Illness and medical school

[deleted4401]

Being sick just does not jive with medical school. I just tried it the last few days.

Survived through a full day yesterday, but felt like ass all day. Missed my first lecture/lab today, but made it for "Foundations" (our version of "How to be a doctor". I missed the lecture and lab on the breast and pectoral region. Damn. Lymphatic drainage of that area was begging to be learned by me.

Bottom line: don't get sick in medical school. It sucks. If you don't believe me, try it. I promise it sucks.

Simul
Tulane Med '05
-swearing off sickness, at least for this year

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[elle]

After reading your post, I just wanted to say I hope you are feeling better!

 

[MDgonnabe]

Originally posted by SimulD:
•Being sick just does not jive with medical school. I just tried it the last few days.
•

How'd you get sick so soon? And I thought that all med students were superhuman in the immune dept.

I'm nowhere near getting into med school, yet I can begin to feel your pain. I was never sick enough to need a doctor's visit once in my childhood. But after living in a dorm for four years I've contracted pretty much any and everything you can think of. This past year in particular has been rough. Gastroentiritis, the flu, sinusitis, ear infections, strep throat... you name it! And I know it screwed me on the MCAT since I was sick that day. I can't even imagine what it would be like in med school!... Does anyone know of a place to buy an isolation bubble?

~"Bubblegirl" MDwannabe

 

[ckent]

If you want to avoid getting sick, it's not so much just breathing the same air as sick people as it is getting germs on your hands. You'd be surprised how often people get their food contaminated with their hands while they are eating (even when eating with a fork and knife) or drinking, and then of course there is wiping your mouth or nose with your hand. All of these spread infections much more readily then just breathing the same air. That's why we are supposed to wash our hands before and after we see patients, for our protection and the patient's protection. I think that doctors don't get as sick as you would expect them to because they are always washing their hands and they have built up a strong immune system over they years.