Med Students with B.O.

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
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doc2beIRELAND

doc2beIRELAND

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So, an extremely nice, pleasant and capable classmate of mine has AWFUL B.O. (whiffy from 6a.m. so not just sweaty as the day goes on, it's all-consuming, omnipotent - whatever you want to call it) and also bad breath... general all-round crappy personal hygiene.
This upsets me because he is going to be a great doctor, is excellent with patients we have had contact with so far and would be a much better integrated member of our class if the hygiene was addressed.
I asked a male classmate of ours to say it to him as I thought it might be a bit sensitive coming from a girl but he chickened out. This guy NEEDS TO KNOW. Patients are not going to want to be near him!
(Oh and I've tried the old 'hot out today, must put on some deodorant' or 'do YOU want a mint, too' - not biting).

Bizarre how a medical student can be totally unaware of such bodily whiffs😕.
 
When he isnt looking spray some axe on him 😀

But honestly someone should tell him I think he will appreciate it in the end.
 
Maybe an email would be less awkward for both of you?
Something like: Dude, I'm telling you this because I give a crap about you and if it were me, I'd want to know...
 
artemis680 said:
Maybe an email would be less awkward for both of you?
Something like: Dude, I'm telling you this because I give a crap about you and if it were me, I'd want to know...
Click to expand...

Going along with the email idea--maybe make an anonymous email? Sign it: Concerned Classmate? 😕

I also don't understand how some people don't seem to understand that if you yourself can smell it, chances are, everyone else around you can too. >.<
 
Definitely tell him. I would do it face to face over lunch or something but if you think that will be too awkward for you you can email him.

To those knocking the poor guy. In general, people cannot smell themselves. Its a constant smell and their receptors just ignore it (rather quickly). So its likely he doesn't realize it.

He may not even have terrible hygiene. He probably needs a better (medical grade) deodorant and to floss daily (something plenty of people don't do and don't end up with halitosis). Give him the benefit of the doubt.
 
+1 for anonymous e-mail unless you're really good friends with him
 
"hey man, you have a strong odor"

"ehhrr what? like body odor?"

"yeah. yeah."
 
Student A: "smells like updog in here"

Student B: "what's up dog?"

Student A: "nothing much, but you stink"

See if you mask it with a joke, the truth will hurt less. He'll be like "awww man I can't believe I fell for that! Wait, wha? I smell? Time for my weekly shower, I guess!" Problem solved!
 
expendible said:
When he isnt looking spray some axe on him 😀

But honestly someone should tell him I think he will appreciate it in the end.
Click to expand...

I have actually done this. This guy had really bad odor, was in a few of my classes and I would spray him 'accidentally'...
 
No no no! You must avoid mixing axe with B.O. Back in high school, we had a lot of boys with that mix--it's horrible!

expendible said:
When he isnt looking spray some axe on him 😀

But honestly someone should tell him I think he will appreciate it in the end.
Click to expand...
 
omnipotent body odor😆
 
bucks2010 said:
+1 for anonymous e-mail unless you're really good friends with him
Click to expand...

Don't do this. From then on, no matter who he's talking to, in the back of his mind he will wonder if the anon email came from them and it will be awkward. You're doing him a solid by e-mailing him yourself.
 
I had this exact same problem with a guy at my job. We had a visiting professor come to work in our lab for a year and he'd wear the same shirt everyday....in the summer heat of Texas. Needless to say, it got funky real fast. I was seriously considering going out and buying him more shirts and a crate full of deodorant.

Anyway, I think you should definitely bring it to your classmate's attention. E-mail is a really great idea because you can take your time to make sure you phrase it right. He may be a little upset by it but in the end it'll save you, your fellow classmates, his patients and any of his future co-workers from that smell. Plus, I'm sure he'd much rather have a classmate tell him than a patient, intern, resident, nurse or attending do it.
 
lxc said:
Going along with the email idea--maybe make an anonymous email? Sign it: Concerned Classmate? 😕

I also don't understand how some people don't seem to understand that if you yourself can smell it, chances are, everyone else around you can too. >.<
Click to expand...

I think most people can't smell themselves, especially if it isn't hygiene but some kind of medical problem.
 
Well, if he's a nice guy, then he's an overall good person. Just try to tell him one day in private really nicely. I'm sure he'll understand. Probably what's happening is that he's not taking showers b/c he's getting lazy from med school. Don't worry, you'll be doing him a favor and you won't be embarrassing him in front of his friends. Eventually, someone will tell him, so you can either save him the pain now or he'll get it to know it later not so discretely.
 
VenusinFurs said:
Appearing or smelling dirty is not presenting a professional appearance.
Click to expand...

exactly my thoughts. So if OP is too worried about hurting his feelings, she could bring it up to the dean of students or whomever is supposed to handle professionalism issues such as chronic tardiness or improper dress and have the dean broach the subject in terms of professionalism with patients. The news might be less embarrassing when it doesn't come from a peer
 
Suncrusher said:
Could something like this result in marks against professionalism during rotations?
Click to expand...


