Taking a "Personal" Day

[WTFWIT]

Hi all,

I've been feeling guilty today because I took a "personal day", one of 5 that's allowed in our program. I'm currently on ICU with 3 other interns and though it's been pretty busy, I asked for this morning off when I first started internship back in July, before I really knew the definition of "busy". The reason I wanted the time is because I lost my dad on this day 6 years ago, and I haven't had the opportunity to attend an anniversary memorial at the WTC site before. When I matched in New York, I promised myself that I'd pay my respects at least once. I had permission to miss morning rounds and if need be, the entire day from my program director, but it was up to me to remind my attending and my senior of my absence. I did so in a discreet and private fashion last week, and I thought that would be it. However my PD's office felt it necessary to inform all the seniors/fellows/attendings on the unit that I'd be absent with permission to attend the memorial. Guess the department secretary couldn't be bothered to figure out whose team I was on. So for the past few days, I've been getting ribbed by my fellow interns for missing today's rounds, that I've got a great reason to slack off for the day, that no one else gets to take a personal day just to remember that a loved one passed away. I understand that it's a tough year and we're on a tough service and we all need to vent and should be understanding enough to let a few slips of the tongue just roll off our backs, but it's been keeping me up tonight that my co-interns think that I'm sort of lazy bum who's using a national tragedy as an excuse to get out of work. I'm glad I went, the weather today captured the somber mood of the event we're remembering and hearing my father's name spoken out loud in the company of 2,749 others made me feel like I wasn't alone in this, but by the time it was over and I put the white coat back on, I couldn't help but feel like that the relief I felt was being paid for by a lot of ill-will from my fellow interns. Should I just ignore those snide little comments, should I try to explain what the memorial meant for me, or should I act like today was like any other day. I'm guessing come tomorrow morning when I'm pre-rounding, it won't matter to anyone that I was gone.

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[NinerNiner999]

Medicine is full of whiny, passive-aggressive, entitled people who will forever fail to empathize with people for whatever reason. I would rise above them, keep today close to you, and never lose sight of the human being that compelled you to take this day for yourself. The people you rotate with now will be out of your life in a few weeks/months. The fact that you honored your father will stay with you for the rest of your life. Screw them. You did the right thing...

 

[Apollyon]

I second Niner - it's a legal day off from your program. Screw them. I was sitting in my car cursing the DJs for playing all the stuff that was making me cry. The only person I knew killed that day was a guy a year ahead of me in military school who was a lieutenant commander in the US Navy and was killed at the Pentagon. Your no-class residency mates can kiss your ass. Hell, they can kiss my ass, and I don't even know where you are. Immature, self-centered, and passive-aggressive is it.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Your co-residents sound just as insensitive and self-serving as others have described them above.

Next time one of them takes a personal day for a haircut and a dentist appointment (which is what most people take personal days for), you can think quietly to yourself that you would never question their reasons for taking an approved day off because you are much more mature and have more important things to worry about than why someone is taking a personal day.

Do not feel guilty; they are the ones who should feel awful. If anyone asks what it meant to you, you can try and explain it but given how you've described them I doubt they would get it.

 

[Coastie]

Tell them all to piss off, and then find a friend, preferably large and intimidating, to ream all of them, one by one, and in a group.

