MD & DO Med students diagnosing everyone outside of hospital

[rxkrafted]

What are your thoughts on this? Is it appropriate for students to go around and diagnose everyone they interact with outside medical facilities?
I know a US student (student from school in Caribbean) who is on rotations, and she/he tries to diagnose everyone with some sort of medical problem without even being asked. Just want to hear if this is quite common for students doing this outside of the workplace because I find it annoying AF

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[NotaCop]

That kid sucks

/thread

 

[Chibucks15]

It is not at all common at that kid is the worst

 

[Doctor-S]

What are your thoughts on this? Is it appropriate for students to go around and diagnose everyone they interact with outside medical facilities?
I know a US student (student from school in Caribbean) who is on rotations, and she/he tries to diagnose everyone with some sort of medical problem without even being asked. Just want to hear if this is quite common for students doing this outside of the workplace because I find it annoying AF

Do you mean the medical student (in your post) is actually "approaching people" outside of medical facilities and providing them with a "medical diagnosis?"

It is unlawful to practice medicine without a proper license (because it presents a high risk of harm to the public). A person practices medicine whenever he or she attempts to diagnose a patient, treat medical conditions, prescribe medications or treatments, or perform surgery. Everything a medical student does is reviewed and checked by a licensed physician.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Not common, and not smart

 

[rxkrafted]

Do you mean the medical student (in your post) is actually "approaching people" outside of medical facilities and providing them with a "medical diagnosis?"

It is unlawful to practice medicine without a proper license (because it presents a high risk of harm to the public). Everything a medical student does is reviewed and checked by a licensed physician.

From my observation, he analyzes the people he interacts with ... the moment someone mentions anything related to health symptoms, he'll literally say a condition and state that this is his diagnosis. We're not even talking about a common cold or flu.
It was bugging me a little so it's good to know that this isn't commonly seen.

 

[Chibucks15]

From my observation, he analyzes the people he interacts with ... the moment someone mentions anything related to health symptoms, he'll literally say a condition and state that this is his diagnosis. We're not even talking about a common cold or flu.
It was bugging me a little so it's good to know that this isn't commonly seen.

Even when I'm talking about a diagnosis of a patient my go to response is "I don't know", much less telling random people they have some zebra disease. He/She is gonna get put in their place hard if they keep doing that

 

[FindersFee5]

Yeah, this is definitely not acceptable.

I did tell my friend to go ask his doctor about getting his thyroid checked when he was complaining of a basically textbook list of hypothyroid symptoms. Turned out to have Hashimoto's.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

I know a US student (student from school in Caribbean)

sounds like someone's trying to compensate.

 

[sharkbyte]

That guy’s probably a wizard on the wards though so it’s ok

 

[Goro]

What are your thoughts on this? Is it appropriate for students to go around and diagnose everyone they interact with outside medical facilities?
I know a US student (student from school in Caribbean) who is on rotations, and she/he tries to diagnose everyone with some sort of medical problem without even being asked. Just want to hear if this is quite common for students doing this outside of the workplace because I find it annoying AF

Med students are NOT doctors, what her's doing is unethical, and probably illegal. Frankly, this kid needs to be reported.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

No, that’s annoying AF. Only time I’ve ever “diagnosed” anyone was a couple of times a person asked me to look at something and I happened to recognize it. I just told them they should go see their doc because wtf do I know lol. Running around diagnosing anyone who complains about something is super annoying and super dumb.

 

[sella.turcica]

Report his sorry ass

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Honestly, he's probably mostly wrong.

 

[Osteosaur]

Sounds really obnoxious, ethics aside.

Guarantee you this aspect of his personality is why he did not get into a US school. You should have the social awareness that when someone might be sick you shouldn't use it as an opportunity to go showing off.

 

[evilbooyaa]

If somebody tried to make conversation with me and then diagnose me with something during an informal encounter, I'd be hard pressed not to slap them upside the head.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Eventually some attending will witness this or find out about it and set him straight. And yes, it is incredibly obnoxious. These are the same types of people who call themselves “doctor” on social media. Yuck

 

[libertyyne]

Eventually some attending will witness this or find out about it and set him straight. And yes, it is incredibly obnoxious. These are the same types of people who call themselves “doctor” on social media. Yuck

mostly people who call themselves doctor on social media are chiropractors or naturopaths

 

[libertyyne]

No, that’s annoying AF. Only time I’ve ever “diagnosed” anyone was a couple of times a person asked me to look at something and I happened to recognize it. I just told them they should go see their doc because wtf do I know lol. Running around diagnosing anyone who complains about something is super annoying and super dumb.

