What NOT to do your first year of med school...

[UTMed2008]

Anybody have any humorous stories about what not to do 1st year?

Like being the guy that comes out of the impossible exam that everyone's bitching about and saying how EASY it was...

Share your story

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[Tiki]

Don't accidentally cut into your cadaver's descending colon so you can see what it looks like on the inside. Partially digested stuff may come out and splatter everywhere, flooding the body cavity. You may get stuck using a turkey baster and a big bucket to clean it out.

 

[Blake]

Don't do this : spend more than 3 days not re-studying some material. ''nah, no need to study ortho even though the exam is tomorrow. I know my stuff cold, so I'll study for another exam.'' No matter how good your memory is, chances are you'll doubt your answers, even if they're good. Oh well, learned my lesson there.

Oh, don't think too much. They expect the least from med students (at least so far), so don't spend a lot of time studying all those extra tiny details nobody knows about. I got burned more than once on this, even when the answers I gave was the ''right'' one. If you know something 95 % of the class doesn't, then act like you don't know it. You'll get better grades

Good luck

 

[blue2000]

In my experience, first year of med school can be very similar to high school: I spent the entire day with the same 100 people. I had a locker, we ate lunch at long tables in our lounge. We socialized together, gossiped about each other, and generally were a pretty inbred group.

Sooo, the point of this is: making enemies, especially early, is a terrible idea. It's not like college, where you won't run into each other. You will. You'll be in small groups together, the person you dislike might be your study partner's running buddy. They may be the other med student on your internal medicine team third year.

It's trite advice, I know, but playing well with others is important.

 

[UTMed2008]

I second Tiki. This is great advice . Although some spillage is unavoidable if you end up hemisecting...

Also, if you have your cadaver in formalin-filled tanks, don't drop the tank into the formalin too fast or you could end up covered in cadaver juice...great for picking up a hot date

Don't accidentally cut into your cadaver's descending colon so you can see what it looks like on the inside. Partially digested stuff may come out and splatter everywhere, flooding the body cavity. You may get stuck using a turkey baster and a big bucket to clean it out.

 

[Tiki]

I second Tiki. This is great advice . Although some spillage is unavoidable if you end up hemisecting...

Also, if you have your cadaver in formalin-filled tanks, don't drop the tank into the formalin too fast or you could end up covered in cadaver juice...great for picking up a hot date

LOL!! We could fill this topic up with stories from Gross Anatomy alone.

Stand back when you use the bone saw to cut through the skull. Chunks of bone do fly around, and they may get caught in your hair.

Also, if you're digging around in your cadaver with your fingers, don't tug on things too hard. My lab partner did that and accidentally ended up with some flying spleen in his mouth.

 

[oompaloompa]

since our original poster is a UTMED like myself, I'll offer a little second year advice, but this goes for all PBL schools:

While in PBL Group:

DO NOT say "Since no one knows, I think some one should write up a report and present it at the next session."

DO NOT claim to be an authority on everything. It's great that you were a researcher/paramedic/teacher/phlebotomist/cop/activist before med school, so share your opinion, but it gets old quick when you consistently try to trump everyone else.

DO NOT be rude and condescending. Your classmates may be wrong some days, but you'll be a d*ck forever.

DO NOT interject your political ideology into every single comment. Sure its fine during an ethics issue, but a 15 minute rant on immigration during a renal tuberculosis case is beyond unnecessary.

DO NOT speak up with meaningless comments or rehash previous statements just so the professor sees that you're participating. This is one of those "its better to be silent and be considered a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt" situations. Everyone can tell when you're full of ****.

Well, I hope everyone doesn't think I'm too harsh. At least at my school, 98% of my classmates didn't exhibit any of the above behaviors, but all it takes is one relentlessly annoying group member to make for a VERY painful PBL experience. Good luck to all the new first years and second years!

 

[noncestvrai]

Do not cut the colon, I saw a girl getting splashed in the face by some contents...while the prof was cutting. Stinks too.