Hi all,

I've been feeling guilty today because I took a "personal day", one of 5 that's allowed in our program. I'm currently on ICU with 3 other interns and though it's been pretty busy, I asked for this morning off when I first started internship back in July, before I really knew the definition of "busy". The reason I wanted the time is because I lost my dad on this day 6 years ago, and I haven't had the opportunity to attend an anniversary memorial at the WTC site before. When I matched in New York, I promised myself that I'd pay my respects at least once. I had permission to miss morning rounds and if need be, the entire day from my program director, but it was up to me to remind my attending and my senior of my absence. I did so in a discreet and private fashion last week, and I thought that would be it. However my PD's office felt it necessary to inform all the seniors/fellows/attendings on the unit that I'd be absent with permission to attend the memorial. Guess the department secretary couldn't be bothered to figure out whose team I was on. So for the past few days, I've been getting ribbed by my fellow interns for missing today's rounds, that I've got a great reason to slack off for the day, that no one else gets to take a personal day just to remember that a loved one passed away. I understand that it's a tough year and we're on a tough service and we all need to vent and should be understanding enough to let a few slips of the tongue just roll off our backs, but it's been keeping me up tonight that my co-interns think that I'm sort of lazy bum who's using a national tragedy as an excuse to get out of work. I'm glad I went, the weather today captured the somber mood of the event we're remembering and hearing my father's name spoken out loud in the company of 2,749 others made me feel like I wasn't alone in this, but by the time it was over and I put the white coat back on, I couldn't help but feel like that the relief I felt was being paid for by a lot of ill-will from my fellow interns. Should I just ignore those snide little comments, should I try to explain what the memorial meant for me, or should I act like today was like any other day. I'm guessing come tomorrow morning when I'm pre-rounding, it won't matter to anyone that I was gone.

 

[Gasworks]

did you learn a lesson? next time just call out sick.

 

[Blade28]

Next time one of them takes a personal day for a haircut and a dentist appointment (which is what most people take personal days for)

What? What does that?

Wish we had personal days. I mean, ones that you can actually use.

 

[MushieCookie]

'F' them all...and tell them that to their face. That's what I would do.
Saying the things that they said are inexcusable. Some people in medicine do not belong here. If you can't be compassionate towards your own fellow interns/colleagues, how can you be compassionate towards your patients?

F THEM ALL!!!!

Then post what your program your at so nobody applies there this year.

 

[Winged Scapula]

What? What does that?

Non-surgical residencies.

Wish we had personal days. I mean, ones that you can actually use.

Don't worry...we had to sell back our personal days, the only residents in the hospital who had to, so we didn't get any either. I went 5 years without seeing a dentist.

 

[Top Gun]

Tell all your insensitive fellow residents to f off. I agree with Dr. Cox, if you tried to explain what the memorial meant to you, none of them would get it. All they care about is their own workload.

 

[driedcaribou]

I'm sorry to hear that no one was sympathetic toward your situation.

I would explain but I agree with the other posters... you probably won't get any sympathy.

But I feel at least it would give you the opportunity to defend yourself.

 

[docB]

It's interesting to note the difference in the posted opinions and tone here from the "Calling in sick" thread. Why do you suppose that is?

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

It's interesting to note the difference in the posted opinions and tone here from the "Calling in sick" thread. Why do you suppose that is?

Is it that big of a mystery?


If so, I will happily clarify.

 

[yaah]

It's interesting to note the difference in the posted opinions and tone here from the "Calling in sick" thread. Why do you suppose that is?

When you ask for a specific day off months in advance and try to make accomodations for it, and when you have a legitimate reason for having the day off and still go through all of this trouble to make sure your absence is less of a burden and people STILL act like dicks, that's the difference.

If the OP had informed everyone he wasn't coming in at 9pm the night before, that's a little different.

 

[Top Gun]

It's interesting to note the difference in the posted opinions and tone here from the "Calling in sick" thread. Why do you suppose that is?

We're talking about a person who had the courtesy to notify his/her program director, attendings, residents, and fellow interns way in advance that he/she needed to take the day off in order to attend the memorial service. Not to mention that he/she was doing it to honor his/her father. And yet his/her fellow interns and residents are still behaving like a$$wipes.
This is completely different from someone calling in sick the night before because of a sinus infection or cold.

 

[docB]

We're talking about a person who had the courtesy to notify his/her program director, attendings, residents, and fellow interns way in advance that he/she needed to take the day off in order to attend the memorial service. Not to mention that he/she was doing it to honor his/her father. And yet his/her fellow interns and residents are still behaving like a$$wipes.
This is completely different from someone calling in sick the night before because of a sinus infection or cold.

