We don't study - we READ!

[Silverfix]

Seriously in the clinical years it's fairly taboo to use the word study. We say "I think I'll go and read now". Or "I have and exam tomorrow, I better go and do some reading". If you do use the word study - "I need to go study" - people (upper levels) will repeat back, "oh yeah you should go READ", emphasizing the word read, hoping you'll catch on.

It's all part of maintaining the myth that doctors are geniuses who just effortlessly pick up an almost bottomless fund of knowledge. That seems ******ed and conceited to you first years, I know. But, you'll understand when you find yourself dealing with backtalk from nurses who are forever on the edge of outright mutany.

Anyhow, being not much of a conformer, I didn't cotton on to this untill my Sub-I's. But I notice that all the fresh new third years on my teams have already got this bs jargon down with no prompting. So when does this start? Do people refer to the constant binge'n'purge factoid-fest in first and second year, nonchalently as "reading". If so I completely missed that. Just curious.

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[dynx]

Seriously in the clinical years it's fairly taboo to use the word study. We say "I think I'll go and read now". Or "I have and exam tomorrow, I better go and do some reading". If you do use the word study - "I need to go study" - people (upper levels) will repeat back, "oh yeah you should go READ", emphasizing the word read, hoping you'll catch on.

It's all part of maintaining the myth that doctors are geniuses who just effortlessly pick up an almost bottomless fund of knowledge. That seems ******ed and conceited to you first years, I know. But, you'll understand when you find yourself dealing with backtalk from nurses who are forever on the edge of outright mutany.

Anyhow, being not much of a conformer, I didn't cotton on to this untill my Sub-I's. But I notice that all the fresh new third years on my teams have already got this bs jargon down with no prompting. So when does this start? Do people refer to the constant binge'n'purge factoid-fest in first and second year, nonchalently as "reading". If so I completely missed that. Just curious.

This is indeed an important topic, I am looking forward to the many pages of thoughtfull responses that are sure to follow this insightfull post.

 

[Lemont]

Seriously in the clinical years it's fairly taboo to use the word study. We say "I think I'll go and read now". Or "I have and exam tomorrow, I better go and do some reading". If you do use the word study - "I need to go study" - people (upper levels) will repeat back, "oh yeah you should go READ", emphasizing the word read, hoping you'll catch on.

It's all part of maintaining the myth that doctors are geniuses who just effortlessly pick up an almost bottomless fund of knowledge. That seems ******ed and conceited to you first years, I know. But, you'll understand when you find yourself dealing with backtalk from nurses who are forever on the edge of outright mutany.

Anyhow, being not much of a conformer, I didn't cotton on to this untill my Sub-I's. But I notice that all the fresh new third years on my teams have already got this bs jargon down with no prompting. So when does this start? Do people refer to the constant binge'n'purge factoid-fest in first and second year, nonchalently as "reading". If so I completely missed that. Just curious.

So true. I have heard the same jargon about 'reading'.

Another good one: Doctors 'practice' medicine. As if it's some kind of elite-level sport and they're practicing for the Olympics.

 

[RAwe]

I don't know about this one, I know in another country like say in Nigeria, the phrase is 'go read your book...go read your book' meaning to go study, but yea over here study is the main phrase

 

[cfdavid]

"It's all part of maintaining the myth that doctors are geniuses who just effortlessly pick up an almost bottomless fund of knowledge."

It's too late most people don't think of doctors as geniuses. Many students and lay people know that most of our work is memoization and not complex problem-solving. If we were geniuses, we'd all be able to do mathematics at the doctorate level. There is a person in med school because she couldn't do the entrance req's to an ugrad engineering program. If we were geniuses, all of us would be able to do doctorate level math, astronomy, geophysics, and the list goes on and on.

That is so true. My undergrad physio prof (instructor really) dropped out of med school cause he didn't like all the shear memorization. Now he'd going for his PhD and is quite happy. He likes to teach, so I think it was a good move.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

Reading?

That's what I've been doing since day 1.

I don't study, or memorize. cuz my brain is useless. I can't remember shieet.

 

[Medikit]

I'm going to go feign assimilation of knowledge.

 

[renox9]

So true. I have heard the same jargon about 'reading'.

Another good one: Doctors 'practice' medicine. As if it's some kind of elite-level sport and they're practicing for the Olympics.

