Neurosurgeon in training.....

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Hejman

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So with the current popular thread regarding Neurosurgery, I decided to offer up a very interesting anecdote:


In one of my biology lab courses, there is one pre-med student who constantly harps about doing Neurosurgery "research". Now this student is a freshman, who has taken no college level biology courses, and is at a fairly low ranked state school (and is not in the honors program). While its all good and dandy to do what makes you happy, harping about it is quite another thing.

When it came time to perform a simple gram stain, she was having major difficulty (the TA went over it once before, and the instructions were explicity laid out in front)- I wonder, if such simple tasks are so challenging, what kind of neurosurgery research is she really doing? Filling in excel cells in a laptop?
Shadowing her daddy/mommy? LOL.

Premeds these days. Becoming an ever more ubiquitous and ignorant breed.

EDIT: She insists on becoming a Neurosurgeon in the future. She has no intention of changing her mind. Favorite quote from her:

"Blood and guts turn me on" (followed by bated breath and an erotic sound)

Weirdo.
 
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maybe this premed's brain is the subject of the neurosurgical research... 😀
 
worry less about others and more about yourself. Trust me, it will do you no good to be a hater, no matter how pathetic the target of your jest is. Just please focus on bettering yourself. College is an amazing and wonderful opportunity to pursue what you really love. It sounds cliche, but it really is over before you know it, and you don't want to look back and regret being bitter towards people instead of being a happy individual that merely pursues his/her interests. Sorry to sound like I am lecturing you, but threads like this really get to me as there is no point to them. Have a wonderful day people.
 
So with the current popular thread regarding Neurosurgery, I decided to offer up a very interesting anecdote:


In one of my biology lab courses, there is one pre-med student who constantly harps about doing Neurosurgery "research". Now this student is a freshman, who has taken no college level biology courses, and is at a fairly low ranked state school (and is not in the honors program). While its all good and dandy to do what makes you happy, harping about it is quite another thing.

When it came time to perform a simple gram stain, she was having major difficulty (the TA went over it once before, and the instructions were explicity laid out in front)- I wonder, if such simple tasks are so challenging, what kind of neurosurgery research is she really doing? Filling in excel cells in a laptop?
Shadowing her daddy/mommy? LOL.

Premeds these days. Becoming an ever more ubiquitous and ignorant breed.

EDIT: She insists on becoming a Neurosurgeon in the future. She has no intention of changing her mind. Favorite quote from her:

"Blood and guts turn me on" (followed by bated breath and an erotic sound)

Weirdo.

Seriously? I think her only two possible choices are physician or serial killer. I guess it's a good thing she's apparently so dedicated to the former. :wtf:
 
Seriously? I think her only two possible choices are physician or serial killer. I guess it's a good thing she's apparently so dedicated to the former. :wtf:
I was about to say, "blood and guts turn me on" makes her sound more like a sociopath than a potential physician. :meanie:
 
So with the current popular thread regarding Neurosurgery, I decided to offer up a very interesting anecdote:


In one of my biology lab courses, there is one pre-med student who constantly harps about doing Neurosurgery "research". Now this student is a freshman, who has taken no college level biology courses, and is at a fairly low ranked state school (and is not in the honors program). While its all good and dandy to do what makes you happy, harping about it is quite another thing.

When it came time to perform a simple gram stain, she was having major difficulty (the TA went over it once before, and the instructions were explicity laid out in front)- I wonder, if such simple tasks are so challenging, what kind of neurosurgery research is she really doing? Filling in excel cells in a laptop?
Shadowing her daddy/mommy? LOL.

Premeds these days. Becoming an ever more ubiquitous and ignorant breed.

EDIT: She insists on becoming a Neurosurgeon in the future. She has no intention of changing her mind. Favorite quote from her:

"Blood and guts turn me on" (followed by bated breath and an erotic sound)

Weirdo.
I can think of no better punishment. :meanie:
 
This is what i hate most about premeds. Insecure, neurotic and judgmental. See: original poster for a perfect example.

You do realize that what you just wrote is a self-fulfilling, contradictory statement?

You just judged me by writing that. Owned.
 
