What are some of the worst misconceptions of medical and surgical specialties?

[602521]

Things like:

"Orthopods are dumb."
"The lives of OB/GYN's suck."
"General surgeons just take stuff out (gall bladders, appendixes, and the like) and don't do much fixing."
"CT surgeons have it all figured out by now. There's not much room for growth."

In doing rotations, going into the field, and/or interacting with physicians, which experiences have really disproved stereotypes like these? Just curious, not trying to pick one. 🙂

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[WedgeDawg]

From one of my favorite books of all time:

Neurosurgeon: "Man, this is a tough year for us ... but nothing like those three toughest years in an orthopedic surgeon's life"

Orthopod: "Yeah, what are those?"

Neurosurgeon: "Second grade"

 

[Spinach Dip]

"Anesthesia is easy and chill."

Yeah, sometimes. But just wait until that human/animal on the table decides to NOT breathe on her own and develops arrythmias for no discernible reason. That's neither easy nor chill.

 

[AlteredScale]

From one of my favorite books of all time:

Neurosurgeon: "Man, this is a tough year for us ... but nothing like those three toughest years in an orthopedic surgeon's life"

Orthopod: "Yeah, what are those?"

Neurosurgeon: "Second grade"

Gahaha Bill was awesome. Tightly wound for sure but his advice to Dr. Vertosick was great.

 

[tima]

"Anesthesia is easy and chill."

Yeah, sometimes. But just wait until that human/animal on the table decides to NOT breathe on her own and develops arrythmias for no discernible reason. That's neither easy nor chill.

The ABC's of anesthesia - Airway, Book, Chair.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Things like:

"General surgeons just take stuff out (gall bladders, appendixes, and the like) and don't do much fixing."

I dunno...seems like taking things out *does* fix things sometimes.

No more cholecystitis, appendicitis, goiter, cancer...ya know, simple things like that which make a huge difference in people's lives.

The stereotype of General Surgery is that its all "poop" (colon) related which is only a portion of a typical GS practice.

 

[Goro]

That ignorant pre-meds think they can just waltz into any speciality.

My clinical colleagues do like pointing out that orthopedics is just carpentry.

I have a devastating zinger one clinical friend said about another specialty, but I'll bet my students would recognize the statement!

Things like:

"Orthopods are dumb."
"The lives of OB/GYN's suck."
"General surgeons just take stuff out (gall bladders, appendixes, and the like) and don't do much fixing."
"CT surgeons have it all figured out by now. There's not much room for growth."

In doing rotations, going into the field, and/or interacting with physicians, which experiences have really disproved stereotypes like these? Just curious, not trying to pick one. 🙂

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

The orthopedic surgeon I shadowed is brilliant. In addition to frequently publishing in academic journals, he authors material about joint preservation that's appropriate for patients and the general public.

Obviously, it's ridicuous to call orthopods dumb. Orthopedics is easily one of the most competitive fields in medicine. And it's broader than most people think.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

The orthopedic surgeon I shadowed is brilliant. In addition to frequently publishing in academic journals, he authors material about joint preservation that's appropriate for patients and the general public.

Obviously, it's ridicuous to call orthopods dumb. Orthopedics is easily one of the most competitive fields in medicine. And it's broader than most people think.

Yeah, I don't understand why "orthopods are dumb" is a widely-accepted stereotype when it's ultra competitive to match into. There's a difference between acting like a clown (my community hosptial orthopod I shadowed is a funny, silly guy) and actually being incompetent (the orthopod I shadowed is an excellent surgeon).

 

[DesertSeaDiver]

Yeah, I don't understand why "orthopods are dumb" is a widely-accepted stereotype when it's ultra competitive to match into. There's a difference between acting like a clown (my community hosptial orthopod I shadowed is a funny, silly guy) and actually being incompetent (the orthopod I shadowed is an excellent surgeon).

i think it's because of the semi-barbaric techniques and overall nature of some orthopedic surgeries. as goro commented, some joke that it's as easy as basic carpentry. ...screws, plates, etc.


i'll add the misconception that people think oncologists only deal with terminally ill, dying patients and thus their job must be very depressing.