Yes, in PBL, do not show off, or be a suck-up, nobody likes that. Plus profs are usually able to pick it up...

Enjoy your life, hang out with med people a little but don't overdose. Don't overdose on studying, this is a good year to take some outside interests while you still have time. Do study though, but in good measures, do not underestimate any exam.

It's been real fun for me, now we'll see how's Med II...in a few weeks.

noncestvrai

 

[wolferman]

Do not steal the cadavers' gold teeth. Sure you'll be tempted, but do you really want the soul of some old person haunting you for the rest of your life?

 

[lane]

if you decide to watch a surgery, don't pass out

if you do pass out, try to avoid any sharp metal objects/machines on the way down and at least have the decency to wait until the procedure is over

 

[Elysium]

Wear nitrile (purple or blue) gloves in anatomy lab. Your hands will not smell at all, unlike when you use normal latex gloves (even if you double glove).

Form study groups, but not with a HUGE group of people. Any more than 3 and things just turn into social hour(s).

Like someone else said, don't piss people in your class off, especially if you're in a small class. Once you've pissed them off, you have to deal with them. And chances are they'll be in your PBL group or your assigned PD partner.

Make time for yourself, in one way or another. School sucks the holy life out of you, seriously. You're going to feel guilty every minute you aren't studying (I promise) but try and do something relaxing anyway.

Figure out what works and continue to do it.

Everything about first year sucks, so don't feel bad if you're crying every day.

You're never gonna know everything. I promise. You'll spend your entire career trying to get everything down, so just give it to god. Make peace and let it go.

Being an annoying anal gunner is so f-ing uncool. Don't be that guy. It's just pathetic and lame. And don't tell everyone about your accomplishments. No one gives a rat's ass. And if you're doing well in a class, help your classmates out. It's a good way to learn and medicine is ultimately about teaching and helping people anyway.

Don't weild your new medical tools like a douche. You aren't the first jack off on the planet to have a pan opthalmoscope. Go play with them in your bedroom at home.

Make some good friends and count on them. They will save your life in so many ways.

Don't act like you know everything, you don't.

Be good to yourself and to your classmates. This is all just a means to an end. Don't get caught up in the bullsh1t.

Good luck to you all.

 

[Caesars0331]

This is all great advice, especially if you've been locked in a shed your whole life and never interacted socially before....

 

[knownothing]

Don't talk about how you came here as a default and how you were supposed to go to some 'Harvard' like school, pleeaase.

Don't ask questions merely so you can answer them to 'intimidate' your classmates.

Don't ask annoying questions that the normal medical student would have to look up to understand your vocabulary.

Get done with anatomy lab early, if not it wastes time.

Know what you need to study, if class doesn't help, DON'T go, time is precious, you could be studying.

This is High School, don't let people act like they're too cool for school, we're in medical school not at a frat party. For everyone else just grin and bear it, you can then talk to your close friends how person A is annoying and wonder how they got into medical school.

Don't freak out, you're smart enough to be there so just go for it!

 

[dtreese]

Don't do it with any faculty members. Not speaking from experience, but don't do it. You've seen Grey's Anatomy. Do you really want to be that annoying?

 

[SEUPATTY]

This is great, keep the ideas comming

 

[MeowMix]

How To Be Really Popular: Interpersonal Tips

- leave your cell phone on at all times, with the ringer on as loud as possible. There is no need to miss an important call just because you're in lecture.

- arrive late for lecture every day. Walk across the front of the room. Sit in the middle of a row. You have more important things to do than be courteous to the lecturer. Bonus points for skateboarding or rollerblading into class 10 minutes late.

- if the lecture is boring, do your best to amuse people sitting close by - talk about your hair, your new girlfriend, etc.. Shoot spitballs. Play games. Keep things interesting. If the person in front of you shoots you an evil look, remember that they are just a boring lameass gunner. Bonus points for skateboarding or rollerblading out of class after 20 minutes - why waste your time?

