Official gunner thread

[lvspro]

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Well, I hear everyone complaining about gunners, but all I see is a bunch of pompous prick$ who think that they are entitled to esy street b/c they got in to med school. Here's my list of things you can shove down your throat.

1. I love being there 1.5 hrs b4 anyone else even wakes up. By the time you get there I've written notes on my Pts, the interns pts, hell I've even seen a few of the residents pts.

2. By the time you get out of bed, I'm eating my 2nd meal, and looking up labs on all the pts on the list, as well as anything I don't know about a pt including drug MOA's, pathophys, alternative tx's.

3. During rounds, you can bet your a$$ that I'm gonna volunteer to talk about the things I looked up in 2.

4. I will be loved by the interns and residents b/c I will make their jobs easier by doing said things in 1-3.

5. You can count on me being there last. When you're home eatin' your pizza/hamburger/hot dog, I'll just be leavin' work to go read from a text.

6. You will not say anything to me about 1-5 b/c I will tell the attending.

7. I will volunteer to do the rectals, disimpactions, or any other humiliating duty dumped on to students just for a single stroke of the pen in the superior section of my evaluation.

Just kidding. Oh woe is me that the days are gone when I would just beat a nerd up, and go on my merry way.

If anyone else can think of gunnery things they've seen please feel free to post them so that we may all ridicule, and ostracize the dweeb to our hearts content w/o fear of reprimand.

Disclaimer: I believe in working hard, and going the extra mile. I do not think it is appropriate to "show" other students up, unless they are dumping work on you.

 

[RonaldColeman]

Well, I hear everyone complaining about gunners, but all I see is a bunch of pompous prick$ who think that they are entitled to esy street b/c they got in to med school. Here's my list of things you can shove down your throat.

1. I love being there 1.5 hrs b4 anyone else even wakes up. By the time you get there I've written notes on my Pts, the interns pts, hell I've even seen a few of the residents pts.

2. By the time you get out of bed, I'm eating my 2nd meal, and looking up labs on all the pts on the list, as well as anything I don't know about a pt including drug MOA's, pathophys, alternative tx's.

3. During rounds, you can bet your a$$ that I'm gonna volunteer to talk about the things I looked up in 2.

4. I will be loved by the interns and residents b/c I will make their jobs easier by doing said things in 1-3.

5. You can count on me being there last. When you're home eatin' your pizza/hamburger/hot dog, I'll just be leavin' work to go read from a text.

6. You will not say anything to me about 1-5 b/c I will tell the attending.

7. I will volunteer to do the rectals, disimpactions, or any other humiliating duty dumped on to students just for a single stroke of the pen in the superior section of my evaluation.

Just kidding. Oh woe is me that the days are gone when I would just beat a nerd up, and go on my merry way.

If anyone else can think of gunnery things they've seen please feel free to post them so that we may all ridicule, and ostracize the dweeb to our hearts content w/o fear of reprimand.

Disclaimer: I believe in working hard, and going the extra mile. I do not think it is appropriate to "show" other students up, unless they are dumping work on you.

Other than #6, I really don't have a problem with anything else you listed. If someone wants to work that hard, let them. This is medical school. As long as you let me present my patients, I really don't give a **** what you do. Anyway, it has been my experience that the people who do the things you mentioned are not top of the class anyway. They may appear to do well on wards, but many of these same people are barely passing the shelf exams and are not getting honors. The best med student is the one who is able to balance working on the wards with having enough free time to score high on shelf exams.
One piece of advice I'd give in dealing with gunners relates to presentations. These gunners do like to give presentations, and if you don't give one, your attending will remember that. At the same time, if you are on a rotation like surgery where you have so little time to study, you may feel that you are wasting your time just to keep up with these guys. What I would do in this situation is find out what the biggest topic is on that rotation's shelf exam, and give my presentation on that. (Don't worry about this actually helping the gunners because they will be too busy trying to think of questions to stump you with than to actually listen to the material you are presenting).