Yeah, it can, and I know in my residency handbook this is specifically addressed as part of the dress code and would be handled the same way (supposedly) if a female resident came in with a tube top and daisy dukes on. Since going through a dean or a competency director might get something on a permanent record that shows up come residency interview time, I would try to take him aside privately and just give him a heads up. Hell, he might just have a meningioma impinging on his 1st nerve and a pharyngeal pouch holding some rotting food in his throat and not know it.
 
Suncrusher said:
exactly my thoughts. So if OP is too worried about hurting his feelings, she could bring it up to the dean of students or whomever is supposed to handle professionalism issues such as chronic tardiness or improper dress and have the dean broach the subject in terms of professionalism with patients. The news might be less embarrassing when it doesn't come from a peer
Click to expand...

I think it would be nicer for her to tell him in as tactful yet unambiguous a way as possible.
 
The least painful way to do it is to ask him out on a date, form a long meaningful relationship, get married, and then buy him some new deodorant and mouthwash.

For srs, If you can't find a less wimpy male friend to do it, then you should take him aside and tell him personally.
 
TheRach1025 said:
The least painful way to do it is to ask him out on a date, form a long meaningful relationship, get married, and then buy him some new deodorant and mouthwash.

For srs, If you can't find a less wimpy male friend to do it, then you should take him aside and tell him personally.
Click to expand...

Ew
 
ask him if he wants to take shower with you.

haha couldn't resist.

but in all seriousness, that's horrible. my old roommate tended to not wash her clothes often and also enjoyed wearing a lot of perfume (i wonder why). i also think i only saw her wash her hair ONCE in the year I stayed with her....... I don't know what anybody can say to these people without offending/hurting them in some way. It should really be their family's job to let them know they dont smell very good.....
 
Call him Stinky Pete and ostracize him.👍👍👍👍
 
Personally I think it'd be easier to hear the news from a classmate than the dean. Imagine if the dean commented on the issue in his dean's letter in a few years.
It would really be the kindest thing if someone tells him now before someone with less tact or consideration of his feelings tells him when he is on clinical rotations.
 
Just kindly let him know that he has a B.O. He'll be offended for a couple minutes, and then he'll get over it. Then he'll start wearing deodorant and find that people around him are more at ease.
 
peppy said:
Personally I think it'd be easier to hear the news from a classmate than the dean. Imagine if the dean commented on the issue in his dean's letter in a few years.
It would really be the kindest thing if someone tells him now before someone with less tact or consideration of his feelings tells him when he is on clinical rotations.
Click to expand...

He won't hear it from the dean. There are an infinite number of health reasons that can cause an odor, and no administrative person is going to call him out on it for fear that it is a health issue. Honestly, one of the prerequisites for working in medicine is to be able to ignore the stenches around you. Sending him an email will creep him out, and I think OP already crossed the boundaries of good taste by talking behind the guys back by asking someone else to talk to him. You either do it yourself or find a way to ignore it.
 
OP, have you considered the possibility that you have BO and are mistakingly ascribing your stank to someone else?
 
yeah in high school we would pass by the cologne place next to the movie theater after playing basketball, to be considerate to others in the movies, it was called a puerto rican shower!
 
Actually, this problem is very real. Back when I was an MS3, I had a classmate on several rotations who probably never wore deodorant... he smelled THAT bad. The smell was even worse when we were wearing scrubs, when I seriously considered killing myself everytime he'd raise his arm in the air.

Seriously, how the hell can you be in your 20's and be an intelligent, socially-adjusted human being and still neglect basic personal hygiene? It's something you learn when you're like 4 years-old, along with "Don't talk to strangers" and "Pluto is the 9th planet in the solar system". Geez.
 
Deferoxamine said:
Seriously, how the hell can you be in your 20's and be an intelligent, socially-adjusted human being and still neglect basic personal hygiene? It's something you learn when you're like 4 years-old, along with "Don't talk to strangers" and "Pluto is the 9th planet in the solar system". Geez.
Click to expand...

At the very least, don't most high schools have a health ed class where they talk about "your changing body"?
 
Suncrusher said:
Could something like this result in marks against professionalism during rotations?
Click to expand...

You see, that's my worry - also I can imagine him setting up a family practice or something in years to come and patients just never coming back - I definitely think he needs to know at this stage so it doesn't go any further.
Guys I can't tell him - I just can't bring my self to do it. He would be blushing madly and go all quiet and then I'd have to add in about the teeth etc... AAAGH
Maybe I will chicken out and do the email thing.

I had never noticed it til recently but my classmates who play rugby with him had definitely noticed it before. We are all so fond of him but yeah, this needs to be nipped in the bud.