- when checking test results, if you got a perfect score, be sure to pump your arm in the air and loudly say "yeah! another perfect test!" It is best if several people hear you, so they can share your happiness.

- if you miss a question or two on a test, it is best to announce your frustration loudly in public while you are standing next to other people. Hopefully you will demoralize someone who was feeling good because they actually passed.

- if other students are not doing well, it is not your job to help them. If they can't cut it, they should leave. What good will it do you to spend your time helping them?

- if you are doing well at school, and enjoying your weekend trips to places like Aspen and Paris, be sure to let others know. A good way to do this is a class-wide e-mail that directs people to a web site with photos from your fun trip.

- if you have taken anatomy before, you can ensure a perfect dissection by taking command of your group's cadaver. Do not allow other inexperienced students to mess up a good dissection and decrease your grade; they will learn just as much by observing.

Maybe some of this sounds a little far-fetched. People in my class did all of this, and more. Please spare your future classmates this kind of stuff.

 

[fantasty]

This is all great advice, especially if you've been locked in a shed your whole life and never interacted socially before....

Which, unfortunately, a fair number of docs-to-be seem to have been...

 

[::Seabass::]

since our original poster is a UTMED like myself, I'll offer a little second year advice,

Well, I hope everyone doesn't think I'm too harsh. At least at my school, 98% of my classmates didn't exhibit any of the above behaviors, but all it takes is one relentlessly annoying group member to make for a VERY painful PBL experience. Good luck to all the new first years and second years!

hmm, I still can't figure out who you are.....


I think my personal favorite is the one person who has to sit through all the classes and let everyone know how bored he is by making noises about how 'easy' everything is while disturbing the 3 rows around him...grrrrrr.

 

[::Seabass::]

Which, unfortunately, a fair number of docs-to-be seem to have been...

agreed, too much time in the library I think!

 

[samdwi]

Whatever you wear to the Anatomy lab, don't fold up the bottom of your pant leg - I've dragged home many lymph-nodes in those folds and then spent a half-hour cleaning my apartment because I dragged the things all over the place.

 

[DukeDoc08]

since our original poster is a UTMED like myself, I'll offer a little second year advice, but this goes for all PBL schools:

While in PBL Group:

DO NOT say "Since no one knows, I think some one should write up a report and present it at the next session."

DO NOT claim to be an authority on everything. It's great that you were a researcher/paramedic/teacher/phlebotomist/cop/activist before med school, so share your opinion, but it gets old quick when you consistently try to trump everyone else.

DO NOT be rude and condescending. Your classmates may be wrong some days, but you'll be a d*ck forever.

DO NOT interject your political ideology into every single comment. Sure its fine during an ethics issue, but a 15 minute rant on immigration during a renal tuberculosis case is beyond unnecessary.

DO NOT speak up with meaningless comments or rehash previous statements just so the professor sees that you're participating. This is one of those "its better to be silent and be considered a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt" situations. Everyone can tell when you're full of ****.

Well, I hope everyone doesn't think I'm too harsh. At least at my school, 98% of my classmates didn't exhibit any of the above behaviors, but all it takes is one relentlessly annoying group member to make for a VERY painful PBL experience. Good luck to all the new first years and second years!

WOW!! this is good advice for EVERYONE EVERYWHERE!!
especially the comment about paramedic/cop/researcher/any other profession!! UGGGGG I really dislike it when people pipe up with this crap!
(you can tell this is a definite NOT to do...I'm pretty laid back and this will get me to be mean as anything!!)

 

[anamarylee]

If you missed something a lecturer said because you were talking to a friend, on the phone, on the computer, don't interrupt to ask "Could you please repeat that?"

Don't ask a question in the middle of a lecture to show off. Don't interrupt the whole class by asking something beyond the scope of the material being presented just to impress the lecturer (you may fall in his/her good graces but your classmates will not like you very much for it). If you really want to go beyond what's being presented for your own learning, ask the lecturer after class, during office hours, through email.

If studying around classmates turns into social hour, it's ok to be anti-social.