 

[lvspro]

Other than #6, I really don't have a problem with anything else you listed. If someone wants to work that hard, let them. This is medical school. As long as you let me present my patients, I really don't give a **** what you do. Anyway, it has been my experience that the people who do the things you mentioned are not top of the class anyway. They may appear to do well on wards, but many of these same people are barely passing the shelf exams and are not getting honors. The best med student is the one who is able to balance working on the wards with having enough free time to score high on shelf exams.
One piece of advice I'd give in dealing with gunners relates to presentations. These gunners do like to give presentations, and if you don't give one, your attending will remember that. At the same time, if you are on a rotation like surgery where you have so little time to study, you may feel that you are wasting your time just to keep up with these guys. What I would do in this situation is find out what the biggest topic is on that rotation's shelf exam, and give my presentation on that. (Don't worry about this actually helping the gunners because they will be too busy trying to think of questions to stump you with than to actually listen to the material you are presenting).

You go ahead and take all the disimpactions your little heart desires.

Anyhow, I can't believe I have to explain this, but there is a fine line between good student and gunner. It's kind of like O-C, and the typical med student. Most med students are pretty good about keeping their materials in order, and look pretty O-C to most people. The thing that divides it from being clinical is that it doesn't interfere with their lives, nay, it actually benefits them. So as in the above example, the things listed are to be taken in context. Furthermore, read the disclaimer, the context meant for you to take it in is people doing this stuff in an attempt to "show-up" other students. btw, if you jump to do disimpactions, rectals, and pelvics on 500 lb women then, I hate to be the one to tell you this but, you are the gunner.

It's a shame that such a cool bodybuilders name is being used on such a nerds moniker
In case you didn't get it, that was a joke.

So, if anyone else has any funny gunner stories, or things they saw on the floors that were pretty gunnery then please list them here. I always get a good laugh at how nerdy med students can be.

 

[Megalofyia]

I once saw midget monkeys mud wrestling on the floor. That was good times.

 

[SLUser11]

It's a shame that such a cool bodybuilders name is being used on such a nerds moniker
In case you didn't get it, that was a joke.

So, if anyone else has any funny gunner stories, or things they saw on the floors that were pretty gunnery then please list them here. I always get a good laugh at how nerdy med students can be.

R.C. got the joke, as lame as it was. He was just adding in actually useful information on how to deal with gunners instead of calling them nerds 500 times.

The message of his post was: 1. Most gunners are overcompensating for a deficit elsewhere, be it on written exams or in relating to teammates and patients. 2. If you're going to play their game, try to learn something useful in the process. 3. He's not impressed the the examples of gunner behavior that you so humorously described, , I'm still catching my breath from all the laughter.

Basically what I'm saying is settle the f@#k down and don't attack the previous poster.

 

[lvspro]

R.C. got the joke, as lame as it was. He was just adding in actually useful information on how to deal with gunners instead of calling them nerds 500 times.

The message of his post was: 1. Most gunners are overcompensating for a deficit elsewhere, be it on written exams or in relating to teammates and patients. 2. If you're going to play their game, try to learn something useful in the process. 3. He's not impressed the the examples of gunner behavior that you so humorously described, , I'm still catching my breath from all the laughter.

Basically what I'm saying is settle the f@#k down and don't attack the previous poster.

This thread has nothing to do with needing info on how to deal with gunners.

I understood the mesage of his post, but see above statement.

You need to relax man. No need to get yer panties in a bunch over me asking people to post the most gunneristic things they've seen. Furthermore, where the hell do you see an attack in my post? I appreciate your opinion, but quite frankly, it doesn't matter what you think.

 

[RonaldColeman]

You go ahead and take all the disimpactions your little heart desires.

Anyhow, I can't believe I have to explain this, but there is a fine line between good student and gunner. It's kind of like O-C, and the typical med student. Most med students are pretty good about keeping their materials in order, and look pretty O-C to most people. The thing that divides it from being clinical is that it doesn't interfere with their lives, nay, it actually benefits them. So as in the above example, the things listed are to be taken in context. Furthermore, read the disclaimer, the context meant for you to take it in is people doing this stuff in an attempt to "show-up" other students. btw, if you jump to do disimpactions, rectals, and pelvics on 500 lb women then, I hate to be the one to tell you this but, you are the gunner.