Granted. But in the other thread people are throwing out that it's never appropriate to call off no matter how sick you are. There's a disconnect there.

 

[McGillGrad]

If you were taking this day off for a generic 9/11 memorial, then you would deserve the ribbing because that is selfish. That fact that you lost your father makes this 'personal day' beyond reproach. It is in the best interest of your hospital to have a well-adjusted resident that has maturely dealt with a personal loss.

 

[Blade28]

I think people are more sympathetic to taking time off for maternity/paternity leave, family illness/death/emergency, wedding, etc. than the resident actually being ill.

 

[yaah]

I think people are more sympathetic to taking time off for maternity/paternity leave, family illness/death/emergency, wedding, etc. than the resident actually being ill.

Yeah, that's true, we had a resident whose wife had a pregnancy emergency and another whose mother got ill, and both times lots of people volunteered to take call or cover the service. But when resident X decided they were just feeling too poorly to come in, people didn't volunteer as much. Of course, it also helped that resident X didn't do anyone else any favors.

 

[Apollyon]

The personal day is black-letter law granted in the contract. When there are no sick days actually allotted for, that is the difference.

 

[Winged Scapula]

As one of the "hard liners" in respect to calling in sick, I thought I'd explain myself.

Like Apollyon and others, I have no problem with using a personal day, scheduled in advance, especially for the reason the OP gave. Frankly, as long as you've scheduled the day off in advance and you are entitled to a personal day, its no different than a vacation day and we simply make arrangements.

However, as others have noted, it is my personal experience and belief that many people who call in sick really aren't "that sick". Then again, as I noted in the other thread, my tolerance for working with a cold or flu is pretty high because my parents weren't too liberal with the staying home from school days nor were previous employers.

In addition, it is also my experience that those who call in sick, besides not being very sick, also tend to be the person who:

a) tries to get out of work right and left. This is the person who signs out central lines, discharge summaries, etc. post-call because they"have to" go home (even if they aren't in danger of being over hours).
b) This is also the person who would never go out of their way to accomodate anyone else's illness or emergencies. This is the person who will never switch call with you.

If someone comes in, appears to be really ill, or the service is light and we can manage without them, then I have no problem sending them home.

But a personal day, asked for well in advance, presumably accomodated for in the schedule AND frankly, for such a good reason (and I think we can all agree that memorializing a parent's death is a "better" reason for the personal day than getting a haircut, although if you had taken the day for the latter, that's fine too), shouldn't get the kind of insensitive treatment that the OP says he was subjected to.

 

[skittles80]

First of all, my sincere condolences. I almost lost my brother that day in the WTC - thank God I didn't, but as a result I have a little tiny smidgeon of an idea of what you must feel like on 9/11. People who haven't been through it don't understand. People in NYC though certainly should! Your co-residents are jerks for giving you a hard time. There is absolutely zero excuse for their behavior. Maybe they didn't realize your father had died in the WTC? That's the only reason I can think of for them being so insensitive. Don't feel bad at all for not going into work that day. If I were you, I would feel angry, but I wouldn't advise that either becaues it'll just eat you up. Hopefully you've gotten through the rest of the week okay. Again, I'm really sorry.

 

[docB]

As one of the "hard liners" in respect to calling in sick, I thought I'd explain myself.

Like Apollyon and others, I have no problem with using a personal day, scheduled in advance, especially for the reason the OP gave. Frankly, as long as you've scheduled the day off in advance and you are entitled to a personal day, its no different than a vacation day and we simply make arrangements...

Fair enough.

 

[xanthines]

I don't mean to hijack this thread or post any flamebait, but I'm going to say it anyway.

As a current med student, I've noticed an alarmingly high percentage of students that don't care about other people very much. I'm surrounded by selfish, arrogant, inflated egos that frankly depress the hell out of me. When I first read WTFWIT's post, I felt for him/her but I wasn't actually too surprised. I mean, if anything, I'd expect the a$$hole conversion rate to actually go up in residency due to stress and time issues. Sorry if I sound bitter, but honestly, some of things I've heard med students say make my soul cry a little.