Take a regular break while you are studying to go to the bathroom, make a quick phone call, have something to eat/drink, walk around... anything that gets you away from the books for 5 minutes and clears your mind.

Make sure you know you school's policy on missing exams, required learning activities, labs, etc AHEAD of time, before you are in situation where the policy can be applied against you (ignorance is never a good excuse).

If you are having trouble, seek help. Avail yourself of you school's resources (upper classmen tutors, professor's office hours, counseling services). They are there for the taking.

If you have a good resource (book, class notes, review paper) share it with everyone.

Have a life outside of school. The people in my class who are the most organized are those with kids, husbands, parents to take care of. They maximize their precious study time and never slack off. If you don't have any of these, get a hobby (knitting, volunteer work, SCUBA lessons ).

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
Medical school is:

Stressful: Different people have different ways of coping with stress. Some people descend into the depths of immaturity; some bite their fingernails and some put others down. Realize that boasting, arrogance and other uncivilized acts by your classmates are generally because of stress and move on. This is your education that you are spending thousands of dollars for. Do not allow anyone to keep you from getting what you need to master the curriculum.

Time consuming: You have to find some way to master the material in the curriculum and still remain human. Set a good study schedule for yourself and get down to business. Leave some room in your day for physical exercise and mental relaxation. Doing something physical (a 30-minute walk) relieves stress and helps you focus. You become more efficient at study and you get the material mastered.

Different from undergraduate, graduate etc.: Everyone starts dead-even in medical school. No matter where your classmates came from, you all have the same opportunity to learn the material that you need to master. Realize this and get the job done. In the end, you will all have the same degree and you will all have some kind of career in medicine. Be able to laugh at yourself and at some of the antics that take place. Sometimes it is just good to throw a "nerf brain" across the lecture hall in neuroscience to break some of the tension.

Finally:
Enjoy the experience of this education. Remember that there are loads of people that would love to be in your place so take advantage of the opportunity that you have been given. Medical school is but a short piece of your medical career and goes by very quickly. The real learning of medicine is life-long so get the best foundation that you can. Any medical school in the United States can prepare you for a career in medicine and post-graduate training. Respect your colleagues because one day, you will have to send your patients to them. Good will makes everything better.

njbmd

 

[UTMed2008]

Some of the above is good advice. However, this thread was intended for funny stories!

For example, if you look in the mirror before going to clinic and think, "DAMN, I LOOK HOT!" you probably need to change...

 

[wolferman]

Don't wear scrubs just to look cool. I got accused of doing this once on a day when I thought we had anatomy lab. As it turned out, we only had the lecture that day.

Don't pronounce the P-sound in words where it is silent. e.g. pterygoid, pterion, etc. My neuro professor was correcting classmates constantly. You wouldn't pronounce the P on the pterodactyl dinosaur would you?

 

[Ambs]

Some of the above is good advice. However, this thread was intended for funny stories!

For example, if you look in the mirror before going to clinic and think, "DAMN, I LOOK HOT!" you probably need to change...

I almost spit out my water laughing so hard...

 

[Pilot]

Don't wear scrubs just to look cool. I got accused of doing this once on a day when I thought we had anatomy lab. As it turned out, we only had the lecture that day.

Don't pronounce the P-sound in words where it is silent. e.g. pterygoid, pterion, etc. My neuro professor was correcting classmates constantly. You wouldn't pronounce the P on the pterodactyl dinosaur would you?