It's a shame that such a cool bodybuilders name is being used on such a nerds moniker
In case you didn't get it, that was a joke.

So, if anyone else has any funny gunner stories, or things they saw on the floors that were pretty gunnery then please list them here. I always get a good laugh at how nerdy med students can be.

I understood that your post was a joke; I was simply pointing out that the attributes that you mentioned do not, in my opinion, define a gunner. Trying to look better than other students should be one of your goals on a clinical rotation. I mean, that's how medicine (and life) works. You get the job or residency because you stand out. Of course, there are limits; if you are interfering with other students--trying to present their patients, answering questions that aren't addressed to you, etc--then I have a problem. If, however, you give presentations, know everything about your patients, have your notes done before everyone else, volunteer to do rectals, etc.--I don't have a problem with that. I don't even have a problem with you knowing everything about my patients as long as you only volunteer this information when I forget to do it. In fact, a good student does know everything about all of the patients on the team--not my words, but the words of an attending. I'm not saying I do all of this, but I don't have a problem with people who do.

By the way, perhaps we can meet up some time, and then you can find out why this "nerd" uses the moniker RonaldColeman.

 

[lvspro]

I understood that your post was a joke; I was simply pointing out that the attributes that you mentioned do not, in my opinion, define a gunner. Trying to look better than other students should be one of your goals on a clinical rotation. I mean, that's how medicine (and life) works. You get the job or residency because you stand out. Of course, there are limits; if you are interfering with other students--trying to present their patients, answering questions that aren't addressed to you, etc--then I have a problem. If, however, you give presentations, know everything about your patients, have your notes done before everyone else, volunteer to do rectals, etc.--I don't have a problem with that. I don't even have a problem with you knowing everything about my patients as long as you only volunteer this information when I forget to do it. In fact, a good student does know everything about all of the patients on the team--not my words, but the words of an attending. I'm not saying I do all of this, but I don't have a problem with people who do.

By the way, perhaps we can meet up some time, and then you can find out why this "nerd" uses the moniker RonaldColeman.

Rest assured you're not the only one who hits the gym flex.

This thread has turned gay, and as such I'll be asking an administrator to shut it down.

 

[DoctorFunk]

Rest assured you're not the only one who hits the gym flex.

This thread has turned gay, and as such I'll be asking an administrator to shut it down.

pwned. th1s thred wuz teh roxorz b4 Flex.

No, but seriously. Chill out.

 

[lvspro]

pwned. th1s thred wuz teh roxorz b4 Flex.
.

Not too sure what this means... care to elaborate?

 

[DoctorFunk]

Not too sure what this means... care to elaborate?

It means little Jimmy's game of dodgeball didn't go quite as he planned so now he's going to take his ball back and go home. Just because you got called out for being a little prickish doesn't mean you can simply declare a thread "gay" and get it closed, little guy.

 

[Long Dong]

So many bodybuilders in this thread. How do you guys still have the time to workout? I'm just died tired by the time I get home I hardly have enough energy to study let alone workout?

 

[SLUser11]

To the super-duper big manly men: I think you're looking for http://www.strongmanforums.com if you want to talk about how huge you are. I mean COME ON! Flex? Little guy?

If we're really lucky, Type B MD will pop into this forum and talk about his bulgarian powerlifting records. In my opinion, the only thing worse than a gunner is a cyber-meathead.


👍 👍

 

[Long Dong]

To In my opinion, the only thing worse than a gunner is a cyber-meathead.👍 👍

How about a gunner who is also a meathead?

 

[RonaldColeman]

To the super-duper big manly men: I think you're looking for http://www.strongmanforums.com if you want to talk about how huge you are. I mean COME ON! Flex? Little guy?

If we're really lucky, Type B MD will pop into this forum and talk about his bulgarian powerlifting records. In my opinion, the only thing worse than a gunner is a cyber-meathead.


👍 👍

I agree with you. I shouldn't have made the comment I did. All the talk about beating up nerds, making fun of nerds, etc. just hit a nerve.

 

[OkieMD]

Check out this commentary that was aired on NPR from a Harvard medical student. It says it all!

