STUPID Intern.....

[MediCane2006]

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I'm currently doing an away elective at my top-choice school in a fairly competitive field. (Which, incidentally, is a much more stressful undertaking than I'd given it credit for. You start becoming paranoid that everyone is watching you...I have to make a conscious effort not to check the bathrooms for cameras).

Anyway, a fairly high-profile attending and I were chatting in between patients in clinic. He mentions that he can't handle alcohol very well, and said that it might have something to do with his asian background. He then said, "aren't asians deficient in some kind of enzyme that breaks down alcohol?" I said, "yeah, a dehydrogenase" since I didn't want to look like the frantically-eager medical student cliche (as in, "oh, yes, aldehyde dehydrogenase, the second enzyme in the chain of alcohol breakdown").

So at this point, the intern butts in to say (to me), "oh please, nice try, it's aldehyde dehydrogenase. You seriously didn't know that? That's step II material. You have GOT to know that stuff. You just failed."

Now while I would tolerate behavior like this from a resident or fellow, I think snide put-downs (especially within earshot of an attending) are far beyond the rights of an intern, no? Or maybe I just needed to vent.... 😡

 

[orientedtoself]

I said, "yeah, a dehydrogenase" since I didn't want to look like the frantically-eager medical student cliche (as in, "oh, yes, aldehyde dehydrogenase, the second enzyme in the chain of alcohol breakdown").

It's possible to know the answer without coming across as an obsequious bootie licking lackey. You can add a little humor to it, joking about his aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency. Nerdy but funny.

 

[Hurricane]

Well, it's safe to say that your intern definitely does not have a deficiency in the jackass enzyme... 🙄

 

[lattimer13]

so what did your high-profile attending say after that smart-ass remark which i would think would make your attending look stupid using your intern's reasoning?

 

[robotsonic]

What a supreme schmuck. That's inappropriate for a resident of any level, especially when they know how important these away electives are. It's a shame you have to work with that intern.

 

[Telemachus]

Now while I would tolerate behavior like this from a resident or fellow, I think snide put-downs (especially within earshot of an attending) are far beyond the rights of an intern, no? Or maybe I just needed to vent.... 😡

The difference between an intern and a resident is one day in June/July. Why you say you would tolerate it from a resident or fellow but won't take it from an intern is beyond me.

And as for that intern: I think that was Step I material, not Step II.

 

[DocIn2012]

simple. tell the attending that you saw the intern smoking a doobie.

 

[loveumms]

You know that is really pathetic. I actually had a similar experience (but the attending actually reacted). Up till now I have had for the most part a really great group of residents/interns, luckily but I just started on outpatient medicine and am at a different hospital.

So, I was in clinic the other day and the attending (I'm going to call him Dr.K)I worked with that day let me go in and see the patient ,then we went back into the pts room where I presented the cases. After I got done presenting a patient with diabetes Dr. K asked me for all the different forms of insulin and what the difference in their molecular structure was. Well, I just got off of surgery and didn't really study much over the break so I'm kinda rusty on pharm - I could name a few of the insulins but couldn't remember the mixtures. So, I said the ones I knew and then said I wasn't sure about the rest. Well, Dr. K started to explain the mixtures and the resident actually started to talk over him and said, "and humologe is a mixture of ___ and ___ and novolog is a mixture of ___ and ___". When he finally stopped Dr. K turned to him and said, "I'm really glad YOU know that since your a third year resident". I kinda felt bad for the resident b/c Dr. K didn't say it in a nice way. I guess thats what you get for trying to be a smart a**.

 

[MediCane2006]

The difference between an intern and a resident is one day in June/July. Why you say you would tolerate it from a resident or fellow but won't take it from an intern is beyond me.

And as for that intern: I think that was Step I material, not Step II.

You're right...and I probably would have been just as irritated if it had been an early second-year resident as an intern. Actually I probably would have been irritated even if it had been a chief resident, but it would have been slightly less unexpected coming from a chief. From an intern it just felt like being stabbed in the back.

And yeah, it is Step I stuff. 😉

 

[MediCane2006]

simple. tell the attending that you saw the intern smoking a doobie.

Heh. I might just do that.

 

[mackie]

IMO, the intern made him/herself look bad, not you, but how obnoxious.

 

[Dr Alo]

Not knowing 1 very tiny piece of information as a med student is far less significant than being a total jerk. People expect students to not know many things. You are not held accountable, no one expects you to know much.

However, everyone expect appropriate, respectful and decent behavior. If you are impolite or rude, or a backstabber, or a jerk..... people will never forget that. Your eval will reflect it.

The fact that you didn't react or dignify this intern with a response actual shows a very mature personality and a very professional demeanor.

Keep it up, you will go places! Just smile and be polite.

 

[Entei]

You both fail.

The intern fails for being a smartass in front of the attending.

You fail because your feathers got so ruffled over nonsense.

thx for playing

 

[ShyRem]

Now what would have been so hard for the intern to say softly "but do you remember which one?" and when you said the right answer the intern should have given you a pat on the back. Remember this experience when you're an intern or resident and your med student doesn't give a complete answer or doesn't know all the answers.

You'll be a fine physician someday - with a far better bedside manner than that idiot intern.

 

[DocIn2012]

to be fair, the intern may (almost certainly will) learn some hard lessons along the way, and slowly he may pull his head out of.....there.

 

[carrigallen]

Try to get over it - you have to let stuff like this roll off your back. It's his problem, not your problem.

 

[murph79]

I think you are overreacting a little bit. You will run into a bunch of jackasses, you sound like you may be wound a little too tight.

 

[MediCane2006]

WHAT THE HELL??? WOUND A LITTLE TIGHT? Listen, idiot, you try laying your career on the line and impressing people for a solid month in a COMPLETELY unfamiliar hospital in a COMPLETELY unfamiliar city in a VERY competitive surgical specialty. I am NOT wound too tight, DAMMIT!

...okay, maybe just a little too tight 😳

 

[DireWolf]

WHAT THE HELL??? WOUND A LITTLE TIGHT? Listen, idiot, you try laying your career on the line and impressing people for a solid month in a COMPLETELY unfamiliar hospital in a COMPLETELY unfamiliar city in a VERY competitive surgical specialty. I am NOT wound too tight, DAMMIT!

...okay, maybe just a little too tight 😳

Want me to beat him up for you?

 

[MediCane2006]

Want me to beat him up for you?

My hero 😍

 

[davvid2700]

WHAT THE HELL??? WOUND A LITTLE TIGHT? Listen, idiot, you try laying your career on the line and impressing people for a solid month in a COMPLETELY unfamiliar hospital in a COMPLETELY unfamiliar city in a VERY competitive surgical specialty. I am NOT wound too tight, DAMMIT!

...okay, maybe just a little too tight 😳

I think you are a loser for even caring about what he said. I think you are loser for doing an away elective and trying to impress them. If they dont like you for who you are .. screw them and move to a nother specialty.

But i still think you are LOSER>>

 

[CANES2006]

I think you are a loser for even caring about what he said. I think you are loser for doing an away elective and trying to impress them. If they dont like you for who you are .. screw them and move to a nother specialty.

But i still think you are LOSER>>

Wow! 😱 That was harsh.

 

[AznTrojan]

as an intern at UM-JMH.. the feelings are mutual 😉

good luck with the match