Little bit of venting

[TarpolianDynamite]

Let me preface this by saying that I am NOT bad-mouthing my school or core rotation site.

With the nursing staff shortage, students were asked to volunteer their time to help out the outpatient offices or the COVID response center. I guess that was not getting enough traffic on its own, so I was pulled off of my rotation for a week to do admin work in a COVID call center. While I appreciate everything that people who work in these settings do, it wasn't something I was entirely thrilled about doing this week. I was thrown in with no formal training and expected to use eCW to schedule patients and order lab work. So I did a lot of on the fly guessing and hoping it sticks. The biggest pain this week is that I missed out on a full week of learning clinically. I am trying to stay up to date with online lectures and Q banks but this week has genuinely sucked. To top it all off the other student that I was paired with just said "I'm good" and left me floundering covering both of our responsibilities on the last day (today). BTW all of the dbags call on Friday for some reason. Like who hurt you so bad that you have to yell at me about needing a negative test to go back to work? I'm pretty sure my grandmother rolled over in her grave with all of the obscenities thrown at me today.

I can't be too upset because it was an attending that I want an LOR from eventually that assigned me to this role for the week so I just did my best. But holy crap I am fried mentally and I am having a hard time staying motivated this week. Hopefully, next week is better.

I guess I would like some advice about how I can slide the idea of an LOR to this attending. This isn't someone that I have personally rotated with however we speak weekly at small group sessions and he oversees all students rotating through this site. I do not know if I will end up rotating directly with him yet but if I don't would it be completely inappropriate to float it out there that I want an LOR eventually?

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[Maximus2020]

Sorry for this painful experience. Sounds horrible. Stuff of nightmares. Like all things, you have to swallow this hell and lead with a smile and calm spirit. It is temporary and your professionalism will be noticed. I think anyone can write you a LOR but it would be better if you did some sort of clinical work with this attending. In the mean time, taking initiative and doing what you can to subtly impress this attending is the best move.

 

[TarpolianDynamite]

Sorry for this painful experience. Sounds horrible. Stuff of nightmares. Like all things, you have to swallow this hell and lead with a smile and calm spirit. It is temporary and your professionalism will be noticed. I think anyone can write you a LOR but it would be better if you did some sort of clinical work with this attending. In the mean time, taking initiative and doing what you can to subtly impress this attending is the best move.

If I've learned anything it was how to take it on the chin and move on lol. And I appreciate your insight. I am doing what I can with the limited time I get with this attending. I have one more month of weekly meetings so I am just doing my best to bring good topics and showing improvement from meeting to meeting. My master plan is to have a LOR from a higher up in IM and gen surg for residency as well as my specialty of choice. There are a few dream programs that have either an IM or a Gen surg intern year so if I can show I would fit into either one I think that would benefit my lackluster board scores.

 

[Doc_Ock]

Email the Department of Labor. I'm not joking. Hospitals have been forcing medical students to effectively work as nurses for free. Know your worth.

 

[deleted1100659]

Let me preface this by saying that I am NOT bad-mouthing my school or core rotation site.

With the nursing staff shortage, students were asked to volunteer their time to help out the outpatient offices or the COVID response center. I guess that was not getting enough traffic on its own, so I was pulled off of my rotation for a week to do admin work in a COVID call center. While I appreciate everything that people who work in these settings do, it wasn't something I was entirely thrilled about doing this week. I was thrown in with no formal training and expected to use eCW to schedule patients and order lab work. So I did a lot of on the fly guessing and hoping it sticks. The biggest pain this week is that I missed out on a full week of learning clinically. I am trying to stay up to date with online lectures and Q banks but this week has genuinely sucked. To top it all off the other student that I was paired with just said "I'm good" and left me floundering covering both of our responsibilities on the last day (today). BTW all of the dbags call on Friday for some reason. Like who hurt you so bad that you have to yell at me about needing a negative test to go back to work? I'm pretty sure my grandmother rolled over in her grave with all of the obscenities thrown at me today.

I can't be too upset because it was an attending that I want an LOR from eventually that assigned me to this role for the week so I just did my best. But holy crap I am fried mentally and I am having a hard time staying motivated this week. Hopefully, next week is better.

I guess I would like some advice about how I can slide the idea of an LOR to this attending. This isn't someone that I have personally rotated with however we speak weekly at small group sessions and he oversees all students rotating through this site. I do not know if I will end up rotating directly with him yet but if I don't would it be completely inappropriate to float it out there that I want an LOR eventually?

Personally i would be annoyed if I was you as well. Its not volunteering if you're forced. Its one thing for a resident to get forced to do it (we were forced when covid hit), or maybe even an attending. We make salaries. You are paying money to learn, not paying money to volunteer.