better to snub these chicks now, show some kind of integrity, and get himself a like-minded hottie. The odds are MUCH better for a.... positve turnout, so to speak.

 

[Dr Who]

DONT go to a professor over this. You will end up getting a bad rep in the class. The two girls will most likely fail anatomy as it is, so let the inevitable happen. What you can do to make the situation a bit better and look like a nice guy/ girl in the process is to tutor them as they ask, but like one of the the above posters said, on your own terms. That way you will be "helping" your classmates, but more importantly review the structures in the cadavers. Then when somebody asks (and they will) you can say it was too bad that they failed, but as a good teammate you did try to help.

 

[medicomel]

Just talk to #4 and decide to come in on an off day, and skip the actual lab. Those two will show up and go 😕

i'd be afraid to see what the cadaver looked like after they had a go at it.

 

[WatchingWaiting]

I wouldn't count on these girls failing. An exceedingly small number of med students fail anything, and when they do, it is usually due to poor study techniques as much as poor length of time studying. It's also a fact that in this situation, it sounds like you have the opportunity to do all the dissecting yourself. If you view this as a fun opportunity, rather than a chore (e.g.: "I get to play budding surgeon"), you'll have a fonder gross anatomy experience. It does happen in groups where all 4 people are hyper-prepared that there are personality conflicts over who gets to do what, and it can be as unpleasant for all parties as what you're describing.

In short, since you and your partner sound like you are on top of things, you should prepare well for the dissection and take charge of things during the lab. Let them mostly watch and read you instructions from the dissector during the session. I have no idea why if your partners were dressed inappropriately, you would get kicked out of the lab, instead of they get sent to the changing room to put on their scrubs.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

give them wrong info

 

[Shredder]

they wore miniskirts and heels to lab instead of the mandatory pants and closed shoes

Sound like great partners to me, might as well skip out with them. I find the books much more valuable than dissection anyway.

 

[THP]

Being late sucks but in my anatomy group no one ever prepared ahead of time. We just went with the flow during the lab. We all did fine and I think my knowledge of anatomy is fine.

 

[jennben4]

If you view this as a fun opportunity, rather than a chore (e.g.: "I get to play budding surgeon")

I did a TON of dissecting without having to elbow people out of my way. Teaching is an excellent way to learn and remember, but doing the dissecting yourself (especially if you have a surgical interest) is also crucial. I could see the dissection in my mind come test time and remember my thoughts as I was cutting and worrying about destroying neighboring structures. The spatial relationships became super easy.... and I still remember them. 😀

 

[dynx]

are they hot?

Jesus man, they're in medical school, of course they aren't.

Advice: do the dissecting yourself and learn it. Let them do what they want, dont feel obligated to help them and dont feel like they are obligated to show up to lab and help you dissect.

 

[jennben4]

Jesus man, they're in medical school, of course they aren't.

Hey, I resent that!