Should i quit medicine? dont have the guts

[lmay0001]

im a 3rd year medical student, currently on pathology attachment. as i was rotating in autopsy i felt really sick and the way the body was handled shocked me (total disrespect of a human) i mean its one way to examine a body and another is to butcher it.

also on haematology and oncology i met alot of cancer patients who where very distressed and wanted hope but we couldn't give it, it made me feel horrible seeing them cliniging on and not wanting to die but all we could offer is chemo which never improved prognosis. The family crying and stress just made me break down i couldnt sleep for 1 week.

i dont think i can take seeing this on a daily basis, too much grief and stress.

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[TheBDP]

im a 3rd year medical student, currently on pathology attachment. as i was rotating in autopsy i felt really sick and the way the body was handled shocked me (total disrespect of a human) i mean its one way to examine a body and another is to butcher it.

also on haematology and oncology i met alot of cancer patients who where very distressed and wanted hope but we couldn't give it, it made me feel horrible seeing them cliniging on and not wanting to die but all we could offer is chemo which never improved prognosis. The family crying and stress just made me break down i couldnt sleep for 1 week.

i dont think i can take seeing this on a daily basis, too much grief and stress.

Perhaps you should consider a specialty that doesn't deal with these types of situations daily. I feel that it's too early to say that you should throw in the towel given your reasoning, but that's just my .02

 

[Mad Jack]

im a 3rd year medical student, currently on pathology attachment. as i was rotating in autopsy i felt really sick and the way the body was handled shocked me (total disrespect of a human) i mean its one way to examine a body and another is to butcher it.

also on haematology and oncology i met alot of cancer patients who where very distressed and wanted hope but we couldn't give it, it made me feel horrible seeing them cliniging on and not wanting to die but all we could offer is chemo which never improved prognosis. The family crying and stress just made me break down i couldnt sleep for 1 week.

i dont think i can take seeing this on a daily basis, too much grief and stress.

You'll die inside soon enough, don't worry about it.

 

[Osteoth]

Unless you're independently wealthy you would think the overwhelming fear of your student loans would have answered this question for you...

 

[VincentAdultman]

I wouldn't base such an extreme, rash decision on two of the most (in my opinion) depressing disciplines in medicine.

Radiology is definitely a viable alternative for obvious reasons.

You may have to deliver bad news as a PCP, but it's not as pervasive as say, Heme Onc.

I'm biased, but orthopaedic surgery deals a lot with healthy patients and often your're preserving lifestyles rather than saving lives. That being said if you're squeamish it may not be for you.

Oh. And loans. Definitely a motivational tool in and of itself.

 

[WingedOx]

You'll die inside soon enough, don't worry about it.

Unfortunately some people never learn to deal with patient suffering and then I get to clean up the benzo/norco combination they've put their patients on.

 

[mistafab]

Dude - in primary care you'll just get a lot of snuffly noses, cough, and stds. Easy peasy.

Jokes aside there is a lot in medicine that doesn't include death everywhere.

 

[allantois]

Do rads

 

[itisallrelative]

I wouldn't base such an extreme, rash decision on two of the most (in my opinion) depressing disciplines in medicine.

Radiology is definitely a viable alternative for obvious reasons.

You may have to deliver bad news as a PCP, but it's not as pervasive as say, Heme Onc.

I'm biased, but orthopaedic surgery deals a lot with healthy patients and often your're preserving lifestyles rather than saving lives. That being said if you're squeamish it may not be for you.

Oh. And loans. Definitely a motivational tool in and of itself.

1. a) Yes, loan money can be a significant burden, but, it can be repayed. Not becoming a physician and/or surgeon WILL NOT prevent you from being able to pay them back, and live a wealthy life. Most physicians and/or surgeons are "wealthy" especially when compared to the entire population, but very, very, very few are chartering private jets on a regular basis and walking into a Pagani "dealership," pointing at a vehicle and driving it out a few minutes later. b) If I was you and I concluded that I can't/aren't interested in practicing any medical specialty based on those two experiences, I would walk away from medicine very, very fast. Not worth it for you. Not fair for your patients, colleagues, etc., etc.
2. One of the best surgeons I know fainted, vomited, etc. many, many times before he could stand through an entire operation. He almost walked away from medicine. I am glad he did not.