Most of my extended family will ask me for advice. My advice is always " you should go see a real doctor"

 

[ciestar]

mostly people who call themselves doctor on social media are chiropractors or naturopaths

And pre-meds lol

 

[MythOfSisyphus]

Probably watches too much House

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

And pre-meds lol

Yep. It is 100% correlated with ego. Even as a resident I didn’t call myself doctor. I introduced myself as the orthopedic resident; then if a patient asked what that was, then I explained it. I didn’t think I had earned the title yet. There is a particularly obnoxious first year surgery resident on social media who calls themselves surgeon. Unless you can operate independently, you are not a “surgeon.” In women I find that also tends to be correlated with the amount of whining about being mistaken for a nurse. “Poor me, don’t those stupid bigoted people know I’m a SURGEON?” Makes me want to vomit. It’s not about you, just help the patient and do your damn job.

 

[ciestar]

Yep. It is 100% correlated with ego. Even as a resident I didn’t call myself doctor. I introduced myself as the orthopedic resident; then if a patient asked what that was, then I explained it. I didn’t think I had earned the title yet. There is a particularly obnoxious first year surgery resident on social media who calls themselves surgeon. Unless you can operate independently, you are not a “surgeon.” In women I find that also tends to be correlated with the amount of whining about being mistaken for a nurse. “Poor me, don’t those stupid bigoted people know I’m a SURGEON?” Makes me want to vomit. It’s not about you, just help the patient and do your damn job.

For real. I get weirded out about people calling me “student doctor”.

Ive got a real case of imposter syndrome. It is unreal im interviewing for residency right now.

 

[Deecee2DO]

mostly people who call themselves doctor on social media are chiropractors or naturopaths

I love this. I am a chiropractor and now that im in med school I correct people even in practice when they call me Dr so and so because I dont feel that my training as a chiro is worthy of that title and dont think chiros should be referred to as such actually since they dont have the clinical acumen and knowledge to have earned the title of doctor in a clinical setting seeing what I am required to know now as a medical student. All and I mean all of my chiro friends have their name on insta as Dr so and so without their credentials-thats when you know they are either a chiro or something because they are embarrassed of their degree. its a dead giveaway

 

[FindersFee5]

Yep. It is 100% correlated with ego. Even as a resident I didn’t call myself doctor. I introduced myself as the orthopedic resident; then if a patient asked what that was, then I explained it. I didn’t think I had earned the title yet. There is a particularly obnoxious first year surgery resident on social media who calls themselves surgeon. Unless you can operate independently, you are not a “surgeon.” In women I find that also tends to be correlated with the amount of whining about being mistaken for a nurse. “Poor me, don’t those stupid bigoted people know I’m a SURGEON?” Makes me want to vomit. It’s not about you, just help the patient and do your damn job.

I don't have any problem with residents introducing themselves as Dr. ____. I feel like, for most patients, that clarifies their role more clearly than trying to explain the whole medical hierarchy. The middle ground that I'll probably go with is "Hi, I'm Dr. ____, I work for Dr. (Attending)." That puts it in terms laypeople have an easy time understanding.

 

[operaman]

Yeah the kid is definitely a tool.

I have no problem with a medical student being thoughtful and thinking like a doctor, but if they suspect a serious diagnosis then the proper thing to do is to suggest someone see an actual physician. Even now at the end of training I will still do this when I get curbsided by staff and friends if I see something that makes me worried. I definitely punt entirely if I get asked anything outside my own specialty.

For me it’s less about being correct with my diagnosis, but rather: what is going to happen after that? Diagnosis is such a tiny part of medicine and 99% of the time ridiculously easy. Managing the disease and the patient is the hard part and really where the rubber meets the road. As a student or trainee you just don’t have the setup or staff to provide ongoing care even if you know what the diagnosis Is and management should be.

 

[Laradd]

very common /s

 

[keolu hills]

This reminds me of how many psychiatric patients go around trying to diagnose other people or patients with the common diagnoses of autism or borderline personality disorder, etc. It is very irritating.

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

mostly people who call themselves doctor on social media are chiropractors or naturopaths

dude I dated a chick in Chiro school and her and all her friends would call themselves doctors, it ruffled my feathers too much, had to call it

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

I don't have any problem with residents introducing themselves as Dr. ____. I feel like, for most patients, that clarifies their role more clearly than trying to explain the whole medical hierarchy. The middle ground that I'll probably go with is "Hi, I'm Dr. ____, I work for Dr. (Attending)." That puts it in terms laypeople have an easy time understanding.

I think that’s a good way to do it. As long as you don’t misrepresent yourself as being the final step in the decision making process.