Joking around w/ Residents and attendings?

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Let me start out by saying that I am a pretty friendly and personable guy (at least I see myself that way). Im always able to crack a joke or 2 here or there, even with the most seemingly strict doctors in the wards. That being said, I try to gauge their personality before I determine what type of jokes and how many I make. I had an attending who used to love bantering at the students. Towards the end, when I started bantering back a bit, I figured Id earn a bit of his respect and make things more comfortable. I have no idea how it turned out, as I havent received an evaluation, but it didnt seem to affect me either way.

Anyway, today on the floors, I was bantering for a bit, with a senior resident who had made it known that he was a very silly, ditzy type of guy. Judging by what I saw of his sense of humor the past 2 wks, I assumed he would be cool with it. We escalated a little bit, until he finally took a cheap shot at me. Thats right, the good ol 'youre gonna have alot of fun repeating this rotation' line.

I wasnt really sure how to react to that, so I quickly shut up and gave him back the stuffed animal stethoscope accessory (Peds rotation) that I snatched up seconds earlier. The worst part was, I wasnt even sure if he was joking or somewhat serious, so I decided to err on the safe side and stop being a smartass, for the time being. I doubt he would have literally failed me, but could this have actually affected my eval?? Damn him and his resident powers!!
 
I don't really know what you want us to tell you since only you were there, but I wouldn't stress about it. More than likely, unless you said something really offensive, he won't even remember it when eval time comes around. I think residents appreciate a sense of humor from med students, just be somewhat careful.
 
Thanks for the response. Yeah, I guess what Im really asking is more general: How many of you guys joke around comfortably w/ residents and attendings, and do you ever worry about maybe crossing that fine line? Have any of yall had any experiences similar to mine?
 
prazmatic said:
Thanks for the response. Yeah, I guess what Im really asking is more general: How many of you guys joke around comfortably w/ residents and attendings, and do you ever worry about maybe crossing that fine line? Have any of yall had any experiences similar to mine?
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I joke around a lot with my residents and attendings, provided they seem receptive to it. With my more aloof residents, I tone it down a lot or don't do it at all (though I don't hesitate to joke around with other people in front of them). I've had your problem in the past where either something I said is misunderstood or I took a joke too far. The only thing you can do when this happens is just to be more aware of who you're with and what constitutes a good/bad time, and just learn not to make similar comments in the future. Nobody's perfect...I'd say you have nothing to worry about 🙂
 
Hey prazmatic, I had a very similar situation. I'm on very good terms with my surgery team --- we joke around a lot. Anyway, I said something as a joke, and the resident responded with "Hey, UCLAstudent, I'm the one who evaluates you." I'm pretty sure that he was joking, but it was hard to tell. Don't sweat it.
 
prazmatic said:
Let me start out by saying that I am a pretty friendly and personable guy (at least I see myself that way). Im always able to crack a joke or 2 here or there, even with the most seemingly strict doctors in the wards. That being said, I try to gauge their personality before I determine what type of jokes and how many I make. I had an attending who used to love bantering at the students. Towards the end, when I started bantering back a bit, I figured Id earn a bit of his respect and make things more comfortable. I have no idea how it turned out, as I havent received an evaluation, but it didnt seem to affect me either way.

Anyway, today on the floors, I was bantering for a bit, with a senior resident who had made it known that he was a very silly, ditzy type of guy. Judging by what I saw of his sense of humor the past 2 wks, I assumed he would be cool with it. We escalated a little bit, until he finally took a cheap shot at me. Thats right, the good ol 'youre gonna have alot of fun repeating this rotation' line.

I wasnt really sure how to react to that, so I quickly shut up and gave him back the stuffed animal stethoscope accessory (Peds rotation) that I snatched up seconds earlier. The worst part was, I wasnt even sure if he was joking or somewhat serious, so I decided to err on the safe side and stop being a smartass, for the time being. I doubt he would have literally failed me, but could this have actually affected my eval?? Damn him and his resident powers!!
Click to expand...


Slippery slope. Lots of people think they're really funny, but only a few are and I think a lot of that is based on how well you guage other people's sense of humor. In undergrad, I used my quirkiness and humor to get what I wanted, I called it the "pugnaciousf effect". The problem is that there are a lot of preoccupied, busy, humorless people out there who you really can't charm and quite frankly, will see you as immature. 1st rotation my attitude made me a star with my team, but I didn't even bother to use one joke to break the ice with my hyperstern attendings. 2nd rotation I had the team rolling and I almost felt pressured to "do something funny". I did have a great time and I think if I go into IM I'll go there as I was asked back by every staff member/resident in the program.

The resident's comment about your evaluation is banter. I have had several people say that to me and I usually quip back something about "where did you park your car" or look melodramatically scared and sad. Really just depends on the mood. If you're gonna play and goof around with people you have to be able to read the social context appropriately.

