issues surrounding the 12-yr old at UChicago

[mlw03]

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ok, I was thinking about this issue a bit, and wanted to throw a question out there. This is meant to prompt intelligent discussion, not mean-spirited flaming, so please let's keep it civil.

This is meant mostly for females (because of the particular student's gender), but for males, just consider that it's your girlfriend/wife.

let's say you (a female) goes to the hospital during the 3rd month of pregnancy, and the ER doctor orders an OB consult. and down comes a 20 year old resident (that'd be our 12-yr old, in his first year of residency i'm estimating). how would you feel having someone this young doing a pelvic exam on you? would you let him or ask for another resident? i know this is very hypothetical, but what i'm getting as is did UChicago consider the patient when admitting this student SO young?

i'm male, so i can't really answer, but i can say i'd probably feel uncomfortable with a 20 year old female family medicine resident doing a hernia check on me, were the situation reversed, and i would probably ask that someone else do it.

 

[Amy B]

I would ask for a women doctor

 

[Amy B]

Seriously though, I am not sure it would make any difference to me, unless he was fumbling around like he didn't know anything.

That said, I feel sorry for him. He is missing his childhood and that is something you can't ever get back. I have a gifted, high IQ 16 year old son and I would never have wanted him to miss high school and all the great times he is having.

 

[lola]

as long as he acted in a professional manner, i would probably be ok with it. there is not that big of a difference between a 20 year old vs. a 25 year old, the age i would have been during my first year of residency had i gone straight through. any middle aged or elderly patient is going to think that most residents are young, whether they be 20 or 30 years old.

 

[Sonya]

Originally posted by Amy B
Seriously though, I am not sure it would make any difference to me, unless he was fumbling around like he didn't know anything.

That said, I feel sorry for him. He is missing his childhood and that is something you can't ever get back. I have a gifted, high IQ 16 year old son and I would never have wanted him to miss high school and all the great times he is having.

I started college really early, like this kid. I feel sorry if any gifted kid was left in high school. hell, even not gifted kids (not that college is the route for everyone). I would have missed out on so much, intellectually, socially, and in my personal development if I was forced to stay in public or private schools which really succeed with trying to steal your identity, among other things.

I don't know what i'd feel as a female being treated by this kid, or a counterpart 20 yr old female resident. That's b/c I'm 20 now, and haven't exactly had a pelvic exam. It would really depend on the individuals patients attitude and background. I can imagine many people I know who would be extremely uncomfortable. But then, some wouldn't care.

Just my 2 cents.

Sonya

 

[CaMD]

I agree, 20-25 doesn't seem like a giant difference to me (I'm 22).
I think if he was as professional as the 25-35-45 year old, then that's fine.

Of course, I have always had a woman OB/GYN, and now that I have moved and need a new doctor, I plan on looking for a woman again. I KNOW that there are plenty of wonderful male OB/GYN, many probably better than their female counterparts, nonetheless...

 

[Brickhouse]

Originally posted by Sonya

I don't know what i'd feel as a female being treated by this kid, or a counterpart 20 yr old female resident. That's b/c I'm 20 now, and haven't exactly had a pelvic exam.
Sonya

For real?

I feel like a lot of trust I have in my physician comes from the fact that they seem wiser than I. I like my 60 year old ob/gyn because he's seen so much and has loved his career. I don't doubt this kid is smart, but the desire to want to become a doctor grows out of having some life experience....I doubt at 12 he's had too much of that, I doubt I'd feel he had much "wisdom".

I had a 27 year old resident give me a pelvic once. He couldn't find my cervix. I offered to help him look.
I'm sure he got better over time - my point is that like someone said before, most residents do tend to be young, and they are all just learning, regardless of age. But it's nice to know the doctor is old enough at least to buy his own alcohol.

 

[Sonya]

umm, actually i'll be 20 in a few weeks. but, yeah, i was otherwise honest about the last post... why would you think I wasn't?

 

[SunnyS81]

I'm not a girl, but think of it this way...........when I'm 24 (3rd year med school) and on my OB/Gyn rotation, do you REALLY think a 40 year old woman will consider me a whole lot different from a 19 year old?

Maybe this will make a difference for women in their 20's and early 30's but after that, I doubt they will even notice..........

 

[Brickhouse]

Originally posted by Sonya
umm, actually i'll be 20 in a few weeks. but, yeah, i was otherwise honest about the last post... why would you think I wasn't?

well it's none of my biz but I'd have gotten a pelvic by now if I were you. and happy early birthday!

 

[skypilot]

Originally posted by mlw03
and the ER doctor orders an OB consult. and down comes a 20 year old resident (that'd be our 12-yr old, in his first year of residency i'm estimating)

How about in his 3rd year when he starts doing clinical rotations and is 14 years old?

How would you like little Doogie as your student doctor?

 

[mlw03]

as i understand, he's a md/phd student, and will do his phd stuff before clinical rotations. as to having 3rd year students doing stuff, i think there is a difference because there will be an attending or resident present guiding the student. but i would imagine a resident would be allowed to do a pelvic with only some other person in the room (due to rules governing this type of exam).

and i do think there's a big difference between 19 and 24. plus, and i don't say this to be racist, but it's true, this kid is asian i believe, and they tend to look young as is. so he may be 19 or 20, but only look 16. that kind of thing would freak a patient out. and since we are here to help the patient, i just have to wonder how this young man is going to be able to serve his patients when he is so young.

also, i've seen replies mentioning that he'll probably be a researcher. for md/phd's that exclusively do research, do these people do residencies, and if so, in what? because if they do then before starting an academic career this young man would have to deal with patient.

good replies everyone... let's keep them coming.

 

[::Seabass::]

Originally posted by mlw03
and i do think there's a big difference between 19 and 24.

HUGE no matter how mature you are.

 

[bakedlay]

Originally posted by Amy B
That said, I feel sorry for him. He is missing his childhood and that is something you can't ever get back. I have a gifted, high IQ 16 year old son and I would never have wanted him to miss high school and all the great times he is having.

i dont feel sorry for him. he doesnt really know what he is missing out anyway. he's seems happy doing what he's doing.

 

[charik]

It seems hypocritical that all these schools say stuff like they want to accept people who are mature and have a lot of clinical/other volunteer experience working with people... and then accept a 12 year old. I wonder if he applied to any other schools and what their answers were. I don't really see what he can have to offer besides a brain and schools claim they are looking for more than that.