Sometimes I worry I am a bit too paranoid to be a doctor

[def1]

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I can see blood, guts, surgeries, etc just fine and not be concerned, but there are certain things that really make me worry. I have a quick anecdote that just happened today that shows just how badly I can get worried about things. So please read the whole thing, cuz its kind of long, to understand why this worries me about entering the medical field.

I was working in my research lab. I was training and learning how to work with animal tissue and cut it. I ended up cutting myself on one of the blades used for cutting the animal tissue. It was a small wound on my finger, I went and rinsed it out with water and let it bleed out and cleaned it with alcohol. After this incident (which was reported) I haven't been able to get the thought out of my head, although I have finally gotten over the anxiety of the whole thing.

I always seem to imagine the worst possibilities. In this case, I automatically jumped to the risk of developing a prion disease. Even after reading up on several articles that mentioned there have been 0 confirmed cases of occupational transmission to prion disease, a doctor telling me that it was a small risk incident, and the fact that the animal we work with doesn't seem to have ever been involved with prion transmission, I still felt worried enough to keep me anxious all day.

Im just worried this type of anxiety will seep over into my medical training. Such as working with cadavers, entering rooms with highly infectious patients, or working in pathology. Obviously a sharps injury is not something doctors encounter everyday, but it is something that is encountered.

I realize this is mostly likely a ridiculous post, but has anyone else felt this way? This is not something that would keep me from entering medicine, but its something thats on the back of my mind.

 

[ShenanigansMD]

Yes, but I've learned how to channel it into productive paranoia. I'm sure as a surgeon (edit: any physician) this would be very useful. (Forgive my arrogance.)

 

[AdrianVeidt]

Alcohol on a direct cut? Impressive, you're more manly than I.

 

[chemsmith]

Yeah im the same way. You hear horror stories about belligerent HIV+ patients spitting blood at hospital staff and the like. Or, a simple slip of hand when sticking something sharp in an HIV+ patient like this http://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/07/nyregion/doctor-infected-with-hiv-blames-her-training-by-yale.html and you're screwed, its enough to make anyone extra vigilant/paranoid

 

[ShenanigansMD]

Yeah im the same way. You hear horror stories about belligerent HIV+ patients spitting blood at hospital staff and the like. Or, a simple slip of hand when sticking something sharp in an HIV+ patient like this http://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/07/nyregion/doctor-infected-with-hiv-blames-her-training-by-yale.html and you're screwed, its enough to make anyone extra vigilant/paranoid

Scary, but that's only 1 in... how many doctors are in the US?

Any way, you're more likely to die in a car accident then contract aids by inserting an arterial line incorrectly. Still, that extra vigilance is useful.

 

[Bacchus]

I think the "paranoia" will help you. There are universal precautions for a reason. You treat every patient as if they are going to give you a life-altering disease. I would not let your "paranoia" disengage you from pursuing medicine. The statistics are on your side, especially for HIV transmission. Obviously, this does not mean you don't follow standard protocol.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

consult a psychiatrist if you feel it's starting to take over your life but otherwise we all have those moments

 

[Medstart108]

I can see blood, guts, surgeries, etc just fine and not be concerned, but there are certain things that really make me worry. I have a quick anecdote that just happened today that shows just how badly I can get worried about things. So please read the whole thing, cuz its kind of long, to understand why this worries me about entering the medical field.

I was working in my research lab. I was training and learning how to work with animal tissue and cut it. I ended up cutting myself on one of the blades used for cutting the animal tissue. It was a small wound on my finger, I went and rinsed it out with water and let it bleed out and cleaned it with alcohol. After this incident (which was reported) I haven't been able to get the thought out of my head, although I have finally gotten over the anxiety of the whole thing.

I always seem to imagine the worst possibilities. In this case, I automatically jumped to the risk of developing a prion disease. Even after reading up on several articles that mentioned there have been 0 confirmed cases of occupational transmission to prion disease, a doctor telling me that it was a small risk incident, and the fact that the animal we work with doesn't seem to have ever been involved with prion transmission, I still felt worried enough to keep me anxious all day.