 

[Winged Scapula]

While the orthopods are dumb stereotype may have originated from the perception that they're just "carpenters", it has persisted due to:

1) ortho wasn't always competitive; go back a generation or so and it was an easy match
2) once they match and finish their GS intern year, many orthopods will brag about how much general medicine they've forgotten. Right or wrong (it allows the to concentrate on learning surgical technique), this behavior leads many a frustrated consultant or other specialist to wonder how some of the brightest (or at least best exam takers) in medical school no longer remember basic peri-operative and medical management.

 

[Dr Van Helsing]

That ignorant pre-meds think they can just waltz into any speciality.

My clinical colleagues do like pointing out that orthopedics is just carpentry.

I have a devastating zinger one clinical friend said about another specialty, but I'll bet my students would recognize the statement!

I just had a CrAzY idea.. Since none of your students know you are you than you are kind of like Batman. You're SDN famous, so has anybody mentioned Goro in your presence? That would be surreal if I overheard a group of people talking about me on SDN..

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

While the orthopods are dumb stereotype may have originated from the perception that they're just "carpenters", it has persisted due to:

1) ortho wasn't always competitive; go back a generation or so and it was an easy match
2) once they match and finish their GS intern year, many orthopods will brag about how much general medicine they've forgotten. Right or wrong (it allows the to concentrate on learning surgical technique), this behavior leads many a frustrated consultant or other specialist to wonder how some of the brightest (or at least best exam takers) in medical school no longer remember basic peri-operative and medical management.

Has the bolded been common in your experiences?

 

[rodmichael82]

As Winged Scapula mentioned there was a time when it was extremely competitive to get into General Surgery and they would just send the less competitive applicants into Orthopedic Surgery. Obviously times have changed to where Orthopedic Surgery is easily one of the most competitive fields.
One common theme I have noticed in Ortho is that a lot of attendings have mentioned to me that yeah you'll need general medicine for the Intern year and after that you can pretty much forget it.

 

[Spinach Dip]

The ABC's of anesthesia - Airway, Book, Chair.

You missed a few.

Airway
Book
Chair
Doughnut
Emergence
Filing
Go
Home

 

[Goro]

Nope. I once interviewed someone who had the same name as someone who has posted here with an identical screen name, but it turned out not to be the same guy.

You're SDN famous, so has anybody mentioned Goro in your presence? That would be surreal if I overheard a group of people talking about me on SDN..

 

[tima]

You missed a few.

Airway
Book
Chair
Doughnut
Emergence
Filing
Go
Home

Impressive. I thought doughnuts are reserved for police officers.

 

[altblue]

I feel like FM has a better reputation for lay people and patients (which includes me, I guess lol) because they're seen as caring or willing to "help out" patients more. On these boards at least, it's like family med is the residency nobody wants and is for IMGs and the worst MD/DO students - wheras psych, paeds, and PM&R don't seem to have this stigma.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Impressive. I thought doughnuts are reserved for police officers.

Most of the time. Not always.

You gotta complete the alphabet all the way to S.

Because S is for Sudoku

Damn, what are those poems called where every word starts with the next letter of the alphabet?

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Most of the time. Not always.





Damn, what are those poems called where every word starts with the next letter of the alphabet?

Acrostic?!

 

[Spinach Dip]

Acrostic?!

Found it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abecedarius

 

[RJGOP]

You gotta complete the alphabet all the way to S.

Because S is for Sudoku

He should go to Z.
zzzzzzzzzz (sleeping)

 

[Garurumon]

I dunno...seems like taking things out *does* fix things sometimes.

No more cholecystitis, appendicitis, goiter, cancer...ya know, simple things like that which make a huge difference in people's lives.

The stereotype of General Surgery is that its all "poop" (colon) related which is only a portion of a typical GS practice.

I had a ruptured appendix and peritonitis a couple of years ago. Getting surgery definitely made me feel fixed afterwards. I greatly admire and respect all fields of surgery, but maybe that's just me not being too aware of their respective stereotypes and reputations.

 

[DesertSeaDiver]

http://i.imgur.com/fhgrJ2X.jpg