I've always liked using 'practice' because it gives the sense that doctors are continually improving their medical abilities and learning from each and every patient. Saying it any other way would give the impression that once you're a doctor you don't need to keep learning or 'practicing' what you do.

 

[labangel]

I think you meant to say "I'll think I'll go read...and page me if anything important comes up" = "I'm going home and please don't page me"

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

I've always liked using 'practice' because it gives the sense that doctors are continually improving their medical abilities and learning from each and every patient. Saying it any other way would give the impression that once you're a doctor you don't need to keep learning or 'practicing' what you do.

?

"Practice" means to make as a profession.

Just like "treating" patients doesn't mean you cure them for free.

 

[care bear]

yeah, i have noticed this phenomenon. . .mostly talking to students in clinical years, or, even interacting w/preclin. professors who spend most of their time in a clinic setting. it's 'read', not 'study'.

i actually kinda like the terminology. make me feel more 'professional' for some reason! and has a more positive connotation, at least to me. 'study' connotes stress, sleepless nights, etc. . .while 'read' conjures up images of afternoons at starbucks, casually sipping a frappucino while calmly turning textbook pages. . .

 

[SkylineMD]

I actually hate the phrase "I don't study". Seriously, in my book, if you have anything open for the purpose of knowing information for a class, then you are studying. Here is the official word from dictionary.com

stud·y Audio pronunciation of "studying" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (std)
n. pl. stud·ies

1.
1. The act or process of studying.
2. The pursuit of knowledge, as by reading, observation, or research.
2. Attentive scrutiny.
3. A branch of knowledge.
4. studies A branch or department of learning: graduate studies.
5.
1. A work, such as a thesis, that results from studious endeavor.
2. A literary work on a particular subject.
3. A preliminary sketch, as for a work of art or literature.
6. Music. A composition intended as a technical exercise.
7. A state of mental absorption: She is in a deep study.
8. A room intended or equipped for studying or writing.
9. One who memorizes something, especially a performer who memorizes a part: He is a quick study.

 

[NorCalGirl]

Haha! I just made fun of my boyfriend (MS3) for saying, "I'm gonna go read now." He used to stay "study" before!

 

[thackl]

Reading is a waste of time. I study...... notes, scribes, PPT's......... not afraid to admit it either. Actually, doing a litle bit more than I care to these days

 

[Law2Doc]

My undergrad physio prof (instructor really) dropped out of med school cause he didn't like all the shear memorization.

Not a big fan of scissors?

 

[Buck Strong]

I think the transition takes place early in MS3. I remember my attendings and residents telling me to feel free to go "read" whenever we had an easy afternoon. I didn't think much of it then, but eventually, I incorporated it into my own terminology in place of "study". However, i think that this is valid, becuase the way we study during ms3 and ms4 is much different than in the first two years. Gone are the frantic days of note taking, and re-writing, or those damn notecards of minutia that might be on the exam. "Reading" during the last 2 years is much more clinical, and focuses more on the whole picture, usually supported by something you saw in clinic or on the floors. This is in contrast to, for example, memorizing the steps on the TCA cycle.

 

[pillowhead]

If we were geniuses, all of us would be able to do doctorate level math, astronomy, geophysics, and the list goes on and on. If we were all geniuses, there wouldn't be threads from former pre-meds (now med students) stating, "Ochem was sooo hard and I tried sooo much and had to take the class over, but, I finally did it and now am in med school."

I always find it amusing when I hear people saying that medicine isn't really intellectually difficult like advanced mathematics or physics. My husband is doing his doctorate in computer vision which essentially is applied mathematics. I don't think he finds his field all that intellectually difficult or amazing--most of his time is spent trying to tease out which one variable in a huge proof he accidentally assigned as negative value instead of a positive value or something else mundane like that. I think even in the most intellectually elite fields, most of one's time is still spent doing mundane stuff with only a small amount of time with one's brain sweating.

 

[FernandoV]

I've got another one for all of you. How bout the kids in your class (in med school AND college) who say "oh I've got so much WORK to do" or "I'll be home tonight doing WORK." I never understood this at all. It's as if they consider sitting at a desk (or even on their couch!) with an open book reading words and writing things down in a notebook as "doing work." I'm sorry, but that is the absolute furthest thing away from WORK. You know who does "work"? Manual laborers, carpenters, construction men/women, and movers (among others). These people are all out doing "work". You, sitting on your comfy couch in the comfort of your home/apt, catching up on some college/med school reading and jotting down a few words here and there are most definitely NOT doing WORK. You are reading, writing, studying, going over stuff, whatever you want to call it, but definitely not WORKING. So there....