She insists on becoming a Neurosurgeon in the future. She has no intention of changing her mind. Favorite quote from her:

"Blood and guts turn me on" (followed by bated breath and an erotic sound)
maybe someone should tell her that our guts reside elsewhere in the body...
 
So with the current popular thread regarding Neurosurgery, I decided to offer up a very interesting anecdote:


In one of my biology lab courses, there is one pre-med student who constantly harps about doing Neurosurgery "research". Now this student is a freshman, who has taken no college level biology courses, and is at a fairly low ranked state school (and is not in the honors program). While its all good and dandy to do what makes you happy, harping about it is quite another thing.

When it came time to perform a simple gram stain, she was having major difficulty (the TA went over it once before, and the instructions were explicity laid out in front)- I wonder, if such simple tasks are so challenging, what kind of neurosurgery research is she really doing? Filling in excel cells in a laptop?
Shadowing her daddy/mommy? LOL.

Premeds these days. Becoming an ever more ubiquitous and ignorant breed.

EDIT: She insists on becoming a Neurosurgeon in the future. She has no intention of changing her mind. Favorite quote from her:

"Blood and guts turn me on" (followed by bated breath and an erotic sound)

Weirdo.

These ppl just motivate me to work even harder on my stuff. Just to prove a point :laugh:
 
ah yes, the premed. quite fine specimens they are.

like the freshman who's learning spanish and saying that its really going to help him talk to his patients.

and the girl who wants to be a cardiologist.

aren't they just adorable, arrogant little pricks?
 
That's funny. I'm doing research with a neurosurgeon and a freshman girl and I are going to be listed as co-authors on a paper we're writing.
 
what this girl doesn't turn you guys on?? Geez, something wrong with you people. I think she's a fine specimen for a lady and would love nothing more than to "get to know her better". :meanie:
 
neurosurgery is probably one of the less bloody surgery subspecialties! ironic.
 
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I agree with the poster that said worry about yourself. Just because someone sucks at doing a Gram stain doesn't mean they'll suck at neurosurgery. She didn't say she wanted to be a microbiologist or hospital laboratorian.
 
And how far along in being a premed are you? Honestly, I understand where you're coming from because many of us, myself included, have been tempted to make fun of these "weirdo premeds" when we're all the same way. You know what she's doing? She's reaching out. She's letting everyone know her dreams and what she really wants to hear is "you're on the right track! Good job!" She needs a friend. Now you're posting this on here and want people to tell you "Ya that girl is a weirdo" because you're looking for comaraderie among other premeds. We all need support because its hard being a premed. I became friends with a girl other people said was a "weird" premed and it turns out she was just nervous around other premeds. She was actually really normal and eventually she introduced me to a lot of cool opportunities in clinical settings that I would never have had access to otherwise. Why don't you try being her friend?
 
And how far along in being a premed are you? Honestly, I understand where you're coming from because many of us, myself included, have been tempted to make fun of these "weirdo premeds" when we're all the same way. You know what she's doing? She's reaching out. She's letting everyone know her dreams and what she really wants to hear is "you're on the right track! Good job!" She needs a friend. Now you're posting this on here and want people to tell you "Ya that girl is a weirdo" because you're looking for comaraderie among other premeds. We all need support because its hard being a premed. I became friends with a girl other people said was a "weird" premed and it turns out she was just nervous around other premeds. She was actually really normal and eventually she introduced me to a lot of cool opportunities in clinical settings that I would never have had access to otherwise. Why don't you try being her friend?

Let me say one thing first: I am by no means a gunner. On the contrary, I am very altruistic, not just in my non academic pursuits, but also in my dealings with other people. But this girl is one of those people that have a very haughty aura about them- that "I am better than you" attitude that just doesn't fly- not with me, not with most other people.

Besides, there is no harm in discussing your dreams, but broadcasting
them in an effort to accentuate your ego is a horrible idea.
 
Let me say one thing first: I am by no means a gunner. On the contrary, I am very altruistic, not just in my non academic pursuits, but also in my dealings with other people. But this girl is one of those people that have a very haughty aura about them- that "I am better than you" attitude that just doesn't fly- not with me, not with most other people.

Besides, there is no harm in discussing your dreams, but broadcasting
them in an effort to accentuate your ego is a horrible idea.