WTFWIT, while I don't think this actually helps very much, it's probably important to realize that the people you work with are probably just jerks. Try not to let the jerks bring you down. Here's a smile for you:

-X

 

[EUA]

First, my sympathies for the OP's loss.

Second, I really have mixed feelings about this topic. It depends on the program, of course, but I think if there are days that you know you are going to need off, it is appropriate to try to arrange for a light rotation during that time so that less people are inconvenienced.

On the other hand, your situation is fairly significant and I would hope that your coworkers would be somewhat more understanding. It's not the same as some people who take personal days during busy rotations on their birthdays, their kids' birthdays, when their team comes to town, or when the moon is on the cusp of Saturn. We are indeed all entitled to our personal days/vacation days, and we should take them for whatever reason we damn well please, but sometimes I wish it was done with a little more forethought (especially when said people don't do anything unless it benefits them directly).

 

[johankriek]

Hi all,

I've been feeling guilty today because I took a "personal day", one of 5 that's allowed in our program. I'm currently on ICU with 3 other interns and though it's been pretty busy, I asked for this morning off when I first started internship back in July, before I really knew the definition of "busy". The reason I wanted the time is because I lost my dad on this day 6 years ago, and I haven't had the opportunity to attend an anniversary memorial at the WTC site before. When I matched in New York, I promised myself that I'd pay my respects at least once. I had permission to miss morning rounds and if need be, the entire day from my program director, but it was up to me to remind my attending and my senior of my absence. I did so in a discreet and private fashion last week, and I thought that would be it. However my PD's office felt it necessary to inform all the seniors/fellows/attendings on the unit that I'd be absent with permission to attend the memorial. Guess the department secretary couldn't be bothered to figure out whose team I was on. So for the past few days, I've been getting ribbed by my fellow interns for missing today's rounds, that I've got a great reason to slack off for the day, that no one else gets to take a personal day just to remember that a loved one passed away. I understand that it's a tough year and we're on a tough service and we all need to vent and should be understanding enough to let a few slips of the tongue just roll off our backs, but it's been keeping me up tonight that my co-interns think that I'm sort of lazy bum who's using a national tragedy as an excuse to get out of work. I'm glad I went, the weather today captured the somber mood of the event we're remembering and hearing my father's name spoken out loud in the company of 2,749 others made me feel like I wasn't alone in this, but by the time it was over and I put the white coat back on, I couldn't help but feel like that the relief I felt was being paid for by a lot of ill-will from my fellow interns. Should I just ignore those snide little comments, should I try to explain what the memorial meant for me, or should I act like today was like any other day. I'm guessing come tomorrow morning when I'm pre-rounding, it won't matter to anyone that I was gone.

Live and Learn

Next time LIE LIE LIE.. its nobodies business what you are using your personal day for.. really it isnt.. so next time lie.. if they ask tell them you have adoctors appointment... its unfortunate thats the way you have to deal with things in this field.. and kimberly cox.. I bet she would be the first one to slam you for taking the day off. I only say that because she is a surgeon and i did aprelim year in surgery and i know how they are...

 

[Winged Scapula]

Live and Learn

Next time LIE LIE LIE.. its nobodies business what you are using your personal day for.. really it isnt.. so next time lie.. if they ask tell them you have adoctors appointment... its unfortunate thats the way you have to deal with things in this field.. and kimberly cox.. I bet she would be the first one to slam you for taking the day off.

Uhmmm...did you read my response to the OP above? I agreed with him.

I only say that because she is a surgeon and i did aprelim year in surgery and i know how they are...

I realize that many anesthesia residents and attendings are treated poorly by surgeons but I think my 7+ years here at SDN is more than enough evidence that not all surgeons fit the stereotype.