Or "pah-new-moan-ya" - pneumonia

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
You wanted funny story: When I was a third-year medical student we were crammed into this small lecture room for Psychiatry lecture. There were about 10 students assigned to various psychiatric clinics throughout the city but we all had to return to campus for our lecture. While we were waiting for our first lecture and mulling over our assigned locations, a gentleman dressed in jeans, T-shirt and a baseball cap (turned backwards) entered the room. One of my classmates quickly showed him the trashcan and told him to wipe down the white board because we were expecting the chairman of psychiatry and we wanted to make a good impression. Duh!! Yes, it was the chair of psychiatry who quietly emptied the trash and wiped down the board. After he had finished these tasks, he came back into the room; took one of the dry erase markers and carefully wrote his name on the board. Needless to say, my classmate sunk into her seat and tried to hide. She had been one of those boasting students since she wanted to go into psychiatry. Well, she didn't help her chances that day. We spent the next hour hearing one of the greatest lectures on treating schizophrenic patients that I have ever heard. The man is a genius with crazy people and I use many of his techniques today. It turned out that he was my preceptor too! Not only did I honor Psychiatry but I had one of the best experiences of medical school on that rotation. Moral of the story: Empty the trash yourself!

nbjmd

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

Hi there,
You wanted funny story: When I was a third-year medical student we were crammed into this small lecture room for Psychiatry lecture. There were about 10 students assigned to various psychiatric clinics throughout the city but we all had to return to campus for our lecture. While we were waiting for our first lecture and mulling over our assigned locations, a gentleman dressed in jeans, T-shirt and a baseball cap (turned backwards) entered the room. One of my classmates quickly showed him the trashcan and told him to wipe down the white board because we were expecting the chairman of psychiatry and we wanted to make a good impression. Duh!! Yes, it was the chair of psychiatry who quietly emptied the trash and wiped down the board. After he had finished these tasks, he came back into the room; took one of the dry erase markers and carefully wrote his name on the board. Needless to say, my classmate sunk into her seat and tried to hide. She had been one of those boasting students since she wanted to go into psychiatry. Well, she didn't help her chances that day. We spent the next hour hearing one of the greatest lectures on treating schizophrenic patients that I have ever heard. The man is a genius with crazy people and I use many of his techniques today. It turned out that he was my preceptor too! Not only did I honor Psychiatry but I had one of the best experiences of medical school on that rotation. Moral of the story: Empty the trash yourself!

nbjmd

Great story.

 

[Portier]

This is all great advice, especially if you've been locked in a shed your whole life and never interacted socially before....

There was a character on SNL a few years back called "Angry Black Man." He was always pissed, and blamed everyone around him (especially whitey) for whatever comical situation was happening.

We had "Angry Black Woman" at my school. Showed up late to EVERY lectue, Looked ANGRY and SURPISED when she came in the front door and there's a lecture going on. I read her mind, "All these damn people showed up early and started lecture just so I would look dumb when I came in ON TIME."

It snows where I go to school. I like to push people in the snow. I'm a southerner, and didn't get to do that much growing up. A buddy of mine and I were messing around, pushing, and stuff on our way to cross the street. Since the snow was stacked high, there was only a small path to get to the crossing area.

He was at the back of the line, and behind him was ABW. He tossed a snowball at me. I threw a handfull back. He dogdged. I hit ABW in the face. I thought she was going to kill me. That was a dirty look I'll not soon recover from.

 

[automaton]

DO NOT speak up with meaningless comments or rehash previous statements just so the professor sees that you're participating. This is one of those "its better to be silent and be considered a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt" situations. Everyone can tell when you're full of ****.

98% of my classmates didn't exhibit any of the above behaviors, but all it takes is one relentlessly annoying group member to make for a VERY painful PBL experience.

so true

 

[oompaloompa]

hmm, I still can't figure out who you are.....


I think my personal favorite is the one person who has to sit through all the classes and let everyone know how bored he is by making noises about how 'easy' everything is while disturbing the 3 rows around him...grrrrrr.

Okay, fair enough. Three hints is all you'll need, I think:

1) If you know who the "various occupations" comment was directed at, I've had her in my PBL, ethics, and now my rotation group(D). She may be the death of me.

2) Oompaloompa is not just a screen name, but also a physical description

3) I will be on the same psych unit with you next month.

Cheers, and have fun on FP, we're counting on you guys to let us know if the horror stories about the board are true!

