is this most meaningful experience too degrading?

[bds504]

One morning when training as an ED tech, my preceptor and I were called to remove rotten ace bandages from an elderly man’s legs, revealing an infection that had spread from his feet to his knees. While my preceptor had to remove himself from the room due to the smell of this 7-year-old infection, I established rapport with the patient by finding our shared fondness of Johnny Cash. By conversing about his favorite cowboy TV shows and Bluegrass musical artists, I was able to comfort the patient through his unpleasant experience.

what I didn't explain is that while pealing back these bandages, which were many months old, his dead skin cells filled the room in what the nurses call "snowing", his legs looked like treebark due to the age of the infection he had, and the hallways had to sprayed down because the smell was so potent. while it was the most disgusting moment I've had while treating a patient, I feel that it speaks volumes of my pursuit to dignifying patients regardless of the situation.
But, will adcoms see this description as degrading to the patient?

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[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

One morning when training as an ED tech, my preceptor and I were called to remove rotten ace bandages from an elderly man’s legs, revealing an infection that had spread from his feet to his knees. While my preceptor had to remove himself from the room due to the smell of this 7-year-old infection, I established rapport with the patient by finding our shared fondness of Johnny Cash. By conversing about his favorite cowboy TV shows and Bluegrass musical artists, I was able to comfort the patient through his unpleasant experience.

what I didn't explain is that while pealing back these bandages, which were many months old, his dead skin cells filled the room in what the nurses call "snowing", his legs looked like treebark due to the age of the infection he had, and the hallways had to sprayed down because the smell was so potent. while it was the most disgusting moment I've had while treating a patient, I feel that it speaks volumes of my pursuit to dignifying patients regardless of the situation.
But, will adcoms see this description as degrading to the patient?

I wouldn't focus on how gross it was. Seems like maybe you're trying to show how you can handle gross stuff without running out of the room like your supe vs focusing on the connection/empathy bit. Describing it as a 7 year old infection will probably be enough to conjure how gross the smell was for any medical person.

 

[Kierkegaard's Bud]

One morning when training as an ED tech, my preceptor and I were called to remove rotten ace bandages from an elderly man’s legs, revealing an infection that had spread from his feet to his knees. While my preceptor had to remove himself from the room due to the smell of this 7-year-old infection, I established rapport with the patient by finding our shared fondness of Johnny Cash. By conversing about his favorite cowboy TV shows and Bluegrass musical artists, I was able to comfort the patient through his unpleasant experience.

what I didn't explain is that while pealing back these bandages, which were many months old, his dead skin cells filled the room in what the nurses call "snowing", his legs looked like treebark due to the age of the infection he had, and the hallways had to sprayed down because the smell was so potent. while it was the most disgusting moment I've had while treating a patient, I feel that it speaks volumes of my pursuit to dignifying patients regardless of the situation.
But, will adcoms see this description as degrading to the patient?

oh my vascular days! save your descriptive words for how you made the patient feel and vice versa, not the wound.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I don't think that the story in and of itself is degrading, but I do think your presentation doesn't cast your supervisor or the patient in the best light. Your supervisor's actions really don't have any bearing on your involvement in the story, and I think you can convey how you were able to connect with the patient without spending multiple sentences describing how bad the patient smelled.

 

[Goro]

One morning when training as an ED tech, my preceptor and I were called to remove rotten ace bandages from an elderly man’s legs, revealing an infection that had spread from his feet to his knees. While my preceptor had to remove himself from the room due to the smell of this 7-year-old infection, I established rapport with the patient by finding our shared fondness of Johnny Cash. By conversing about his favorite cowboy TV shows and Bluegrass musical artists, I was able to comfort the patient through his unpleasant experience.

what I didn't explain is that while pealing back these bandages, which were many months old, his dead skin cells filled the room in what the nurses call "snowing", his legs looked like treebark due to the age of the infection he had, and the hallways had to sprayed down because the smell was so potent. while it was the most disgusting moment I've had while treating a patient, I feel that it speaks volumes of my pursuit to dignifying patients regardless of the situation.
But, will adcoms see this description as degrading to the patient?

No. Put some spin on it, though. You Don't need to go into gory clinical detail, either.

 

[JAK2-STAT3]

I don't think that the story in and of itself is degrading, but I do think your presentation doesn't cast your supervisor or the patient in the best light. Your supervisor's actions really don't have any bearing on your involvement in the story, and I think you can convey how you were able to connect with the patient without spending multiple sentences describing how bad the patient smelled.

This. I wouldn't mention your supervisor at all, and saying "7 year old infection" or "an infection that had persisted for years" is enough. This is a classic example of how it's better to show and not tell. If you briefly mention the patient's infection and go into detail on what YOU did, felt, and learned in this situation, the reader will be able to put together that you acted maturely and compassionately with this unfortunate patient.