In addition, there happens to be a member of your community who knows me IRL and has verified the same (despite the Kool-Aid dispensed that all surgeons are arses). I'm sorry that you had a horrible experience as a Prelim or got the impression that I am insensitive or fit the stereotype that you seem to have, but would challenge you to see beyond those characterizations.

Even your own Mods say that things are different out in the real world, especially once you are out of academics. Heck, it can be entirely environment dependent...in my medical school the biggest arses were the pediatricians, despite their rep as being loving and cuddly. I suppose they were with the patients but they sure as heck weren't with adults, students or residents.

Besides, if I was a stereotypical surgeon, I'd break out the Admin infraction system and give you one for "calling out" another member, which is a TOS violation.

 

[johankriek]

Uhmmm...did you read my response to the OP above? I agreed with him.



I realize that many anesthesia residents and attendings are treated poorly by surgeons but I think my 7+ years here at SDN is more than enough evidence that not all surgeons fit the stereotype.
:

Saying and doing are two different things. I bet if you were on the wards this guys chief and you got wind that he took the day off to grieve his fathers loss you would be bad mouthing him to everyone who would listen. Thats how surgical training is.. accuse blame criticize.. ever heard that one.????calling him lazy and not surgeon material because he has feeling towards his father. I spent a full year with surgeons in training. I know whats going on.

and I work with surgeons all day.. I get along with them just fine.. I think a lot of them have some serious problems but hey what do i care.. they are not my problems... LOL

 

[Blade28]

Saying and doing are two different things. I bet if you were on the wards this guys chief and you got wind that he took the day off to grieve his fathers loss you would be bad mouthing him to everyone who would listen. Thats how surgical training is.. accuse blame criticize.. ever heard that one.????calling him lazy and not surgeon material because he has feeling towards his father. I spent a full year with surgeons in training. I know whats going on.

I think you're being unfair to KC; if you look at her history here on SDN as a regular poster, then mod and admin, you'll see her track record is virtually unblemished. You're also over-generalizing and stereotyping the surgical field as a whole. I know you did a year of prelim surgery for your internship, but IMHO that doesn't give you an accurate representation of what ALL general surgeons are like - especially since that experience was around 10 years ago!

You'll find that interns (in most programs, not just surgery!) are treated far differently than junior or senior residents. Usually your interactions with your senior residents and attendings are limited as well. Especially in a field like surgery, when trust and confidence in one another only develops through time and shared experiences (sick ICU patients, tough OR cases, etc.), it's unfair to generalize based on one year's experience.

 

[driedcaribou]

Saying and doing are two different things. I bet if you were on the wards this guys chief and you got wind that he took the day off to grieve his fathers loss you would be bad mouthing him to everyone who would listen. Thats how surgical training is.. accuse blame criticize.. ever heard that one.????calling him lazy and not surgeon material because he has feeling towards his father. I spent a full year with surgeons in training. I know whats going on.

and I work with surgeons all day.. I get along with them just fine.. I think a lot of them have some serious problems but hey what do i care.. they are not my problems... LOL

There is no need to take out your frustrations on your negative experiences with surgeons here on a relatively 'anonymous' forum with your hypothetical accusations and sweeping generalizations.

You keep saying 'you know how they are'. We've all worked with people from different specialties and fields - in medicine and out of medicine. I don't even think you care about fostering a better work environment. You're just passing the buck - it's not your problem even though you deal with them everyday.

The original poster was dealing with flak from people working in the ICU as well and yet somehow you've decided to make fun of surgeons.

You don't need to step on someone to bring yourself up.


http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=446030

y ou want hotties go to a night clubs.. I hate nurses.. would never date one... i dont care how hot she was..

Do you try to antagonize everyone that works in the hospital?

 

[Winged Scapula]

Saying and doing are two different things. I bet if you were on the wards this guys chief and you got wind that he took the day off to grieve his fathers loss you would be bad mouthing him to everyone who would listen. Thats how surgical training is.. accuse blame criticize.. ever heard that one.????calling him lazy and not surgeon material because he has feeling towards his father. I spent a full year with surgeons in training. I know whats going on.

