mistreatment during away rotations

[jbing222]

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problem resolved. thanks all

 

[ArcGurren]

Hey all, I am in the unfortunate situation of being subjected to some unacceptable mistreatment during my current 4th year away rotation by my senior resident. This person has consistently been rude, condescending, and made blatantly hurtful comments.

I know that sometimes people have bad days and we've all had to endure our fair share of rude residents and attendings during medical school, but this has gone way beyond anything I have experienced (and brushed off) in the past. I trust my instincts, and this situation just does not feel right.

I would like some advice on what to do about this situation. It's pretty clear to me that as a visiting student, we put ourselves in a very precarious situation. Everyone knows we are there trying to impress, and yet there is no accountability for how we are treated. We do not evaluate anyone, are not asked for feedback, and they generally have very little invested in us.

I realize that if I report this formally to anyone at this institution, that it will basically eliminate me from consideration for a residency spot. It will simply become a he said she said situation, and they will side with their own.

And in fact, I am actually perfectly fine with reporting them at this point, as I wouldn't want to spend X number of years at an institution that can breed this sort of individual. I'd just like to know the best way of going about it. Thanks for your help.

The problem is (and I don't know what field you're in) that people talk. And programs have some degree of cross-talk between each other, especially in the smaller surgical subspecialties (ENT, Plastics, etc). So complaining about a chief resident at one institution may allow word to get around to others. And like you said, it likely wont' accomplish all that much since the institution will probably side with the resident over your objections.

It sucks, but you can learn from it and never, ever act like that to your students when you yourself are a resident. NEVER forget what it felt like to be a student.

 

[thepoopologist]

It's not only the crosstalk you should worry about, but the opportunities it will close for people in your school who want to rotate at that site. Frankly reporting someone who the residency has already heavily invested in will do nothing but subjugate you and the students at your school to unwarranted attention.

My vote is on speaking to the resident in a reasonable manner. Then, if they're still a prick, well, the internet is forever. Absolutely unnecessary, yes. But the higher road is not always the most satisfactory way to go. Or you could be mature about it and just let it go.

 

[link2swim06]

Is one resident a dick or are all of them?

- If all are then I avoid that residency program...there is a reason they are all pissed off.

- If its just one, then ignore their remarks. Chalk it up to a type b personality disorder.

They only "win" if you acknowledge their remarks and get sucked into their misery. Stick to the facts, do your work, and get out of there. Choose your fights wisely, but don't back down if they accuse you of something important that you are certain is incorrect. Always be respectful and don't get emotion.

Remember they likely aren't mad at you, they likely are venting from their ****ty life and you are the closest target.


The other possibility is that you are clueless and pissing your whole team off....

 

[Tomodachi123]

Jbing -

1. Tell yourself that your time is limited at this place. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep your chin up, eat up the negativity, and continue to do the best you can for the remainder of the time. You are going to be done with this place soon.
2. I would not recommend complaining about this guy. There is a Chinese saying - The bird that sticks its neck out risks being shot.

Months down the line, when you will look back at this experience, you will be glad you resisted the urge to rock the boat. Take the high road, keep your chin up, and strike this place out of your rank list.

 

[yuiness]

Have you spoken to any other medical students who have worked with this resident? It may be worth it to find out if the resident treats everyone like this or if it's just you for whatever reason. If you do decide to complain, having other medical students to back up your word may improve your chances of making an impact.

 

[Pipers]

Or you could be mature about it and just let it go.

How is reporting mistreatment immature? In fact, I would argue that it might be the more mature, professional course of action. This resident should probably know that he/she is creating a hostile work environment. The medical profession generally does its own policing.

To the OP, trust your gut because chances are you aren't the only one who has ever had this experience with the resident. His/her behavior is probably a pattern and residency directors become aware of any "problem" residents who have several complaints. I do agree with a lot of the above talk about weighing out the pros and cons. Chalk it up to what you may. In the end, you either directly talk to someone in the program or use an anonymous hospital reporting system. I find it odd that the program wouldn't provide you with any way to evaluate your experience. Also, maybe search around the hospital HR website for anon options?

 

[viper930]

Tell the chief to F himself. Why would you want to go to a place where mistreatment is within acceptable culture? At this point you're beyond the point where evals/grades can really hurt your application beyond your chances at that immediate program and it doesn't sound like you should want to be a part of that program anyway.