uncomfortable seeing organs etc?

[aheyn01]

Got a question here...

I (like alot of people) dont feel the most comfortable looking at dissections of things, organs cut up etc. etc.. I dont feel completely squirmish, but definently a bit out of my comfort zone. I can see blood etc.... but for example watching an operation video (on net etc) or something is quite uncomfortable.

I worry that this might be a stumbling block in me doing medicine...... BUT, I'm sure that wiht time - and seeing more and more things, that I'll get more used to it - classic conditioning if you will.

Did anyone else have this issue before starting medical school? (i.e. years before doing it)? How did you overcome it?

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[tncekm]

Got a question here...

I (like alot of people) dont feel the most comfortable looking at dissections of things, organs cut up etc. etc.. I dont feel completely squirmish, but definently a bit out of my comfort zone. I can see blood etc.... but for example watching an operation video (on net etc) or something is quite uncomfortable.

I worry that this might be a stumbling block in me doing medicine...... BUT, I'm sure that wiht time - and seeing more and more things, that I'll get more used to it - classic conditioning if you will.

Did anyone else have this issue before starting medical school? (i.e. years before doing it)? How did you overcome it?

I'm sure you'll get over it. Just tell yourself you can...that's usually enough for most people to overcome anything. (Of course, this coming from the guy who busts out the popcorn for surgeries )

 

[aheyn01]

were you uncomfortable at all when you first started ?????

thinking bout it, its probably the colour of everything inside us - all strange colours compared to what were used to..... (does that sound like im on something ?!!)

 

[braluk]

for me, the thing that gets me is the smell of the "lightsaber" - the cauterizer as it cuts into human flesh and burns shut any small bleeders. The first few times makes it smell worse then an organ harvest. After that, its pretty much all BBQ all the time

 

[Dr. McDreamy]

I think this is pretty normal. You get used to it.

I get queasy every time I watch a prceedure on a body part that I've never seen operated on. Then the next time I see it, I'm ok.

 

[Church]

When I was gearing up for going to med school, I would sit down and eat pizza or pasta watching super surgery. Did it help? I dunno, but it for SURE kept my roomies from sitting down and eating MY pizza

 

[braluk]

actually if theres one type of operation i cant stand to look at, its surgery on the eyes. Everything else i can handle, but eye surgery gets me squeamish. my hands get weak too.

 

[UCLAstudent]

actually if theres one type of operation i cant stand to look at, its surgery on the eyes. Everything else i can handle, but eye surgery gets me squeamish. my hands get weak too.

Same here, haha. I can handle anything else, but eye surgery grosses me out.

 

[R*ckstar]

nose jobs freak me out. I have been in open heart surgery and felt great, but as soon as I hear someone's nose crack I feel ill.

 

[tomatoattack]

To original post,

You will be able to condition yourself to see anything. If you are worried about it, force yourself to face it. Don't hide from it. That vasovagal response can be shut down. If one organ makes you nausous, try to see ten a day, by number eight you probably won't be bothered, after a few days of this you will probably be bored with organs and the idea that they bothered you will seem very strange.

Hopefully anyway. Good luck to you.

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

When I was gearing up for going to med school, I would sit down and eat pizza or pasta watching super surgery. Did it help? I dunno, but it for SURE kept my roomies from sitting down and eating MY pizza

I was actually doing this the other day. My parents just brought a 42" Plasma with that new "Ambilight" Technology or somethin where the side of the TV lights up in response to what's on the screen. They walk through the door and I'm chowin down while watching some type of liver procedure in all its glory, abdomen was wide open and the Ambilights really accentuated the surgery well... the look on my parents face was classic

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I (like alot of people) dont feel the most comfortable looking at dissections of things, organs cut up etc. etc.. I dont feel completely squirmish, but definently a bit out of my comfort zone. I can see blood etc.... but for example watching an operation video (on net etc) or something is quite uncomfortable.

Most people feel a bit out of there comfort zone when seeing human innards. Its just the way it goes, homie - you'll get used to it. If not, you'll drop out, no hard feelings

 

[DrFeelgoodMD]

Same here, haha. I can handle anything else, but eye surgery grosses me out.