Nothing is worse than being in a professional setting and having a joke bomb or a tired resident who doesn't get the kidding or jabbing - or is so exhausted he just doesn't want to deal with you. I could tell I sometimes got on my 3rd year's nerves but it was usually after he had worked 20+ hrs. BTW Ive lucked out in that I've never had a mean resident/intern to work with (just attendings).
 
Like in any comedic performance, I gauge it. You have to adapt to the audience. I really like to joke around, medicine is so serious, we have to make light of hard situations sometimes. I do, if I offend some people, I'm really sorry.

noncestvrai
 
Sometimes I start a rotation after someone who joked alot and when the residents are talking about the old med student they say stuff like...
"The last student thought he was really funny...he wasn't"
 
This is just "Getting Along With People 101." Don't be overly familiar with people you don't know very well. If you're not sure if you should say something, you probably shouldn't. When in doubt, behave professionally.

As for joking around, remember that much of what we do in medicine is serious business, even though it tends to become routine after a while. Humor has its place, but timing is everything. For best results, use sparingly. 😉
 
KentW said:
This is just "Getting Along With People 101." Don't be overly familiar with people you don't know very well. If you're not sure if you should say something, you probably shouldn't. When in doubt, behave professionally.

As for joking around, remember that much of what we do in medicine is serious business, even though it tends to become routine after a while. Humor has its place, but timing is everything. For best results, use sparingly. 😉
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Very good advice here!

In addition, "Never give anyone a club to beat you with". You can alleviate having to "worry" about what is appropriate and not appropriate by being as professional as possible in anything that has to do with medical school. This includes, but is not limited to: clinical rotations, after-hours "liver rounds", parties at the residences of anyone who can evaluate or grade you, your dealings with your residents, classmates and administration.

You can be fun and cordial but never mix "business with pleasure". What may be a "joke" to you, may be a miscommunication for another. In medicine, your reputation can travel far and your grades can suffer. As Kent W said, "Timing is everything". Be very careful.
 
Yeah, you really gotta gauge to your audience. I've been with doctors (Attendings even!) that have cracked jokes about patients so crass they even half offended me (and I'm a fan of "cringe" type humor!). These are the people who don't take the nature of medicine seriously, and if you're actually making them laugh, they'll love you for it. There's people who take medicine as "serious as a heart attack" and won't tolerate anyone who doesn't feel the same way.

And do indeed be careful to make sure you're actually funny. One of my lecturerers related the story of his son who got a sterling evaluation back for a rotation and the only negative comment was "Not half as funny as he thinks he is"
 
I just finished my IM rotation, and I had a great time with both resident teams I had to work with (a different one for each month). Especially with the second team, our entire day would just be one long comedy routine. After the first 4-5 days when we got more comfortable with each other we could joke around all we wanted. I doubt it would work this way if my residents weren't cool guys though.

Damn, that was a lot of fun (and probably one of the key reasons why I liked my IM rotation so much).
 
'youre gonna have alot of fun repeating this rotation'
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The correct response to this one is *Look at him/her with a surprised happy look...say it loud and proud so the surrounding nurses can hear. "Awwww!!! You're going to miss me!!! I knew it!! You want to keep me around!"

Seriously, this is most likely just more banter. If attendings or residents have a problem with you, most of the time, they will tell you to knock it off or that you are getting on their nerves. I guess you really have to judge the tone of the situation but that should be a skill you possess already.

In your situation, don't worry about failing your rotation, it was probably just a joke back at you.
 
KentW said:
When in doubt, behave professionally.
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I agree. Among friends at home, I have a pretty goofy and messed up sense of humor (in my opinion - maybe not in anyone else's 😉 ), but when at work around people who can have an impact on my career, I err on the side of being too serious rather than risking looking bad with a joke that someone may not appreciate. You never know what someone will get offended over, even if they rightfully shouldn't be offended. So that's why I say: If you want to show you have a sense of humor, laugh at the attending's jokes instead of cracking your own. 🙂
 
When you're a med student, just laugh at the attendings' and residents' jokes. MAYBE, towards the middle of your MS-IV year, you can crack some jokes to the junior residents.

When you're a resident, THEN you can crack jokes with the attendings - but only if they initiate.
 
i was thinking you woudl be fine until i read that this happened in pediatrics....you're f'ed. no joke.
 
nutcancer said:
i was thinking you woudl be fine until i read that this happened in pediatrics....you're f'ed. no joke.
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What would being in pediatrics have to do with it? He said the resident was the kind that liked to joke around.
 
A friend(who also posts on sdn) was telling me about how he was talking to an attending...said something mildly sarcastic to which the attending replied "do you value your grade in this rotation" paused with a serious look on his face and then laughed.
 
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