Im just worried this type of anxiety will seep over into my medical training. Such as working with cadavers, entering rooms with highly infectious patients, or working in pathology. Obviously a sharps injury is not something doctors encounter everyday, but it is something that is encountered.

I realize this is mostly likely a ridiculous post, but has anyone else felt this way? This is not something that would keep me from entering medicine, but its something thats on the back of my mind.

I was always afraid of blood until i saw blood for the first time in a hospital and surprisingly it was not only not bad, but it was actually fascinating. You will probably get over your incident at some point and realize its not a big deal 🙂

 

[def1]

I feel better after reading these replies. Its comforting to know I'm not alone in being worried about these things.

I think too that this incident and my fear can be used to be helpful and not harmful. It will definitely make me more cautious in every thing that I do, but I won't let it get to the point where its overwhelming or controlling me anymore.

 

[mcloaf]

I can see blood, guts, surgeries, etc just fine and not be concerned, but there are certain things that really make me worry. I have a quick anecdote that just happened today that shows just how badly I can get worried about things. So please read the whole thing, cuz its kind of long, to understand why this worries me about entering the medical field.

I was working in my research lab. I was training and learning how to work with animal tissue and cut it. I ended up cutting myself on one of the blades used for cutting the animal tissue. It was a small wound on my finger, I went and rinsed it out with water and let it bleed out and cleaned it with alcohol. After this incident (which was reported) I haven't been able to get the thought out of my head, although I have finally gotten over the anxiety of the whole thing.

I always seem to imagine the worst possibilities. In this case, I automatically jumped to the risk of developing a prion disease. Even after reading up on several articles that mentioned there have been 0 confirmed cases of occupational transmission to prion disease, a doctor telling me that it was a small risk incident, and the fact that the animal we work with doesn't seem to have ever been involved with prion transmission, I still felt worried enough to keep me anxious all day.

Im just worried this type of anxiety will seep over into my medical training. Such as working with cadavers, entering rooms with highly infectious patients, or working in pathology. Obviously a sharps injury is not something doctors encounter everyday, but it is something that is encountered.

I realize this is mostly likely a ridiculous post, but has anyone else felt this way? This is not something that would keep me from entering medicine, but its something thats on the back of my mind.

Safe to assume you were in a Cryostat?

My PI calls ours a death trap. 😉

 

[Lopweb22]

I think about that too, but you just have to be very careful when handling high-risk patients. Essentially you have to be careful when treating any patient, but you get my point. Especially if your planning on going into surgery and you have to do surgery on a HIV patient,,,also when drawing blood, iv's,,etc.
I think that "paranoid" feeling will help though, because you will be more cautious when working.

 

[def1]

Safe to assume you were in a Cryostat?

My PI calls ours a death trap. 😉

lol no, it wasn't a cryostat though we were working with frozen tissue, but the microtome is on the bench top.

 

[mcloaf]

lol no, it wasn't a cryostat though we were working with frozen tissue, but the microtome is on the bench top.

Ah. Yeah, I've been doing a lot of microtome and (more relevantly) cryostat work with human tissue recently, it's definitely a little sketchy. Unfortunately I'm worried about more than prions. 😳

 

[Microglia]

Personally I think being paranoid about those things is a good quality in a doctor. It could help you be more careful about spreading germs to patients and tracking them out of the hospital.

I definitely have similar concerns (I have done very similar work and cut myself in the lab before). Too much stress can be as harmful as some of those diseases, so just be sure to do all you can to clean it up and remain safe, then call it a day haha.

 

[deleted393595]

I can see blood, guts, surgeries, etc just fine and not be concerned, but there are certain things that really make me worry. I have a quick anecdote that just happened today that shows just how badly I can get worried about things. So please read the whole thing, cuz its kind of long, to understand why this worries me about entering the medical field.

