Not seen as a future doc...

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Undecided22

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I've been volunteering at a local hospital.

I don't know if this doctor was just being an a** or just expressing his concerns, but I followed him around a couple of times and got to know him. Well I heard through a fellow volunteer that the doctor was expressing how he couldn't see me as a doctor and how other nurses that saw me/knew me as well couldn't see me doing a physicians work.

Should I shrug this off? I admit I can be awkward in certain situations, but I am learning how to work with that, and as well be more of a people person. But it just really hit me, and I am wondering if any of you went through something similar?
 
First, I'm sorry because that sucks. I'd be bummed a bit if I heard that.

When you say you can be awkward, what do you mean? Can you give a couple examples of what you think this doctor might have been thinking of when he said those things?

Why would this fellow volunteer tell you this crap? Is it possible she/he made it up for some reason?

If you want to be a doctor, keep working toward it to make it happen. If you have doubts, then take time to think about it and explore other things. But don't let someone else dictate what you do with your life.
 
Undecided22 said:
I've been volunteering at a local hospital.

I don't know if this doctor was just being an a** or just expressing his concerns, but I followed him around a couple of times and got to know him. Well I heard through a fellow volunteer that the doctor was expressing how he couldn't see me as a doctor and how other nurses that saw me/knew me as well couldn't see me doing a physicians work.

Should I shrug this off? I admit I can be awkward in certain situations, but I am learning how to work with that, and as well be more of a people person. But it just really hit me, and I am wondering if any of you went through something similar?
Click to expand...


You'll meet different types of people throughout your medical career and need to learn how you can collaborate with them.

In short, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Maybe you can ask them about their rationales, so that you can find weaknesses you can try to improve over time, but I wouldn't be discouraged at all. If you know you want to be a physician, don't question your motivation just because someone who only met you for several months thinks you can't be a doctor.
 
I work with doctors that I can't see being doctors.
 
If the physician really said that, I think that's an ******* thing to say. Actually, the same can be said for your fellow volunteer too for even bothering to pass it on to you. I don't know why he would know this bit of information, but it reminds me of gossip. Just my opinion though.

I wouldn't let it discourage you. For one thing, there are all kinds of doctors that use a wide range of skills. Just because you're lacking some doesn't mean you can't make them up in other departments. If by being awkward in certain situations means you're awkward interacting with patients, then I think by the time you're done with undergrad and four years of medical school you would have had enough time to get over the awkwardness. If not, then I don't think being awkward in general is a disqualifier for medical school. Ignoring them would probably be your best option.
 
So you only know this because another volunteer told you? Are you sure you can trust what this volunteer is saying?
 
I would seriously question whether your friend is telling the truth. That seems really bizarre for a doctor and nurses to go out of their way to openly criticize a volunteer's career aspirations. There's typically a thousand other things they'd rather gossip about that actually holds some relevance to what they're doing and their lives.

If they did, chances are it was just mindless small talk of which you should shrug off.
 
FWIW I've been mistreated as a volunteer as well, both by nurses and doctors, but at the same time I've met some really cool nurses/docs that have wanted to show me new things and help me learn about the field. Don't get upset, this stuff happens, just gotta learn to move on.
 
Undecided22 said:
I've been volunteering at a local hospital.

I don't know if this doctor was just being an a** or just expressing his concerns, but I followed him around a couple of times and got to know him. Well I heard through a fellow volunteer that the doctor was expressing how he couldn't see me as a doctor and how other nurses that saw me/knew me as well couldn't see me doing a physicians work.

Should I shrug this off? I admit I can be awkward in certain situations, but I am learning how to work with that, and as well be more of a people person. But it just really hit me, and I am wondering if any of you went through something similar?
Click to expand...

Ignore it OP. If you are really curious, you can ask the doctor if he sees you as a good fit and go from there. Otherwise, don't let small things get in the way of your dreams.
 
If we can't even predict the freakin' weather with certainty, how the heck do you expect to predict someone's future? Shrug it off. Their opinion of you does not matter at all.
 
If he did say that then he's A. extremely unprofessional and B. immature. Ignore it. Focus on bettering yourself. I worked at a dental office and the dentists there would constantly talk about punching people in the face so that they would need to see them for dental work. Though it was a joke it should never have been said. My point is this. Regardless of anyone's academic/career achievements, it does not mean they are mature and decent. We all have our weak areas. I'd say this doctor has just as far to go as you do in his sociability skills if he goes around gabbing about others in a work area.
 
I'm going to disagree with the masses and say that his opinion may matter, depending on his reason(s). If he didn't like you because you're a Broncos fan and he's not, that's a bad reason that doesn't matter.

If he thinks you'll make a crappy doctor because you have objectively terrible interpersonal skills or consistently showed poor judgment, that would be a weakness to recognize now and remedy in the next few years.
 
I'm a rather awkward introvert, and I got accepted to medical school. When I worked as a CNA at a nursing home, the nurses would sometimes give me **** about becoming a doctor. Stuff like: "If you're going to be a doctor, this (task) should be no problem for you." You just gotta develop a thick skin.