Not that its any of your business, but I would be the last one to criticize someone for taking time off to grieve their father.

I lost my father to a drunk driver during residency and despite trying to continue working, found that I could not do a good job for my patients and co-residents. I took time off from residency until I felt I was ready to come back. And I'm fairly sure that my colleagues grumbled about it (I was a 4th year, so they took extra in house call and even some extra time on Trauma to cover for me) but THEY (unlike the OP's colleagues) NEVER said a negative word to me or in any fashion that got back to me. They actually sent cards and called to see how I was doing. Imagine! Surgeons being sensitive.

Therefore, I find it extremely unlikely that I would criticize the OP. Unlike his colleagues (and apparently surgeons you "know") I have some sensitivity as well as the practical view that it doesn't really matter why he took the personal day - it was scheduled, accomodated for and that should be that.

"Accuse blame criticize?" No, I'm sorry I can't say I've heard that one. You've obviously had a horrible experience as a Prelim and I'm sorry for that, but you are unfairly characterizing me and the field because of your experience. I've meet several arses who were anesthesiologists...does that mean I characterize all of them that way? Of course not, I am mature and insightful enough to realize that: a) people have bad days; b) my experience may not reflect reality; and c) the problem was not ANESTHESIA but the person. I suggest you do the same with surgery.

Even though I work with Anesthesiologists every day I would not try and paint them with such a broad brush. Its very interesting to me that you have claimed in other posts that "to understand psychiatry and psychiatric illnesses you have to do a full psychiatry residency"...yet you claim to understand surgeons and surgery with having done a single year as Prelim surgical resident. Its extremely tiring to interact with anesthesiologists who despise surgeons and treat us poorly because of some previous negative interaction which causes them to decide that all surgeons are to be treated with disdain regardless of personal differences.


I believe my reputation here and with people who know me IRL contradicts your beliefs. But as others have suggested you seem unwilling and/or unable to accept that you have overgeneralized and may even be wrong. Therefore, consider this my last comment on the subject to you.

 

[Top Gun]

Saying and doing are two different things. I bet if you were on the wards this guys chief and you got wind that he took the day off to grieve his fathers loss you would be bad mouthing him to everyone who would listen. Thats how surgical training is.. accuse blame criticize.. ever heard that one.????calling him lazy and not surgeon material because he has feeling towards his father. I spent a full year with surgeons in training. I know whats going on.

and I work with surgeons all day.. I get along with them just fine.. I think a lot of them have some serious problems but hey what do i care.. they are not my problems... LOL

So based on one prelim year in surgery, you decide that all surgeons are a$$holes. Did you ever consider that it might just be the program that you were at? What you are doing is called stereotyping. As for Dr. Cox, I certainly don't know her personally, but judging from how she has posted helpful advice on here in the past, I wouldn't think of her as the type to talk about another resident behind his/her back. Also, in my limited experience with surgery, I have seen surgeons who are the coolest people you'd ever want to meet, and I have seen surgeons who were downright a$$hoes.
Therefore, your generalization does not hold water.

 

[johankriek]

Not that its any of your business, but I would be the last one to criticize someone for taking time off to grieve their father.

I lost my father to a drunk driver during residency and despite trying to continue working, found that I could not do a good job for my patients and co-residents. I took time off from residency until I felt I was ready to come back. And I'm fairly sure that my colleagues grumbled about it (I was a 4th year, so they took extra in house call and even some extra time on Trauma to cover for me) but THEY (unlike the OP's colleagues) NEVER said a negative word to me or in any fashion that got back to me. They actually sent cards and called to see how I was doing. Imagine! Surgeons being sensitive.

Therefore, I find it extremely unlikely that I would criticize the OP. Unlike his colleagues (and apparently surgeons you "know") I have some sensitivity as well as the practical view that it doesn't really matter why he took the personal day - it was scheduled, accomodated for and that should be that.