Dude, you're dissing a girl on a forum. You are not altruistic in your dealings with people and you yourself have been giving off the same haughty aura that you are railing against. My advice: quit while you are behind and delete your posts and request this thread get closed. You are making no friends.
 
neurosurgery is probably one of the less bloody surgery subspecialties! ironic.

I was waiting for someone to say this ... the most guts I see are during a VP shunt. I think she might be more interested in CRC.

I have no idea why so many pre-meds want to be neurosurgeons. The lifestyle is terrible, the residency is long, and most of the surgeries consist of picking at gray jello that is of slightly different consistency than other gray jello nearby under an operating microscope. Now, personally I enjoy that, but I can't imagine that most pre-meds understand 5% of what the field is actually about.
 
ah yes, the premed. quite fine specimens they are.

like the freshman who's learning spanish and saying that its really going to help him talk to his patients.

and the girl who wants to be a cardiologist.

aren't they just adorable, arrogant little pricks?

Maybe there's some double-sarcasm I missed in this statement. Can someone explain to me what's wrong with either of the examples he cited?
 
Let me say one thing first: I am by no means a gunner. On the contrary, I am very altruistic, not just in my non academic pursuits, but also in my dealings with other people. But this girl is one of those people that have a very haughty aura about them- that "I am better than you" attitude that just doesn't fly- not with me, not with most other people.

Besides, there is no harm in discussing your dreams, but broadcasting
them in an effort to accentuate your ego is a horrible idea.

Get used to it buddy. There is much haughtiness among premeds and medstudents. Actually, there are many prideful people in this world. Some, by bragging about their research/accomplishments/mcat score/etc, will cause others to feel insecure or unsettled. Others will worry that perhaps they are not good enough, "after all this one girl is doing this or that & has already done this or that..."

Avoid the temptation to try and put people in their place. They will just try harder to prove how great they are. A better approach is to just tell people how great they are. For example, this one girl used to brag about how she was beating everyone on our organic chem exams. She would walk up to me (I had a bit of reputation for a number of things but probably mostly for my tutoring in the learning center) to brag about how she beat me on every exam. She didn't beat me on a single exam that semester or during the next. Actually, she never beat me on a single exam during all of undergrad. But you know how I got her to shut up? I told her "wow you are really really smart. Can you give me some pointers on how to get those kind of scores?" I asked genuinely. She stopped bothering me immediately.
 
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Maybe there's some double-sarcasm I missed in this statement. Can someone explain to me what's wrong with either of the examples he cited?

I have no idea how to interpret it either. Poorly clarified in a written medium, I guess.

I've used my high school spanish to help talk to patients and their family members, so it certainly isn't a bad thing (which I suspect is the point of the poster, but it's hard to tell for sure)
 
Avoid the temptation to try and put people in their place. They will just try harder to prove how great they are. A better approach is to just tell people how great they are. For example, this one girl used to brag about how she was beating everyone on our organic chem exams. She would walk up to me (I had a bit of reputation for a number of things but probably mostly for my tutoring in the learning center) to brag about how she beat me on every exam. She didn't beat me on a single exam that semester or during the next. Actually, she never beat me on a single exam during all of undergrad. But you know how I got her to shut up? I told her "wow you are really really smart. Can you give me some pointers on how to get those kind of scores?" I asked genuinely. She stopped bothering me immediately.

👍 This.

I have also found a very high success rate with this method.
 
Let me say one thing first: I am by no means a gunner. On the contrary, I am very altruistic, not just in my non academic pursuits, but also in my dealings with other people. But this girl is one of those people that have a very haughty aura about them- that "I am better than you" attitude that just doesn't fly- not with me, not with most other people.

Besides, there is no harm in discussing your dreams, but broadcasting
them in an effort to accentuate your ego is a horrible idea.

Almost every pre-med student that I know has this kind of attitude. It's called being confident, with a little bit of arrogance. I think everyone is like this until you get a little older. Hell I was an arrogant ass until I was humbled by getting owned (in school) lol. Now i'm working my ass off to repair the damage.
 
ah yes, the premed. quite fine specimens they are.

like the freshman who's learning spanish and saying that its really going to help him talk to his patients.

and the girl who wants to be a cardiologist.

aren't they just adorable, arrogant little pricks?
It is.
 