Commentary - Joe Wright: 'Gunners' Blasting their Fellow Med Students

All Things Considered, August 6, 2004
Commentator and medical student Joe Wright has learned a lot about medicine in the past two years of school -- and a lot about medical students. Wright comments on med school "gunners" -- students who use their superior medical knowledge to put other students down.


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3837083

 

[bustbones26]

Lets get back to the point of the thread. Lyspro, working hard as a med student is not a problem, here are a list of problems that I believe makes a person a gunner, if you do any of these, then you need to be shot!!

1) Calling up senior residents on other services and telling them how to manage their patients. For example, lets say you are doing a neurology rotation as an MS-4 and you are consulted on a stroke patient. You do your job and you do it well but then you decide to go above and beyond by calling up the R-3 internal medicine resident and inform him of how he is inadequately managing the patient's blood pressure because he is using medicine X when really the "I am an a$$hole study" really shows that medicine Y is superior to X and he ought to be ashamed of himself for not knowing this. When in fact the entire time, the patient's blood pressure has never fallen out of normal range. You just bring up this fact to show how smart you are.

2) When you are on rounds as a team, and the attending pimps a question at one of your colleagues, do you answer the question for them before they even have a chance to think about it, before they open their mouth, do you answer while they are in mid-sentence or cut them off? If so, you need shot and beaten! It's great to have knowledge and to pre-read, but if you do this just to make everybody else look stupid and don't give them a chance to answer the question, then yes, you are a gunner.

3) Do you socialize with your co-med students? If you are snobby, arrogant, don't as much say hi to them, ignore their existence, but yet when the senior of your team comes by or the attending (the one likely to fill out your eval), you liven up and start kissing some rear end, well, this just makes you look as if you are too good for your fellow students and yes, you would be labeled a gunner.

4) Do you point out mistakes of others? WE all make them, but if you run and tattle to purposely make them look bad, you are a gunner.

5) Do you constantly brag about your qualifications? Do you constantly remind everybody of how you are a Johns Hopkins grad or have a master degree in underwater quantum physics?

NOW HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, LISTEN UP!!!

All of this hard work that you kill yourself over, do you do it for your own educational benefit, do you do it because you want to be a good doctor? When you show up to work everyday, do you show any care or compassion towards your patients? Believe me, there is nothing worse than a doctor that is extremely knowledgeable and will adequately manage any problem, but yet patients despise their bedside manner.

Or, do you just do it all do get a high pass so you can get into an ivy league/competitive program? IF you answer yes to this, then no doubt you are a gunner.

So in summary, keep doing what you are doing as long as you are not doing the above things. You avoid these things, and stick to those rules, you will do a great job, get high pass grades, get the residency of your choice, and everybody will appreciate you, from fellow students all the way up to the attending and nobody will label you a gunner

 

[carrigallen]

This talk about 'gunners' is mostly projection. It is because some are afraid they are just the same.

It is the same logic behind the 'Red Scare' - everyone called each other 'Reds' because they were paranoid and bought into an implausible delusion.

I have yet to encounter any med student with the kind of mental pathologies described in this thread - ie ruthless, antisocial, domineering, narcissistic, etc. If I did, I would confront them about it in no uncertain terms.

 

[McGillGrad]

So many bodybuilders in this thread. How do you guys still have the time to workout? I'm just died tired by the time I get home I hardly have enough energy to study let alone workout?

It only takes 30-45 minutes to get a great workout. That is time that can always be found 2-4 times a week no matter what your schedule.

 

[McGillGrad]

I have yet to encounter any med student with the kind of mental pathologies described in this thread - ie ruthless, antisocial, domineering, narcissistic, etc. If I did, I would confront them about it in no uncertain terms.

They are not a common breed but they do exist and you can usually find one per class. Sometimes it has to do with growing up in a different culture or growing up without a 'normal' social education.

They are the same ones that ask annoying and pointless questions in your pre-med classes. The same ones that watch your presentation with a laptop in front of them so they can google some arcane information to make look unprepared.

Finally, they are the same ones that most people like you and I would rather ignore than confront because we were raised better than that. That is, of course, until they go too far and purposely step on your toes in front of a superior.