Residency Hell

[Justin4563]

well the fact is that resident physicians are abused and we allow that to happen becasue most of us take the bs and say well ill be an attending soon. This does not exist in any other profession except medicine. There is a reason why residencies are soo long 3- 7 years. Its because they need the people to do all the work. there is sooo much work to do and not enough people to do it. I mean if you do your residency in a city hospital youll be overwhelmed with work. Nobody knows anything and you are doing 3 jobs in addition to yours. This is the truth; Whoever says that you will be less trained if you work less than 100 hours a week is probably a hospital administrator or a residency director wh is directly affected if you work less hours. And you will find that nobody wants to do that work so you are stuck to it.. And I love the foreign (no offfense because my parents are foreign) Rns who have selective language skills. They only understand what they want to understand. If you ask them to do anything or if anything happens that will prolong their stay at the hopsital such as one of the patients coding they are so upset or they dont speak english all of a sudden. Its a sad system. You have to go with the flow, learn survival skills, look out for number one, and dont try to change the system becasue that will be your doom.. Just get out alive...

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Originally posted by Justin4563:
•...There is a reason why residencies are soo long 3- 7 years. ...•

You might be interested to know that in most other countries in the world, their residencies are longer than ours. The hours are just much much more humane.

 

[grahmcracker]

I'm just beginning med school and y'alls discussion has been illuminating. However, I wanted to encourage other newbies to try and make a difference. Don't just "make it" through. I have a daughter who is showing interest in medicine. Although I may have to work 100 hour weeks, I surely do not want her to suffer that way. A physicians or interns or residents union is one way to go about finding a solution to this problem.

It would be nice to do something similar to a pilot "walkout" for voices to be heard. But at the same time, the ethical choice for patient care is dificult. So what is worse? A unifed walkout for a few hours (I'm sure the president would intervene) or the continuation of a multitude of mistakes that still cost lives and drive up the cost of care?

The other issue for a union is lobby efforts. Knowing the right people and "pressing" the right palms so to speak. If we can come up with some specific resolutions, I will step up to the plate and speak out. Thanks for all your input.

 

[Hopkins2010]

Originally posted by grahmcracker:
•I'm just beginning med school and y'alls discussion has been illuminating. However, I wanted to encourage other newbies to try and make a difference. Don't just "make it" through.•

I couldnt have said it better myself. We all know that changing the current system is really tough. But that still does not relieve us from our obligation to do what is right.

I think most of us deep down know in our hearts that we can do better. To just stick our heads in the sand and say 'well its too hard to change so lets just put up with what we have' is a defeatist attitude.

Doing the right thing is seldom easy, and nothing really worth doing was ever simple.