I was working in my research lab. I was training and learning how to work with animal tissue and cut it. I ended up cutting myself on one of the blades used for cutting the animal tissue. It was a small wound on my finger, I went and rinsed it out with water and let it bleed out and cleaned it with alcohol. After this incident (which was reported) I haven't been able to get the thought out of my head, although I have finally gotten over the anxiety of the whole thing.

I always seem to imagine the worst possibilities. In this case, I automatically jumped to the risk of developing a prion disease. Even after reading up on several articles that mentioned there have been 0 confirmed cases of occupational transmission to prion disease, a doctor telling me that it was a small risk incident, and the fact that the animal we work with doesn't seem to have ever been involved with prion transmission, I still felt worried enough to keep me anxious all day.

Im just worried this type of anxiety will seep over into my medical training. Such as working with cadavers, entering rooms with highly infectious patients, or working in pathology. Obviously a sharps injury is not something doctors encounter everyday, but it is something that is encountered.

I realize this is mostly likely a ridiculous post, but has anyone else felt this way? This is not something that would keep me from entering medicine, but its something thats on the back of my mind.

I've been bitten by animals. I've had needle sticks. I've had pieces of kidney accidentally fly into my mouth on a monthly basis. And none of those incidents were ever reported, yet I'm alive today. So nope, not too worried about stuff like that.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I can see blood, guts, surgeries, etc just fine and not be concerned, but there are certain things that really make me worry. I have a quick anecdote that just happened today that shows just how badly I can get worried about things. So please read the whole thing, cuz its kind of long, to understand why this worries me about entering the medical field.

I was working in my research lab. I was training and learning how to work with animal tissue and cut it. I ended up cutting myself on one of the blades used for cutting the animal tissue. It was a small wound on my finger, I went and rinsed it out with water and let it bleed out and cleaned it with alcohol. After this incident (which was reported) I haven't been able to get the thought out of my head, although I have finally gotten over the anxiety of the whole thing.

I always seem to imagine the worst possibilities. In this case, I automatically jumped to the risk of developing a prion disease. Even after reading up on several articles that mentioned there have been 0 confirmed cases of occupational transmission to prion disease, a doctor telling me that it was a small risk incident, and the fact that the animal we work with doesn't seem to have ever been involved with prion transmission, I still felt worried enough to keep me anxious all day.

Im just worried this type of anxiety will seep over into my medical training. Such as working with cadavers, entering rooms with highly infectious patients, or working in pathology. Obviously a sharps injury is not something doctors encounter everyday, but it is something that is encountered.

I realize this is mostly likely a ridiculous post, but has anyone else felt this way? This is not something that would keep me from entering medicine, but its something thats on the back of my mind.

Paranoia in this scenario is a plus.

 

[sunflower18]

I've been bitten by animals. I've had needle sticks. I've had pieces of kidney accidentally fly into my mouth on a monthly basis. And none of those incidents were ever reported, yet I'm alive today. So nope, not too worried about stuff like that.

Wait what?? Pieces of kidney?! Please explain.

To OP: I had a similar incident happen to me -- I pricked myself with a needle that had just come out of a rat brain. It freaked me out too. But caution and carefulness are good qualities I think.

 

[SilverCat]

I've heard HIV is hard to get from needle pricks, but Hep C is more common. One professor told us the story of the resident, who on his day at work, pricked himself with a either a needle or arterial line containing blood from a patient with hep C and HIV, and wound with hep C. Not exactly comforting.

 

[Sandstorm]

Nr

 

[TxResident]

Being a microbio major was not a lot of fun.......... My paranoia was at an all time high about 2 years ago, especially since I had just finished taking Human Infectious Diseases.

 

[Amba]

lol no, it wasn't a cryostat though we were working with frozen tissue, but the microtome is on the bench top.

Microtomes suck. I've cut myself only once, and it was when I was cleaning it with the guard up 😱