 

[gerido]

I'm not in med school yet, but I've disected... one thing i saw during the disection is this one guy keeps being a dick and immature with his disection and cadaver... Just start poking the knife at random places, making dumb remarks, etc.. I just wanted to punch him in the face, but he's bigger than me and he had a knife (i was silently hoping that the ghost would come back and haunt his ass).

 

[chicadehuskers]

Don't leave your mouth wide open when people are dissecting areas of taut skin or using the bone saw/shears near your face. I've actually seen tissue fly into people's mouths on more than one occasion! One student immediately vomited as a result...disgusting, but so funny! This same student also pierced the ascending colon when our lab group was performing a pseudo-appendectomy on our cadaver. Not only did he not listen when we told him put his blade away because he had gone too deep ...he also stuck his finger in and dug around, just to feel for himself what had happened. You can probalby imagine what kind of a mess we had when he pulled his fingers out of the suture. It sounds like this kid was a little annoying in lab, but he wasn't at all...you couldn't help but love him. Just make sure you can laugh at yourself, because everyone makes a lot of dumb mistakes in gross lab.

 

[roady]

It's hard to tell in advance of actually being in medical school what all the buzz about "drinking from a firehydrant" is really all about.

For what it's worth, there are 2 auctions up from a Florida college of medicine for the 1st course at most medical schools--Biochemistry. Could be a good tool for guaging how well you're prepared:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6193066552&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MESE:IT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6193066818&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MESE:IT&rd=1

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Portier]

I was reminded of a "What not to do" funny thing from our M1 year by the poster above.

There was an Ethics Class during the first few weeks in which instructors acted out parts for us. One scenario was miscoding (coding for things you didn't do). Another was a patient who was being very flattering to the doctor right before she asked for drugs.

Then they asked for volunteers to act out a patient who had HSV, and the doctor who had to tell the patient. Two excited volunteers ran up there to act out the scenario.

The "doctor" just had WAAAAAY to much information on how HSV was treated (medications, dosages, side effects). The "doctor" described in intimate detail about how the recurrent attacks felt, and the emotional consequences. It was very empassioned.

Many of us were like, "How does she know all that already?" Either she worked in a STD clinic or....

This should be filed under:

Sometimes it's better to pretend you don't know the answer!

 

[Arsenic]

save yourself the hassle and just attend all the small groups and doctoring lectures, most people in my class hated getting lectured by librarians on EBM or something but just bite the bullet..... dont skip these. you never know if your doctoring course coordinator will decide to take attendance one day and if they do, you're screwed.

 

[akpete]

This thread is great!!

 

[Arsenic]

It's hard to tell in advance of actually being in medical school what all the buzz about "drinking from a firehydrant" is really all about.

Thats damn right, everyone thinks they've braced themselves for the shock of med school at orientation...... then at the end of the first week, everyone's face looks like a combo of these:

 

[::Seabass::]

Okay, fair enough. Three hints is all you'll need, I think:

1) If you know who the "various occupations" comment was directed at, I've had her in my PBL, ethics, and now my rotation group(D). She may be the death of me.

2) Oompaloompa is not just a screen name, but also a physical description

3) I will be on the same psych unit with you next month.

Cheers, and have fun on FP, we're counting on you guys to let us know if the horror stories about the board are true!

ahhhh, just got my assignments today for Psych. I don't know how i feel about tues, thurs, and friday afternoons, heard you learn a TON but they are loooooooong.

hmmm, I think I may know who you are talking about, I'll have to ask

 

[Sharkfan]

What NOT to do in med school:

1) Overuse the word "obviously" when explaining things to your classmates

2) Yell out that you got a perfect score in a hallway full of people checking their grades on a professor's door

3) Come into lecture 10 minutes late wearing giant high heels that clack with every step

4) Blatantly open up a newspaper during a morning lecture and spend the entire time reading it

5) Whine to professors about "unfair" questions; this is med school, not middle school

And, like other posters have said, these points have all happened... some of them on a regular basis.

 

[tchantel21]

Do not steal the cadavers' gold teeth. Sure you'll be tempted, but do you really want the soul of some old person haunting you for the rest of your life?

