Very awkward question about working with geriatrics

[Necr0sis713]

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So I just started shadowing my second physician. He's a great guy and does internal medicine, primarily with geriatric patients. Whenever he tells me "he/she is xx years old" alluding to how old they are and how good their doing, I feel like my response is awkward. I smile and say "wow, you're doing great!" Or "Can't even tell!"

Does anyone know what other responses I can give in such situations? I feel like i'm saying something awkward.

 

[deleted480308]

You can nod your head....you don't need a catch phrase

 

[DrMikeP]

What makes you feel that you need to say anything? Listening is a wonderful skill that is performed best by using nonverbal cues.

Some docs when you shadow might let you say hello and shake the patient's hand, just sanitize between patients so you don't spread something.

 

[Necr0sis713]

Very great advice folks. I've always been self conscious in social situations, but all of the volunteering and shadowing i've been doing has really opened me up to how patient centered medicine is, and how important it is to have strong social skills.

 

[DrMikeP]

Very great advice folks. I've always been self conscious in social situations, but all of the volunteering and shadowing i've been doing has really opened me up to how patient centered medicine is, and how important it is to have strong social skills.

You might find it helpful to take a bachelor's level counseling psych class if your university offers such.

 

[Necr0sis713]

You might find it helpful to take a bachelor's level counseling psych class if your university offers such.

ugh, don't remind me about that class. I took that course actually as a psych major and ran into trouble for the final project. I had a friend volunteer to be the person I interview for my final project, and he bailed on me last second. I ended up failing the class (my fault I should have had a plan B) and having to retake it again in the summer. The professor didn't like me that much because she probably thought I was just an incompetent student after that. She wouldn't recommend me to take the next the final level course to get my degree as an applied psych major, so I had to change my major to general psychology.

I'm gonna take a poetry workshop class though if I don't get accepted into SMP's because my MCAT score is coming very late in the cycle. It involves a lot of discussion and reading poems out loud.

 

[deleted407021]

So I just started shadowing my second physician. He's a great guy and does internal medicine, primarily with geriatric patients. Whenever he tells me "he/she is xx years old" alluding to how old they are and how good their doing, I feel like my response is awkward. I smile and say "wow, you're doing great!" Or "Can't even tell!"

Does anyone know what other responses I can give in such situations? I feel like i'm saying something awkward.

Sounds like a problem I'd have lol.

If you can, volunteer somewhere where you're forced to speak with and work around patients. It can tell you first hand that it'll do wonders for any social "ineptitude" you have with patients.

 

[DrMikeP]

ugh, don't remind me about that class. I took that course actually as a psych major and ran into trouble for the final project. I had a friend volunteer to be the person I interview for my final project, and he bailed on me last second. I ended up failing the class (my fault I should have had a plan B) and having to retake it again in the summer. The professor didn't like me that much because she probably thought I was just an incompetent student after that. She wouldn't recommend me to take the next the final level course to get my degree as an applied psych major, so I had to change my major to general psychology.

I'm gonna take a poetry workshop class though if I don't get accepted into SMP's because my MCAT score is coming very late in the cycle. It involves a lot of discussion and reading poems out loud.

Sounds like challenges you'll face in med school.

Dr Midlife has written extensively on SMP programs. Some are known for being extremely difficult and if you are not able to perform at a sufficient level it can ruin chances at getting into med schools, so do some reading before heading down that path.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Goro]

Since I teach in an SMP, I'd like to clarify this by saying the SMP doesn't ruin chances, the student does. They're auditions for med school and let people know exactly how they'd perform in a med school curriculum. High risk, but high payoff.

Dr Midlife has written extensively on SMP programs. Some are known for ruining chances at med schools, so do some reading before heading down that path.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[DrMikeP]

Since I teach in an SMP, I'd like to clarify this by saying the SMP doesn't ruin chances, the student does. They're auditions for med school and let people know exactly how they'd perform in a med school curriculum. High risk, but high payoff.

True enough... a good distinction!

 

[drdecaf]

You can nod your head....you don't need a catch phrase

I make exceptions when I come across patients that are pushing 100. This one 98 year old man came into our ortho office looking for back exercises he could do to keep him... limber? Guy had the strongest grip! The doc made me shake his hand because I didn't believe how strong his handshake was.

 

[Hokie_DOkie]

I worked in a nursing home for several years and what they love to hear is "you don't look any older than 25" or "what is your secret? You look better than I do."