 

[ddmo]

It's too late most people don't think of doctors as geniuses. Many students and lay people know that most of our work is memorization and not complex problem-solving. If we were geniuses, we'd all be able to do mathematics at the doctorate level.

To be in grad programs like mathematics/geophysics, you still need to be extremely good at high level math and other physical sciences to even be CONSIDERED FOR ADMISSION.

What you are missing is that there are many types of intelligence. Sure, most doctors may not know (and I used the word "know" rather than "can" on purpose) how to perform multiple variable calculus, or other types of high level mathematics. But this doesn't mean they aren't extremely intelligent. Similarily, there are a ton of math whizzes who are unable to deal with patients well enough to determine the necessary information to diagnose their condition. Especially considering the body and disease do not conform to the strict laws of mathematics. Not to mention, the surgeons out there who not only must be able to problem solve with their minds, but also use fine motor skills in the solution.

I myself was a chemistry major who did a lot of research in the field of inorganic chemistry involving high capacity lasers and the sort. Although I was plenty capable of the types of problem solving you are describing, and could have gone to a variety of grad schools (my lab mate is now working on her PhD at MIT), I never truly enjoyed the material as I do medicine. Does this mean that my ability to do math has atrophied to some extent, sure. But what I have gained in its place is an amazing, and grossly incomplete amount of medical knowledge.

In the end, the word genius is generally defined as, " A person of extraordinary intellect and talent," not a person able to do high level mathematics. One can be a musical genius, just like one can be a medical, surgical, or diagnostic genius, without having the ability to solve a calculus problem.

 

[SLUser11]

And why do they call it "rounding"? They're not really walking in circles!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!

 

[care bear]

I've got another one for all of you. How bout the kids in your class (in med school AND college) who say "oh I've got so much WORK to do" or "I'll be home tonight doing WORK." I never understood this at all. It's as if they consider sitting at a desk (or even on their couch!) with an open book reading words and writing things down in a notebook as "doing work." I'm sorry, but that is the absolute furthest thing away from WORK. You know who does "work"? Manual laborers, carpenters, construction men/women, and movers (among others). These people are all out doing "work". You, sitting on your comfy couch in the comfort of your home/apt, catching up on some college/med school reading and jotting down a few words here and there are most definitely NOT doing WORK. You are reading, writing, studying, going over stuff, whatever you want to call it, but definitely not WORKING. So there....

woah, i completely disagree! i think most people in the world call their jobs 'work' last time i checked, not just the construction workers among us!
training for medicine via medical school is my career now, and i am dang sure gonna call it 'work' - my friends in PR or web development or whatever other cushy job sure don't have a problem using the word. sorry, it's just a standard usage of the word and imho to quibble with its definition in this way is just ridiculous- so there

 

[pinkeclipse]

What you are missing is that there are many types of intelligence. Sure, most doctors may not know (and I used the word "know" rather than "can" on purpose) how to perform multiple variable calculus, or other types of high level mathematics. But this doesn't mean they aren't extremely intelligent. Similarily, there are a ton of math whizzes who are unable to deal with patients well enough to determine the necessary information to diagnose their condition. Especially considering the body and disease do not conform to the strict laws of mathematics. Not to mention, the surgeons out there who not only must be able to problem solve with their minds, but also use fine motor skills in the solution.

I myself was a chemistry major who did a lot of research in the field of inorganic chemistry involving high capacity lasers and the sort. Although I was plenty capable of the types of problem solving you are describing, and could have gone to a variety of grad schools (my lab mate is now working on her PhD at MIT), I never truly enjoyed the material as I do medicine. Does this mean that my ability to do math has atrophied to some extent, sure. But what I have gained in its place is an amazing, and grossly incomplete amount of medical knowledge.

In the end, the word genius is generally defined as, " A person of extraordinary intellect and talent," not a person able to do high level mathematics. One can be a musical genius, just like one can be a medical, surgical, or diagnostic genius, without having the ability to solve a calculus problem.

couldn't agree with that more.

 

[NPursuit]

Another good one: Doctors 'practice' medicine. As if it's some kind of elite-level sport and they're practicing for the Olympics.

Um, a legal practice? An accounting practice? The term goes way back.

 

[FernandoV]

bump

 

[rockit]

Seems like a lot of work for you to bump this thread