Is this worth reporting to the PD?

[E92]

---

Members do not see this ad.

please delete

 

[DrMom]

I definitely wouldn't report it. What she said is pretty standard practice as far as your shift ending at signout.

 

[J-Rad]

Look, we all have specialties we're not interested in. The purpose of your clinical rotations in medical school is to give you a well rounded education and to give you some exposure to the different specialties. Just because you don't want to do it as a career does not mean it lacks any value to your medical training; try to get something out of it. Believe it or not, you don't have to feign career interest to make a good impression on your interns, residents, and attendings. And a good evaluation on rotations outside your specialty of interest reflect well on you and may aid you in the future when your MSPE says things like "hard worker, tries to be an active member of the team, even though not interested in the specialty"
In regards to your specific story, realize that that syllabus may have been written 5 years ago, and rotation schedules for med students and residents can be dynamic. While I would agree that (if you're quoting accurately) she wasn't particularly kind in her response to your declared intent to go home, I wonder how much more tired she was than you (i.e. how many more times than you [in the last four years presumably] has she worked 11hr night shifts and 80+ hour work weeks...sleep deficit is not something you get used to, it builds up). You, who kindly refer to this person as "fat B---H", exalted third year medical student, came to her and declared "my shift is done and...I'm going home". My guess is that this was not taken as particularly "nice" and, along with the sleep deprivation, may have led to the tone of the response. For future reference, general med student etiquette would recommend approaching the schedule issue with a question: "what is the expectation of the medical student after the shift is over (you'll find in most fields that there is usually something required of residents even after a night-shift such as patient turnover, RRC prescribed academics, etc)?" or something like that. It would indicate that you are interested in participating as a member of the team and are not overly rigid or officious.
But by all means complain to the PD. I think either the initial response or your final evaluation will be illuminating (I can see an evaluation that says something like: "Established early in the rotation a lack of interest in being a member of the team. Weak work ethic and oftentimes immature. Demonstrates difficulty with professional interactions with other members of the team. As an example instead of directly addressing an issue directly with the concerned resident, chose to jump directly to the PD, to complain about a situation that arose largely from the student's own lack of professionalism." Or one of those damned with faint praise reviews: "punctual; always on time and knows when it's time to go home".)
If this your first rotation, you are off to an inauspicious start. Try to be an adult learner, and realize that your work ethic and professionalism actually do matter.

 

[E92]

DrMom, thanks for the reply.

I was just venting (and yes this is my first rotation so you'll have to excuse me cause i dont really know the proper politics/etiquette of the wards) and wanted to let out some steam to other med students who may be feeling my pain.

 

[J-Rad]

Starting first year can be pretty stressful. Most are not used to the sleep deprivation inherent in taking call and it can be a task for some to learn the some of the "unwritten rules" (i.e. med student etiquette), or how to "play the game". For those who have not been in the workforce prior to med school I think there is a little bit a learning curve in that regard. And I have found that personality issues abound amongst physicians especially passive-aggressive behavior and lack of willingness to address things directly; I am directing this critique at your resident as I think a good resident would have taken into consideration your fresh 3rd year status and actually tried to give you some helpful guidance. The best professors, interns/residents, and attending are the ones who are willing to teach not only their specialties but also how to better yourself (as a med student, resident, person). I truly believe there are some great lessons in this situation. Use them. If you have to work with this person again, why not try to re-establish a new tone for the rotation? Even though I think she was wrong as well (or at least failed as a teacher in some regard), sometimes falling on your sword helps. Why not go and say something like "I'm sorry it seemed like I was demanding to go home; I was being a little too rigid in my reading of my syllabus. How can I best help the team in my role as an MSIII?" Four more weeks with someone who may have a low opinion of you could be pretty hellish. Besides, if the residents think you're a good guy who wants to help out, maybe they'll help you with the good (any specialty) med student/resident stuff and not just teach you how to avoid mommy poop during deliveries. Truly, all the best.

PS Though I didn't read it back to back some swear by the "50 Biggest Mistakes Med Students Make" book esp. to learn the more esoteric aspects of being a med student.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Look, we all have specialties we're not interested in. The purpose of your clinical rotations in medical school is to give you a well rounded education and to give you some exposure to the different specialties. Just because you don't want to do it as a career does not mean it lacks any value to your medical training; try to get something out of it. Believe it or not, you don't have to feign career interest to make a good impression on your interns, residents, and attendings. And a good evaluation on rotations outside your specialty of interest reflect well on you and may aid you in the future when your MSPE says things like "hard worker, tries to be an active member of the team, even though not interested in the specialty"
In regards to your specific story, realize that that syllabus may have been written 5 years ago, and rotation schedules for med students and residents can be dynamic. While I would agree that (if you're quoting accurately) she wasn't particularly kind in her response to your declared intent to go home, I wonder how much more tired she was than you (i.e. how many more times than you [in the last four years presumably] has she worked 11hr night shifts and 80+ hour work weeks...sleep deficit is not something you get used to, it builds up). You, who kindly refer to this person as "fat B---H", exalted third year medical student, came to her and declared "my shift is done and...I'm going home". My guess is that this was not taken as particularly "nice" and, along with the sleep deprivation, may have led to the tone of the response. For future reference, general med student etiquette would recommend approaching the schedule issue with a question: "what is the expectation of the medical student after the shift is over (you'll find in most fields that there is usually something required of residents even after a night-shift such as patient turnover, RRC prescribed academics, etc)?" or something like that. It would indicate that you are interested in participating as a member of the team and are not overly rigid or officious.
But by all means complain to the PD. I think either the initial response or your final evaluation will be illuminating (I can see an evaluation that says something like: "Established early in the rotation a lack of interest in being a member of the team. Weak work ethic and oftentimes immature. Demonstrates difficulty with professional interactions with other members of the team. As an example instead of directly addressing an issue directly with the concerned resident, chose to jump directly to the PD, to complain about a situation that arose largely from the student's own lack of professionalism." Or one of those damned with faint praise reviews: "punctual; always on time and knows when it's to go home".)
If this your first rotation, you are off to an inauspicious start. Try to be an adult learner, and realize that your work ethic and professionalism actually do matter. In less words, don't be a tool.

I didn't even see the original post, but this reply is epic.

 

[J-Rad]

Star Wars epic or Lord Of The Rings epic, cause you know what Randall Graves said about LOTR, and he's damn right!😛