There is a whiny article on the National Times website today, by a medical student called Gabrielle Matta, who is trying to blame everyone else for the fact that life as a medical student is not the best time of one’s life.
Whines Gabrielle:
With the highly progressive approach of revamped medical curriculums, medical students are supposed to embrace and thrive on the concept of self-directed learning. I have tried to apply this in the emergency department by calling in patients who have been waiting a long time, assuming that they would appreciate that I had taken it upon myself to perform their initial assessment.
As soon as I make the fatal error of introducing myself as a medical student, however, they bellow: ”Is this why I have been waiting for six hours – because medical students are learning?”
She’s blaming patients who due to the public Hospital system overload and GP shortfalls are made to wait in Emergency for 6 hours?Tell you what Gabrielle, those patients growl at me too, they will growl at anyone after that time, and if their complaint is a genuine emergency, I don’t blame them.Maybe they just don’t like you?
My current 3rd year medical students seem to have no such problem, they routinely call patients in and take a history and then come to me to report, and people do seem to appreciate it.
More whining:
I FEEL a bit duped. I worked hard at high school to get into medicine and have been rewarded for my efforts by six years of an apprenticeship that I have for the most part endured rather than enjoyed.
Well, I’m sure you’re the only med student who’s ever felt that way.Goodness !
First, I have had to spend a lot of time with a cohort of highly competitive people who take themselves extremely seriously. Second, when I was finally allowed into hospitals, I found myself at the very bottom of the food chain.
She must be the queen of whining.One of those medical students I get every once in a while who want everything delivered on a platter, expect doctors to take time off from their usual duties and sit down with the student in the tearoom, where they are hiding surfing the internet on their laptops,to spoonfeed them stuff, instead of being present on the floor and asking to be involved in work.
I attempt to attach myself to doctors hoping desperately they will take pity on me and allocate me something useful to do.
Then I am supposed to feel eternally grateful when I am given the great privilege of filling out their paperwork.
Maybe that’s your problem, hoping desperately instead of actually being proactive and asking to do something.Again, my third years seem to have no such problem.
I get into trouble constantly in the operating theatres from nursing staff demanding to know if I am a medical student and why I have not introduced myself. That would be because I did that the last time I was there, but my insignificance was such that they do not remember me.
Jebus, the arrogance ! I introduced myself last time I was here, how can you not remember my name ! Yes, you are insignificant, so is the Surgeon who operates there once a week, and he/she won’t have a problem introducing themselves, because it’s a professional thing to do so !
Here it gets a bit creepy, and the last part doesn’t give me much hope that this one will do well in Medicine:
Scourge of the hospital system we may be, but I wait with bated breath for January, when I will relinquish my title as a medical student once and for all.
Then, when I have to look after patients, prescribe drugs or even save a life, everyone who belittled and ignored me and generally hindered my learning will perhaps wish they had not.
You’re a scourge if you behave like an arrogant moron with a sense of entitlement, there are many medical students who don’t.And noone is hindering your learning, precious, apart from yourself.