Eye surgery is probably the easiest to handle! There is no blood, and it takes about 20 mins (for routine cataracts).

J

 

[ERdoc08]

Got a question here...

I (like alot of people) dont feel the most comfortable looking at dissections of things, organs cut up etc. etc.. I dont feel completely squirmish, but definently a bit out of my comfort zone. I can see blood etc.... but for example watching an operation video (on net etc) or something is quite uncomfortable.

I worry that this might be a stumbling block in me doing medicine...... BUT, I'm sure that wiht time - and seeing more and more things, that I'll get more used to it - classic conditioning if you will.

Did anyone else have this issue before starting medical school? (i.e. years before doing it)? How did you overcome it?

Go into radiology....

 

[aheyn01]

Thanks for all your posts...... yeh I know what you mean about getting used to something after seeing it many times.

I've actually been watching procedures on the net and the more i see them, the less umcomfortable I feel.

The question I would have is - how much dissection of human parts etc would be done in medical school>?? is it a very common thing during yr1 & 2?

I realise that i'll just have to deal with it... its interesting to hear people's opinions tho.

 

[Blade28]

Hmmm...never thought about this problem before - when we started working on cadavers in first year of med school, everything just seemed fascinating to me. I think I was too excited to be disgusted.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Thanks for all your posts...... yeh I know what you mean about getting used to something after seeing it many times.

I've actually been watching procedures on the net and the more i see them, the less umcomfortable I feel.

The question I would have is - how much dissection of human parts etc would be done in medical school>?? is it a very common thing during yr1 & 2?

I realise that i'll just have to deal with it... its interesting to hear people's opinions tho.

Obviously you'll get your fair share of body parts in anatomy. It sounds like you'll be pretty grossed out in the beginning, but you definitely won't be by the end.

 

[Jon Davis]

I was actually doing this the other day. My parents just brought a 42" Plasma with that new "Ambilight" Technology or somethin where the side of the TV lights up in response to what's on the screen. They walk through the door and I'm chowin down while watching some type of liver procedure in all its glory, abdomen was wide open and the Ambilights really accentuated the surgery well... the look on my parents face was classic

I'm the same way. The real life trauma shows on TLC used to come on during my dinner time and I never had a second thought about eating during the show. My family on the other hand think I have a screw loose.

 

[Llenroc]

Cutting people up is not a necessary part of medicine. Very few people go into surgery.

Most doctors take H&P's, do physical exams, prescribe drugs, and do minimally invasive procedures, if any.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

actually if theres one type of operation i cant stand to look at, its surgery on the eyes. Everything else i can handle, but eye surgery gets me squeamish. my hands get weak too.

for some reason eyes always got to me too. once in undergrad lab I had to inject a rat behind it's eye and it totally freaked me out. but then again after doing surgery we were expected to kill it by breaking it's neck and I couldn't do that either.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

nose jobs freak me out. I have been in open heart surgery and felt great, but as soon as I hear someone's nose crack I feel ill.

ugh i passed out during open heart surgery

 

[ahumdinger]

echoing what everyone else has said so far-- you just have to see enough to get used to it. Try watching the dissection videos at the UWisc website. I watched one at breakfast the other day. But even if you are comfortable watching the videos, you may still get a little squeamish the first time you actually dissect, 'cause the smell and the actually presence of the body makes it much different than seeing it on a screen. It's insensitive, i know, but try to distance yourself from the body/person, and not to transfer the procedure and images onto yourself. I think that's what's so gross about eye surgery is that we all imagine it being done to ourselves.

Don't worry. My mom used to get grossed out all the time in anatomy lab, even fainted a few times, and she turned out to do ophthamology!

 

[rodie]

hehe i remember the first time i went to observe an operation, the doc kept telling me it's ok if i need to sit down or if i need some air. i just nodded and kept trying to poke my head in to see the cutting part!

but to the original post: maybe u need more exposure, have u tried watching surgeries and such on tv shows (the ones that film real surgeries not the drama ones)