Why do they have bad handwriting?

[badasshairday]

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Doctor and ugly handwriting go together. WHY?

 

[87138]

Doctor and ugly handwriting go together. WHY?

I've been working as a medical assistant in a family practice for close to 2 years now. Before I began, I had rather good handwriting. At this point, my handwriting has become barely legible, largely because of the sheer volume of writing that's involved and the quick pace of things. I've sacrificed legibility for functionality. That could account for part of why doctors have such bad handwriting.

 

[ufgrad00]

I believe it's usually due to the quick pace and lots of writing that needs to be done, and many of the nurses I have met, also have scratchy writing due to these factors. When most people write anything, myself included, it is usually written to be legible by the original author.

I remember in gen chem class, my hand writing really sucked bad, but this was because we had to write a lot of material really fast and none of the material was online. It was funny when kids who skipped class would ask for my notes and when I gave them photocopies, they would be stunned because they couldn't read them or know what my personal symbols and acronyms meant. Although, in the end, it wasn't my problem, it was theirs for skipping class, and I was okay with that.

 

[Dendrite]

This may sound naive, but when I was young, I always though doctors' handwriting was so illegible to prevent others from forging prescriptions/documents.

 

[whittle]

Hand cramps from endorsing checks.

 

[armybound]

writing pretty takes time.

 

[leftmid]

Hand cramps from endorsing checks.

You mean hand cramps from rubber stamping checks, I bet.

 

[leftmid]

A few years ago, VCU asked all applicants to write a short essay in their own hand writing.

 

[whittle]

You mean hand cramps from rubber stamping checks, I bet.

It's more likely hand cramps from pointing to secretaries to rubber stamp their checks.

 

[Geekchick921]

Doctor and ugly handwriting go together. WHY?

I have very nice handwriting. However, how nice my handwriting is is inversely proportional to how much time I have and how much I have to write in that given time. I'm sure there are plenty of docs that are the same way. That said, I still know some with fabulous handwriting and many more that look like someone had a seizure with a pen in their hand.

The question that really drives me mad is this: Why is it always the doctors with the worst chicken-scratch handwriting sending my unit direct admissions with handwriten orders I have to decypher before entering them into our computer system?

 

[jzeidenb]

because most write on charts and pads that theyre holding up in the air or resting on their knees, making the writing even worse than it is normally.

 

[twick121]

you'll figure out the answer to this question pretty quickly once you are in med school

 

[BrokenGlass]

Doctor and ugly handwriting go together. WHY?

One possible explanation is because some doctors are trying to cover their ass. If handwriting is not legible, it's easier to deny accountability. Someone actually told me this once, I have no idea how true it is.

 

[Phoenix.]

I hope that means they don't expect nice handwriting in a thank you letter. Think it'll work to my benefit? One school said they like handwritten thank you notes sent to interviewers, and I'm sitting here on my THIRD draft of trying to write a legible thank you note to my FIRST interviewer. ARGH! But at least typing on SDN is giving my hand a rest. Hopefully I'll get two good letters out of my box of ten cards.

 

[Barakzai]

I have bad handwriting, I hope that's a trait that runs in doctors!

Wishful thinking perhaps!?

 

[Mornien]

I hope that means they don't expect nice handwriting in a thank you letter. Think it'll work to my benefit? One school said they like handwritten thank you notes sent to interviewers, and I'm sitting here on my THIRD draft of trying to write a legible thank you note to my FIRST interviewer. ARGH! But at least typing on SDN is giving my hand a rest. Hopefully I'll get two good letters out of my box of ten cards.

Have you tried writing out what you want to say on normal paper then begging someone you know with legible handwriting to transcribe it to the paper you want to send it to them on? I'd beg my dad to write because he has nice handwriting.

 

[anomalous738232]

years of schooling + years in the profession = years of writing.

whether or not it's legible probably doesn't matter...

plus, people who spend most of their time writing numbers, equations, diagrams (most pre-med students) obviously don't get much practice in writing actual words/letters... =p

 

[Blade28]

Three words: lack of time.

 

[Doctorverardoll]

Well, I know teachers at my Catholic school were upset with my handwriting when I transferred there in 4th grade. I had an English teacher assign me extra penmanship work, but I told her it was ok, because I wanted to be a doctor.

 

[neuro1617]

Well, I know teachers at my Catholic school were upset with my handwriting when I transferred there in 4th grade. I had an English teacher assign me extra penmanship work, but I told her it was ok, because I wanted to be a doctor.

I also went to Catholic school from K-8th grade & I got C's all the time in handwriting. One day my social studies teacher asked if I wanted to be a doctor. When I asked her why, she said it's b/c my handwriting (cursive) is so messy. I told her no, I was going to be a dolphin trainer Bc that's what I wanted to be in 7th grade...and now look what forum I'm posting in haha. My printing was nice, but it just gets worse every year. I agree it's b/c/o the sheer volume & speed of things that need written.

Anotehr story: when I was shadowing, the med student said he could barely read the attending's writing & commented on how doctors have illegible writing. Meanwhile I was thinking the saem about his....