Almost every pre-med student that I know has this kind of attitude. It's called being confident, with a little bit of arrogance. I think everyone is like this until you get a little older. Hell I was an arrogant ass until I was humbled by getting owned (in school) lol. Now i'm working my ass off to repair the damage.

You need a certain level of arrogance when it comes to medicine. They're going to expect you to know be forceful when you're sure about something. Your "hunch" on what the patient may have could be the difference between her dying or living. Now, there's a fine line between confidence and God complex where you act like you know everything ALL THE TIME. This is especially true in surgeons, you need a little cockiness to cut someone open and KNOW you're going to get the job done. Seriously, you want a timid/meek person poking around your bowels?
 

Yah some hospitals lack an on staff translator at all hours. Also, the people you use over the phone (you can request a phone translator by dialing zero and hitting the speakerphone button on the phone) are sometimes useless and in rare cases also unavailable.
 
You need a certain level of arrogance when it comes to medicine. They're going to expect you to know be forceful when you're sure about something. Your "hunch" on what the patient may have could be the difference between her dying or living. Now, there's a fine line between confidence and God complex where you act like you know everything ALL THE TIME. This is especially true in surgeons, you need a little cockiness to cut someone open and KNOW you're going to get the job done. Seriously, you want a timid/meek person poking around your bowels?

As future physicians, we need to be tolerant of all lifestyles. :nono:
 
Get used to it buddy. There is much haughtiness among premeds and medstudents. Actually, there are many prideful people in this world. Some, by bragging about their research/accomplishments/mcat score/etc, will cause others to feel insecure or unsettled. Others will worry that perhaps they are not good enough, "after all this one girl is doing this or that & has already done this or that..."

Avoid the temptation to try and put people in their place. They will just try harder to prove how great they are. A better approach is to just tell people how great they are. For example, this one girl used to brag about how she was beating everyone on our organic chem exams. She would walk up to me (I had a bit of reputation for a number of things but probably mostly for my tutoring in the learning center) to brag about how she beat me on every exam. She didn't beat me on a single exam that semester or during the next. Actually, she never beat me on a single exam during all of undergrad. But you know how I got her to shut up? I told her "wow you are really really smart. Can you give me some pointers on how to get those kind of scores?" I asked genuinely. She stopped bothering me immediately.

Terrible advice.
 
This is especially true in surgeons, you need a little cockiness to cut someone open and KNOW you're going to get the job done. Seriously, you want a timid/meek person poking around your bowels?
a timid/meek one can also go in and KNOW they're going to get the job done. i'd rather them be positive they're right before they cut, than be cocky and cut first and ask questions later! measure twice, cut once you know.
 
...really? I was expecting someone to get the "poking around your bowels" crack I made... lol
 
a timid/meek one can also go in and KNOW they're going to get the job done. i'd rather them be positive they're right before they cut, than be cocky and cut first and ask questions later! measure twice, cut once you know.

Well yeah, even timid doctors know their stuff, but there's a difference in knowing and acting on it. Timid people often have confidence issues and get frazzled easily when challenged by a superior. You can know (in your gut) that the patient has a particular problem but if you can't uster courage to challenge your superiors what good is that?
 
not sure what you were expecting for a reaction...shall we rename sdn after you?

if it makes you feel better i didnt even read it
You're right. That's exactly what I was expecting.
 
Well yeah, even timid doctors know their stuff, but there's a difference in knowing and acting on it. Timid people often have confidence issues and get frazzled easily when challenged by a superior. You can know (in your gut) that the patient has a particular problem but if you can't uster courage to challenge your superiors what good is that?
well the courage to challenge others when patient care depends on it would have to be worked on. but i would still trust a surgeon that knew their stuff, no matter their personality (although being a nice human being would definitely make me feel more comfortable, and timid people often strike me as nicer than brash ones).
 
Honestly if she wants to be a neurosurgen good for her. It's such a terrible life-style/job, anyone that wants to go into it I support them. We need neurosurgeons and I sure as hell am not going to do it.
 
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