I'm just curious . . .

[Fleur1]

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I probably have two questions.

So, I've been questioning myself lately about medical studies in general. I am currently in such a hospital setting that I'm working and training in two departments. I have noticed that there are sooo many things I still have to learn. No, it didn't come as a surprise. I know that medical studies are never really over etc etc. BUT, every single day I come back home with a long list of what I should study next,what skills I should be mastering. It's overwhelming. Is that too much? What is the limit? Does anybody out there feel like I do?
Second, I haven't decided what specialty I will go into. I found all the departments I did up to now interesting. I think this is why I feel that I should be learning everything. Because, if i were in only one specialty, I would only be learning that and my mind would be focused on one thing..I guess!
Also, i find that after learning something theoretically and not practicing int that domain for some time, I forget.(big surprise) So i asked smebody more experienced than I and his ans was that I will know when I get in my specialist-training program and I will concentrate on that what i like/want. So then I'm thinking if that's the way it is then why do we study for all these years for general medicine and then have to decide to enter, say cardiology, and forget a large percentage of what we actually studied in med school only to remember cardiology? 😱

 

[turquoiseblue]

it is common to forget what you learned. you will recall things you forgot once you start working as a resident and build upon what you learned. med school is just a foundation, nothing you have to be having a perfect memory for. we are all human, not computers--although if you have a photographic memory things may come easy for you, but not all of us have that ability. nonetheless you can still survive.

 

[Law2Doc]

I probably have two questions.

So, I've been questioning myself lately about medical studies in general. I am currently in such a hospital setting that I'm working and training in two departments. I have noticed that there are sooo many things I still have to learn. No, it didn't come as a surprise. I know that medical studies are never really over etc etc. BUT, every single day I come back home with a long list of what I should study next,what skills I should be mastering. It's overwhelming. Is that too much? What is the limit? Does anybody out there feel like I do?
Second, I haven't decided what specialty I will go into. I found all the departments I did up to now interesting. I think this is why I feel that I should be learning everything. Because, if i were in only one specialty, I would only be learning that and my mind would be focused on one thing..I guess!
Also, i find that after learning something theoretically and not practicing int that domain for some time, I forget.(big surprise) So i asked smebody more experienced than I and his ans was that I will know when I get in my specialist-training program and I will concentrate on that what i like/want. So then I'm thinking if that's the way it is then why do we study for all these years for general medicine and then have to decide to enter, say cardiology, and forget a large percentage of what we actually studied in med school only to remember cardiology? 😱

Are you in residency? Although you list yourself as a resident, this isn't the kind of question usually seen at the resident level.

Truth of the matter is that in medicine you train to be a doctor first, and a specialist second. Same is true in any profession. In law school you learn about all kinds of law before you specialize in one and then often subspecialize. But you still benefit from being a lawyer generally even if you end up only using a small facet of that background in your daily work. Med school isn't a vocational school where you simply learn the skills you need for a particular task. It isn't Apex Tech where you learn to work on the big rigs. You learn medicine, and everything you ought to know to be able to call yourself a doctor. You become a generalist first, and later you can specialize if you so choose. It is short-sighted to say, "gee, if they trained me solely in cardiology right after college, I wouldn't have to waste my time with all that extraneous information, like what's going on with the rest of the body".

But guess what, disease and pathology don't affect a single organ system. It doesn't do the patient any good if his cardiologist can't realize that what he's really suffering from is infection or neoplasm in another part of the body. Or that his heart is beating funny as a sequella to his liver or kidney problems. And so on. A generalist appreciates this, a person who specializes too early doesn't. And you actually will be surprised what you still have in your memory from med school when you need it. Something will strike you funny and jar your memory just enough to make you look something up and make the diagnosis. So I would suggest that without some degree of generalist education (the more the better), you can never hope to be a good doctor. And if you are not a good doctor, you simply won't be able to be a good cardiologist.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Are you in residency? Although you list yourself as a resident, this isn't the kind of question usually seen at the resident level.

With the question and all the smilies I think the OP is probably outside the US.

 

[Fleur1]

With the question and all the smilies I think the OP is probably outside the US.

I don't see the point of this post. If you have smething constructive to say, or some answers to the questions please do so. But if you are writing to judge and play puzzle games you are wasting my time.

 

[Fleur1]

I didn't mean that medical school wasted my time. What I am saying is that maybe what we have been doing for years needs to be questioned, and improved.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein

 

[Micrococcus]

Your choice of words makes me question whether you attended med school (let alone residency). Could u simply be in pre-school w/ an interest in medicine? 😍

 

[J-Rad]

We can do without the gratuitously insulting and less than useful posts. Keep it civil.

 

[Fleur1]

Your choice of words makes me question whether you attended med school (let alone residency). Could u simply be in pre-school w/ an interest in medicine? 😍

Because ur name is micrococcus I should think that you attended med school or have anything remote to do with medicine? LOL.

Pathetic.

 

[smq123]

We can do without the gratuitously insulting and less than useful posts. Keep it civil.

You all heard the man. He asked you to keep it civil. Since that didn't happen, I'm closing the thread.