Oh and it wasn't my B.O.!! I am well aware of my own B.O. and it's in a totally different postal code :laugh: - which is why I am flabbergasted that some people cannot get their own whiffs. Especially when a particularly potent one comes out when the arm is suddenly lifted. Topic for research maybe :idea:
 
our school has an anonymous system for reporting unprofessional behavior. you can report things of varying severity and usually these things are never placed on your record, but, they do contact a student advocate or someone in student affairs who will do a one-on-one with that student. you'll be doing him/her, your patient, and yourself a favor by doing so since your classmate seems to have bad insight.
 
doc2beIRELAND said:
You see, that's my worry - also I can imagine him setting up a family practice or something in years to come and patients just never coming back - I definitely think he needs to know at this stage so it doesn't go any further.
Guys I can't tell him - I just can't bring my self to do it. He would be blushing madly and go all quiet and then I'd have to add in about the teeth etc... AAAGH
Maybe I will chicken out and do the email thing.

I had never noticed it til recently but my classmates who play rugby with him had definitely noticed it before. We are all so fond of him but yeah, this needs to be nipped in the bud.

Oh and it wasn't my B.O.!! I am well aware of my own B.O. and it's in a totally different postal code :laugh: - which is why I am flabbergasted that some people cannot get their own whiffs. Especially when a particularly potent one comes out when the arm is suddenly lifted. Topic for research maybe :idea:
Click to expand...
Is this guy at all interested in finding a significant other (be that lady or guy)? You could be couch it in a discussion about how to make him more attractive to meet someone. Then, there will be the added benefit of daily deodorant usage.
 
Law2Doc said:
He won't hear it from the dean. There are an infinite number of health reasons that can cause an odor, and no administrative person is going to call him out on it for fear that it is a health issue. Honestly, one of the prerequisites for working in medicine is to be able to ignore the stenches around you. Sending him an email will creep him out, and I think OP already crossed the boundaries of good taste by talking behind the guys back by asking someone else to talk to him. You either do it yourself or find a way to ignore it.
Click to expand...

out of my own curiosity, what are some of these reasons that could cause a pungent odor to be exuded from the underarms?

I liked Jolie's suggestion of lumping it in with talking about dating. much better for him to hear it from a peer, IMHO, than from a resident or attending. and better to do it sooner before he gets a 'reputation' that follows him.
 
Deferoxamine said:
Actually, this problem is very real. Back when I was an MS3, I had a classmate on several rotations who probably never wore deodorant... he smelled THAT bad. The smell was even worse when we were wearing scrubs, when I seriously considered killing myself everytime he'd raise his arm in the air.

Seriously, how the hell can you be in your 20's and be an intelligent, socially-adjusted human being and still neglect basic personal hygiene? It's something you learn when you're like 4 years-old, along with "Don't talk to strangers" and "Pluto is the 9th planet in the solar system". Geez.
Click to expand...

That's a stretch...
 
Deferoxamine said:
Actually, this problem is very real. Back when I was an MS3, I had a classmate on several rotations who probably never wore deodorant... he smelled THAT bad. The smell was even worse when we were wearing scrubs, when I seriously considered killing myself everytime he'd raise his arm in the air.

Seriously, how the hell can you be in your 20's and be an intelligent, socially-adjusted human being and still neglect basic personal hygiene? It's something you learn when you're like 4 years-old, along with "Don't talk to strangers" and "Pluto is the 9th planet in the solar system". Geez.
Click to expand...

Sadly, Pluto is no longer a planet 🙁 Also, I don't think it was always 9th. I think it swapped with Neptune every once in a great while. I feel like everything I learned in elementary was a lie! :scared:
 
i think having an authority figure talk to this person might have a longer lasting effect though. i remember a foreign attending talk to us once about how in the 70's, they were approached by their program director about differences in hygiene back in their country and in this country and so from then on, he ended up wearing aftershaves, cologne. i dont know how that conversation started, i hope he wasnt hinting on my hygiene (i think this was during a cultural sensitivity talk or whatever), but the moral of the story is, if the boss tells you to shower or get fired, it sends out a stronger message.

another advantage to this is, you dont end up looking like an evil bitch who goes around sniffing people for BO
 
Deferoxamine said:
Seriously, how the hell can you be in your 20's and be an intelligent, socially-adjusted human being and still neglect basic personal hygiene?
Click to expand...


downward drift in schizophrenia, heh, don't they generally have normal IQ and start in their 20's
 
Maybe he eats a lot of spicy food or something? I know some cultures (indian, thai) may sometimes smell like this due to their diet involving many different spices and styles of food (no racist this is 100% true).
 
I would just tell him. The sooner the better. I had this same situation happen to ME during undergrad. Yes, I was the guy with the bad hygiene. :/

One of my guy friends told it to me straight. It was not fun to hear at the time, but I needed to be told. Looking back I really appreciate it.
 
UAAWolf said:
Maybe he eats a lot of spicy food or something? I know some cultures (indian, thai) may sometimes smell like this due to their diet involving many different spices and styles of food (no racist this is 100% true).
Click to expand...

Eh I never bought the argument that food with lots of spices translates to bad B.O. I think it's just plain old personal hygiene.
 
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