Scut Work

[MedStudentWanna]

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What exactly does it entail when we're talking a third year? Running stuff to the lab, etc. or are we talking cleaning bed pans and collecting patients' urine/stool for tests, etc.?

 

[Hard24Get]

What exactly does it entail when we're talking a third year? Running stuff to the lab, etc. or are we talking cleaning bed pans and collecting patients' urine/stool for tests, etc.?

Oh, "scut work" is many things, from fetching coffee to collecting and sending a culture. Though residents tend to think just about everything a medical student can do (besides discussing issues at rounds) is scut, I tend to think of true scut as tasks that are not educational at all. For instance, one can learn something/gain experience from calling consultants, checking/culturing wounds, writing notes, placing orders, and even gathering vitals (get a chance to interpet them before everyone else). I learned how to get coffee in college, and once you know where the lab is, dropping off samples or getting x-rays is not so educational.

Fortunately, nursing (RNs or CNAs) handle the bed pans, etc, though we may occasional be asked to do rectal exams (which is educational - how else wil you note an abnormal exam).

True scut is pretty quick, and if you do that as well as perceived scut, then you open the door to ask to do things you want to do.

Forget tuition - scut is the medical students currency. 😉

 

[VincentAdultman]

What exactly does it entail when we're talking a third year? Running stuff to the lab, etc. or are we talking cleaning bed pans and collecting patients' urine/stool for tests, etc.?

A resident I worked with defined scut as "anything that doesn't contribute to the care of the patient." A pretty tight definition, but getting coffee
(do people actually do this?) would be classified there. When I was on an away, I had to help prepare M&M for the PGY4. Now that's some serious scut for ya.

 

[m1234d]

Hard24Get is right, scut is the currency of med students. Where I go to school, they clearly delineate that scut work is when it is not involved in patient care. Somehow preparing the H&P for tumor board for your resident is not scut work. whatever. The thing I found on Surgery and Obgyn, is if you do what the scut work that is asked, and even a little (you dont want to look like some nose wiping ass kissing gunner) without asked, the residents are much more willing to let you/teach you how to suture, or intubate, or whatever. I've gotten to do a bit more than some fellow students because I offered to go get coffee, since I was planning on getting it for myself (key). it's more like having some social grace and being "respectful of your elder" you save them some time, or annoyance, they (some) give it back to you in teaching.

 

[abbaroodle]

Ditto on most of the above.

I think of scut work as anything not related to pt care. So hunting down outside records is a pain, but it is something that I can do that actually helps in the care of the pt and wouldnt be done otherwise. Do I want to spend my whole day doing this? Of course not. But I dont mind occassionally because it is helpful. And almost always appreciated. And I get to flip through it and pick out the salient stuff which is really appreciated. (I found his last Cr and BUN which were just as high a month ago, so no acute renal failure.)

Some of scut is also "team work" and stuff that has to be done. One night, a resident showed me how to draw bloods. The next call night I helped a different resident out and did a couple - they were not my pts, but I got to learn how to do bloods and I got to help her. (She actually ran them down to the lab.)

Hopefully by saving him\her some time I can have my questions answered, or some teaching that might not happen. And except for rare bitchy residents, it is appreciated.

And I agree about "social grace." If I am grabbing a soda, why not offer? It doesnt hurt! And I have had also residents ask if I wanted anything when they go to get coffee.