 

[tiff]

Honestly you just sound a little blue. Nothing some sunshine and fresh air can’t fix.

This is life though. There are some things you can fix, and some you can’t. As a physician, you make a mistake the minute you start to think you have the powers of God. Sometimes you have to accept what is and learn to move on. Not only for you but for your patients. Instead of being in the mindset of, “ok so you have cancer but I can’t fix it. the world is ****ty and now I’m bitter/mad/upset.” Try, ok you have cancer and attempting to fix it will probably inflict on you a life I wouldn’t even wish for my enemies. So let me help you still see the beauty in the world so you can get out there and start living your last days/weeks/years to the fullest.

At the end of the day, when something is what it is and you can’t do a thing about it to change it, you need to move on and find something positive to spend your energy on. Not just in medicine but in life as well.

Good luck.

 

[itisallrelative]

Honestly you just sound a little blue. Nothing some sunshine and fresh air can’t fix.

This is life though. There are some things you can fix, and some you can’t. As a physician, you make a mistake the minute you start to think you have the powers of God. Sometimes you have to accept what is and learn to move on. Not only for you but for your patients. Instead of being in the mindset of, “ok so you have cancer but I can’t fix it. the world is ****ty and now I’m bitter/mad/upset.” Try, ok you have cancer and attempting to fix it will probably inflict on you a life I wouldn’t even wish for my enemies. So let me help you still see the beauty in the world so you can get out there and start living your last days/weeks/years to the fullest.

At the end of the day, when something is what it is and you can’t do a thing about it to change it, you need to move on and find something positive to spend your energy on. Not just in medicine but in life as well.

Good luck.

Good response, Tiff. *Regarding cancer pts., and, really, all pts., they could choose to stop treatment, but they don't. You are at least giving them some sort of option. Maybe that one dose of "X," or another attempt at performing "X" "operation" will all of a sudden "cure" them. "Miracles (in the sense that as a physician you have no clue why "X" helped, even out of the blue, but it did - or maybe it wasn't even "X," but something else that suddenly occurred in the body that helped)" do, certainly, happen. *It is, almost never, if never, appropriate, to give a pt. false hope regarding treatment, though as a care provider.*

 

[VincentAdultman]

1. a) Yes, loan money can be a significant burden, but, it can be repayed. Not becoming a physician and/or surgeon WILL NOT prevent you from being able to pay them back, and live a wealthy life. Most physicians and/or surgeons are "wealthy" especially when compared to the entire population, but very, very, very few are chartering private jets on a regular basis and walking into a Pagani "dealership," pointing at a vehicle and driving it out a few minutes later. b) If I was you and I concluded that I can't/aren't interested in practicing any medical specialty based on those two experiences, I would walk away from medicine very, very fast. Not worth it for you. Not fair for your patients, colleagues, etc., etc.
2. One of the best surgeons I know fainted, vomited, etc. many, many times before he could stand through an entire operation. He almost walked away from medicine. I am glad he did not.

Paying off med schools IS a significant burden, and that's why I'd think long and hard about leaving medicine because of two bad experiences. I mean at least let the rest of third year play out.

 

[itisallrelative]

Paying off med schools IS a significant burden, and that's why I'd think long and hard about leaving medicine because of two bad experiences. I mean at least let the rest of third year play out.

Can be... Or, do you know his [correction: ,or her,] financial assets?

 

[VincentAdultman]

Can be... Or, do you know his [correction: ,or her,] financial assets?

It's pretty hard for me to imagine a financial level where I'd be comfortable throwing money at a six figure debt I accrued for basically no reason.

 

[Goro]

I do love the smacking sound the Banhammer makes.

 

[skeptastic]

I do love the smacking sound the Banhammer makes.

HAHAHA!!!!

 

[DrivenAndDangerous]

.

 

[ortnakas]

I don’t think you should rule out all of medicine based on these two experiences— you’ve just realized that pathology and heme-onc aren’t good fits. You’ll find something that is.