LMAO...

sage advice...make a note of it

 

[tchantel21]

There was a character on SNL a few years back called "Angry Black Man." He was always pissed, and blamed everyone around him (especially whitey) for whatever comical situation was happening.

We had "Angry Black Woman" at my school. Showed up late to EVERY lectue, Looked ANGRY and SURPISED when she came in the front door and there's a lecture going on. I read her mind, "All these damn people showed up early and started lecture just so I would look dumb when I came in ON TIME."

It snows where I go to school. I like to push people in the snow. I'm a southerner, and didn't get to do that much growing up. A buddy of mine and I were messing around, pushing, and stuff on our way to cross the street. Since the snow was stacked high, there was only a small path to get to the crossing area.

He was at the back of the line, and behind him was ABW. He tossed a snowball at me. I threw a handfull back. He dogdged. I hit ABW in the face. I thought she was going to kill me. That was a dirty look I'll not soon recover from.

I'm sorry but u sound more than a bit judgemental. Have you ever had a conversasion with "ABW"? Do you know her life experiences? If you did, could you truly empathize? Does her facial expression in conjunction with her being black lead you to the definitive conclusion that she is cut from the same fabric as the decidedly ignorant "angry-black-man"? Also the "ABW" designation probably seems cute and convenient to you for inside-joke-type discourse. That's fine, but IMHO, it should've stayed right there...inside that is.

 

[Nittany Lion]

I'm sorry but u sound more than a bit judgemental. Have you ever had a conversasion with "ABW"? Do you know her life experiences? If you did, could you truly empathize? Does her facial expression in conjunction with her being black lead you to the definitive conclusion that she is cut from the same fabric as the decidedly ignorant "angry-black-man"? Also the "ABW" designation probably seems cute and convenient to you for inside-joke-type discourse. That's fine, but IMHO, it should've stayed right there...inside that is.

Very well said... I was thinking the same thing in response to that earlier post.

 

[heldicus]

Good advice...but the problem is that it will never have any effect on the social ******s who commit all these offenses. I mean, does anyone seriously think "that guy" will read that it's inappropriate to argue for his points back on his 98%...and say "oh, that's why I didn't have any friends in high school or college!"

These are old habits by the time these people reach medical school. What they really need is a good solid 76 on an exam to set them straight. Unfortunately that never happens because they don't have any social distractions from studying. Oh well.

 

[civic4982]

Very well said... I was thinking the same thing in response to that earlier post.

I thought the story was pretty funny...

 

[dynx]

I thought the story was pretty funny...

me too, two votes for funny. I think the response was pretty funny too...

"I'm sorry but u sound more than a bit judgemental. Have you ever had a conversasion with "ABW"? Do you know her life experiences? If you did, could you truly empathize?"

...here's a cover all, we start with have you ever talked to her and then just incase he has we add on "could you truely emphasize?" Let me just translate..."are you black?" If not, you can never comment on anyone who is black, they have had a hard life and are therefor allowed to be bitchy to you.

"Does her facial expression in conjunction with her being black lead you to the definitive conclusion that she is cut from the same fabric as the decidedly ignorant "angry-black-man"? Also the "ABW" designation probably seems cute and convenient to you for inside-joke-type discourse. That's fine, but IMHO, it should've stayed right there...inside that is."

Here's where she comes in with rightous indignation and a rhetorical question. Now, assuming the author of the offending post has an intact limbic system and has good vision I feel its safe to say that he can pick up on an angry facial expression. Ditto for picking up on blackness so to answer your rhetorical question.
1. She's angry
2. She's black
so YES she does in fact meet the demanding criteria for being cut from the same cloth as Angry-black-man minus the twig and berries.

In conclusion to tchantel lighten the f*ck up.

 

[Topaz]

Hilarious thread.

Would love it if there were stories about how karma came back on some people. I know this is wishful thinking, since obliviousness keeps people safe from self-knowledge.

topaz

 

[DrThom]

me too, two votes for funny. I think the response was pretty funny too...