Haters gonna hate 😎
 
I find it surprising the other volunteer would tell you about this. It's kind of rude, in my opinion, and not something I would blab if I happened to hear. He might have made it up. Maybe you have a better volunteer gig than him, OP, and he wants you to quit volunteering so he can get it :naughty:

Anyway, I had a PI, with whom I worked two years, tell me, not unkindly, that he thought I didn't have the personality of a doctor, 'maybe in pathology.' Basically he told me I didn't have the people skills to be a doctor. It really hurt, because I respected his opinion and had known him so long. It haunted me through two app cycles, and I always wondered if he was right. I still do.

But really, the only person who can decide whether you'll be a good physician is you. You know yourself better than someone with whom you spend a few hours a week. Don't let them decide your future.
 
I've been told the same thing by a doctor. "Are you sure you want to be a doctor?"

I think he was projecting his hatred of his job on me. The comment was right after I watched him do a pelvic exam on a 300 pound woman, and about an hour before he told me, in confidence, that he was leaving for another job. :laugh:
 
I reminded of a quote a politician made a long time ago that I will paraphrase.

When I first got elected, I kept thinking 'My god, how did I get here?' After spending a few months in congress, I kept thinking 'My god, how did all these people get here?'

OP, I wouldn't worry about it. Some people are douches, and they exist in every profession. Work on your weaknesses, work hard, and you'll do fine.
 
He was rude to be gossiping about you, but I feel like there's more to this story.

Also, you need WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY thicker skin if you want to make it in medicine.
 
Ignore it and carry on.

If he says it again, tell him to piss off and carry on
 
I wouldn't let his comment bother you, but I would definitely get out of that volunteer program and find another, or at least work with a different physician. If he/she doesn't think you're fit for medicine then he/she won't involve you in meaningful ways, and surely won't give you a good recommendation when the time comes.
 
Don't let others dictate what you can or can't do. Succeed, and send them a postcard from med school 👍
 
Undecided22 said:
I've been volunteering at a local hospital.

I don't know if this doctor was just being an a** or just expressing his concerns, but I followed him around a couple of times and got to know him. Well I heard through a fellow volunteer that the doctor was expressing how he couldn't see me as a doctor and how other nurses that saw me/knew me as well couldn't see me doing a physicians work.

Should I shrug this off? I admit I can be awkward in certain situations, but I am learning how to work with that, and as well be more of a people person. But it just really hit me, and I am wondering if any of you went through something similar?
Click to expand...

Was the fellow volunteer also a premed? Probably.
Do premeds often say things to other premeds just to discourage the competition? All the time.

I have a gut feeling that you are being lied to.
 
Undecided22 said:
I've been volunteering at a local hospital.

I don't know if this doctor was just being an a** or just expressing his concerns, but I followed him around a couple of times and got to know him. Well I heard through a fellow volunteer that the doctor was expressing how he couldn't see me as a doctor and how other nurses that saw me/knew me as well couldn't see me doing a physicians work.

Should I shrug this off? I admit I can be awkward in certain situations, but I am learning how to work with that, and as well be more of a people person. But it just really hit me, and I am wondering if any of you went through something similar?
Click to expand...

Absolutely shrug this off. In fact, next time you see him engage him in co nversation and say something like i heard what you said about me and funny thing is i was thinking the same exact thing about you. How did you become a physician. You re a volunteer so it wont hurt you. Believe it or not you can hurt him more than he can hurt you.
 
NOTJOHN said:
Absolutely shrug this off. In fact, next time you see him engage him in co nversation and say something like i heard what you said about me and funny thing is i was thinking the same exact thing about you. How did you become a physician. You re a volunteer so it wont hurt you. Believe it or not you can hurt him more than he can hurt you.
Click to expand...

Doubt that would be a wise path to choose because the doctor can easily refute that he ever said such a thing, and then OP will just look like a major douche.
 
Turn a negative into a positive! Best way to improve is to take other people's criticism as a way to motivate you to get the job done and prove them wrong.
 
I'm not saying that this person's comments had merit, but if you were him (or others), why might he say that about you (aside from any awkwardness, which many people have in new situations). Is there anything you can learn from this?
 
Wow, the other volunteer sounds like a total freak. Sharing that information can only hurt someone.
 
NOTJOHN said:
Absolutely shrug this off. In fact, next time you see him engage him in co nversation and say something like i heard what you said about me and funny thing is i was thinking the same exact thing about you. How did you become a physician. You re a volunteer so it wont hurt you. Believe it or not you can hurt him more than he can hurt you.
Click to expand...

ericksonj15 said:
Giving advice this awful leads me to believe that you are in fact the other volunteer from the story and have a serious vendetta against the OP.
Click to expand...

I agree with ericksonj15. All you'll do is piss off the doctor if you say that. You could ask the doctor if he has any suggestions for improving your demeanor or if he thinks you are lacking in any personal skills that you'll need as a doctor. Calling him out won't help though. If you do confront the doctor, don't even mention "he said/she said" nonsense; you will gain more if you come across as someone trying to improve.

HOWEVER, I would just ignore it and move on. Unless I heard specific details about why they think what they (supposedly) think, what am I going to do about it, so who cares?
 
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