Opinions. Thrown at the keyboard.

Where do I start?

For a while, I had been getting frustrated (Mike can back up that statement) with the fact that it felt like "everyone" was complaining about doctors, the education of doctors, and doctors in training.


"Doctors waste valuable healthcare money"

"Doctors only want to pad their pockets. They don't actually care about what is right for the patient."

"Doctors are abuse to those around them. They are just plain rude and think that they own the hospital."

"Doctors don't do any of the hard work anyways. We (the nurses) are the ones that change the bedpans and answer the call buttons."

"Medical students and doctors these days don't care about patients and don't spend the time to listen to them."

"Doctors and medical students aren't even nice to patients."

"I (a patient) always research what I think I have before I go into see the doctor so I know if they are just going to recommend treatment that is more expensive than a cheaper option."

What???

There are two general things that really irk me about all of this. The first is on a more personal level. Is this what people are thinking about me? Am I really that horrible? The second is personal in a different way. Am I just not able to see this attitude in me or those around me? How horrible would it be for me to be training in an area that sometimes banks on "reading" those around you and I can't even understand what my upper levels are thinking?!

I also felt somewhat defensive over this "profession" that I chose. I worked so hard to get where I am at. I work with so many people that are deserving of respect and kindness because they have worked at least as hard as I have. They are here, right beside me, putting up with whatever comes along so we can in turn serve those in this society.

Since writing my two previous posts, I have have two encounters that were somewhat ironic in their timing. The first happened just after my second to last post. I said that I don't really see too many "abusive and destructive" doctors. Well, I still didn't see one, but the doctor I am currently working with told me that he had just thrown a pair of scissors while in the operating room the day before.

And why did he throw them? Because they were the "12th" pair of scissors that weren't sharp. Yes, I understand that not having sharp scissors while operating is really poor form on the part of the hospital, but did he really need to throw them?

The second encounter was today. Grades are a big deal in my line.

Duh.

So, of course, I am gunning for as many honors as possible (so far I have a High Pass and an Honors). Today, somehow the topic of grades came up while I was talking with the doctor who threw the scissors. Apparently, he went to a residency that didn't even look at your application unless you had "honors" in OB/GYN. So, this doctors approach to things is that if you tell him that you are even slightly interested in OB/GYN, he will give you honors (as long as you aren't incompetent). On one hand, this is quite nice for people applying to OB/GYN. It is also nice for people that have followed the "underground" advice of saying that you want to go into whatever field your current rotation is. It sucks, however, for those, like me, that have answered truthfully. When he asked me what I wanted to go into, I said that I didn't know but that OB/GYN was the first rotation that I had tried that was on my list of "possibilities."

Does this mean I will end up with honors or not? I have no freaking clue.

Personally, I would only like to get honors if I KNEW that I EARNED the damn grade. But... It would also be nice to have as many honors as possible for whatever residency I apply to.

(In other news... I will FINALLY be visiting my cousins and family down in Alameda before making my way over to Vegas for New Years! yay!)