"I'm sorry but u sound more than a bit judgemental. Have you ever had a conversasion with "ABW"? Do you know her life experiences? If you did, could you truly empathize?"

...here's a cover all, we start with have you ever talked to her and then just incase he has we add on "could you truely emphasize?" Let me just translate..."are you black?" If not, you can never comment on anyone who is black, they have had a hard life and are therefor allowed to be bitchy to you.

"Does her facial expression in conjunction with her being black lead you to the definitive conclusion that she is cut from the same fabric as the decidedly ignorant "angry-black-man"? Also the "ABW" designation probably seems cute and convenient to you for inside-joke-type discourse. That's fine, but IMHO, it should've stayed right there...inside that is."

Here's where she comes in with rightous indignation and a rhetorical question. Now, assuming the author of the offending post has an intact limbic system and has good vision I feel its safe to say that he can pick up on an angry facial expression. Ditto for picking up on blackness so to answer your rhetorical question.
1. She's angry
2. She's black
so YES she does in fact meet the demanding criteria for being cut from the same cloth as Angry-black-man minus the twig and berries.

In conclusion to tchantel lighten the f*ck up.

Three votes for funny

 

[Nittany Lion]

me too, two votes for funny. I think the response was pretty funny too...

"I'm sorry but u sound more than a bit judgemental. Have you ever had a conversasion with "ABW"? Do you know her life experiences? If you did, could you truly empathize?"

...here's a cover all, we start with have you ever talked to her and then just incase he has we add on "could you truely emphasize?" Let me just translate..."are you black?" If not, you can never comment on anyone who is black, they have had a hard life and are therefor allowed to be bitchy to you.

"Does her facial expression in conjunction with her being black lead you to the definitive conclusion that she is cut from the same fabric as the decidedly ignorant "angry-black-man"? Also the "ABW" designation probably seems cute and convenient to you for inside-joke-type discourse. That's fine, but IMHO, it should've stayed right there...inside that is."

Here's where she comes in with rightous indignation and a rhetorical question. Now, assuming the author of the offending post has an intact limbic system and has good vision I feel its safe to say that he can pick up on an angry facial expression. Ditto for picking up on blackness so to answer your rhetorical question.
1. She's angry
2. She's black
so YES she does in fact meet the demanding criteria for being cut from the same cloth as Angry-black-man minus the twig and berries.

In conclusion to tchantel lighten the f*ck up.

I think you're missing the point here. Let me offer somewhat of an analogy. I'm Jewish, and Jews are stereotypically known to be cheap (i.e. stingy) - just like black people are stereotypically known to be "angry", "militant," etc. While I don't really consider myself to be cheap, let's just assume that on one (or maybe more) ccasions I am witnessed by a classmate not handing money to a homeless person begging on the street, which may make me seem like a stingy person. Now I am labelled in that person's mind as "Cheap Jewish Woman" forever because they witnessed me doing something that fits in with a specific negative stereotype of my religion (or culture, whatever you want to call it).

I realize there may be no SNL skit about "Cheap Jewish Man" but to me it's that scenario represents the same kind of thing. If you thought the original post was about "ABW" funny, that's ok with me, but all I'm saying (as well as the other person who responded) was that it's not funny to me to identify someone using insulting racial stereotypes. (And if you ask me, yes, that person was being insulting). And yes, you absolutely can observe the facts that she was 1) black, and 2) being angry, but all I'm saying is that labelling someone like that just perpetuates the generalization that ALL black people are angry. Maybe you don't agree, but for some reason, many people aren't able think independently enough to not subscribe to stereotypes such as that.

If you want to think that I'm reading too much into it or that I should lighten up, that's your opinion, but this is how I interpreted that post. All I'm saying is that maybe people, especially those who are going to be in a very people-oriented field like medicine, should be a little sensitive to how people will perceive the things they say about others, even if they seem to be "joking" around...especially regarding someone's race, disabilities, life experiences.. or anything else that can really make a person feel singled out.