"Accuse blame criticize?" No, I'm sorry I can't say I've heard that one. You've obviously had a horrible experience as a Prelim and I'm sorry for that, but you are unfairly characterizing me and the field because of your experience. I've meet several arses who were anesthesiologists...does that mean I characterize all of them that way? Of course not, I am mature and insightful enough to realize that: a) people have bad days; b) my experience may not reflect reality; and c) the problem was not ANESTHESIA but the person. I suggest you do the same with surgery.

Even though I work with Anesthesiologists every day I would not try and paint them with such a broad brush. Its very interesting to me that you have claimed in other posts that "to understand psychiatry and psychiatric illnesses you have to do a full psychiatry residency"...yet you claim to understand surgeons and surgery with having done a single year as Prelim surgical resident. Its extremely tiring to interact with anesthesiologists who despise surgeons and treat us poorly because of some previous negative interaction which causes them to decide that all surgeons are to be treated with disdain regardless of personal differences.


I believe my reputation here and with people who know me IRL contradicts your beliefs. But as others have suggested you seem unwilling and/or unable to accept that you have overgeneralized and may even be wrong. Therefore, consider this my last comment on the subject to you.

Kimberli

I have nothing bad to say about you at all. Nothing. I have read your posts and they are fair and balanced always.. The original poster was having problems with colleagues because of taking off for a very good reason. and was also disturbed because of what his/her colleauges actions because of this. so if you are offended i truly apologize to you.

having said that..

I was offering my opinion.. and thats all it is.. and i dont just have one year of prelim experience with surgeons. I went to medical school with them did many rotations on the surgical service. I am attending at 3 hospitals in Los Angeles area. I have been to other countless hospitals.. I just find general surgeons to be the most frustrated in the hospital. They are my friends. I never have problems with them personally. and the reason i can think they are frustrated is that their patients are pretty much the sickest in the hospital and they operate at odd hours and they have little control over the way they practice.. They cannot take their Small bowel obstruction or their sick vascular case to the surgery center that they own. Thye have to bring their case to the hospital.. and follow rules of the hospital OR which they hate.. big time.. The orthopods and eye docs all have their own surgery center and do their bread and butter there.. General surgeons bread and butter are sick patients or at least patients that need to be admitted .. there are not enough hernias breasts thyroids and lipomas to go around so owning a surgery center wouldnt pay.. so the hospital have the surgeons by the balls so to speak... and they hate it.. so they are always pissed off.. not to mention the reimbursement for a inguinal hernia is prolly around 150 bucks..



ABC of surgery.. accuse, blame (belittle) criticize..or sometimes wrong never in doubt.. how can you say you havent heard this one. That was the attitude where I trained in medical school internship and residency. maybe everywhere else in america the surgeons are truly sheep and help underlings out, and are truly supportive of one another and happy for each others accomplishments.. not where i was nor where i am now so i apologize for generalizing based on my long association with surgeons..
and i am sorry to hear about the circumstances surrounding the loss of your father..

 

[Winged Scapula]

Thank you.

I had written a very lengthy response to your post in which I stated that I appreciate that what you'd written previously was "your experiene" but that your posts made it seem like "fact" rather than opinion. Unfortunately, I got logged off and lost my post.

I am not inclined to recreate it because I am tired and have a belly full of vindaloo, so thinks I must go lie down.

But I didn't want you to think I didn't value your post or your apology. Thank you again.

 

[WTFWIT]

Thank you for all your posts and support...
My service has remained pretty busy and I apologize for not getting back to the forum sooner. For those who want to know, no one really said anything to me on 9/12 and I felt relieved at that. My cointerns are still they're same selves, which is not to say they aren't good at what we're supposed to do, but it does surprise me still that we have an enormous capacity to empathize, act humanely and display compassion to our patients and their families yet share little of that goodwill amongst ourselves. As for feeling guilty about not being on the unit, I believe that out of the 365 days in the year, I'm entitled to having one (or as it was, 1/2 of one) for myself, my family and my father.