As in most fields, there is a distinct rank of authority in medicine, and at the very bottom of the totem pole, is the med student. You could argue that pre-meds are the very bottom of the totem pole, but they have more of an observational role, so they don't really count in that sense.
As third year medical students in the hospital, it is quite obvious that we are the "nobodies" of the team, especially early on in the year, when we don't know much about how the hospital works, or the politics of the team, or even how to do simple tasks. Trust me, I'm totally fine with the pecking order. I know my place! But something that I find a little frustrating is how the more senior members of the team don't help you out in the least, they just stare as you awkwardly flounder. I'm not asking for anyone to hold my hand, but it'd be nice if they could just think back to what it was like to be a medical student, not knowing anything, and be a little more direct with how things are supposed to run. Seriously though - MS3's are not mind readers! If we were, we wouldn't have gone into medicine, we'd be sipping champagne and laughing on our yaughts we bought with all our lottery/stock-market-won riches.
I will say that there are some interns, residents and attendings who do remember what it was like to be a medical student. They give you little hints and nudges, and those few moments they donate of their precious time help us out tremendously. However, I have met several residents who obviously have absolutely no recollection of what being an MS3 is like. They just assume you know what they know at their current state of training, and look at you like an idiot when you ask them how to do things - all the while being annoyed that you exist.
I'll admit, it's easy to fall into this trap. I'm thinking of a time I was shadowing as an MS1. That day, there happened to be an undergrad shadowing too. I think I was annoyed because I knew the attention of the attending wouldn't be solely on me that day. I mean, was this undergrad even smart enough to get into med school? Anyway, I found myself getting irritated with the undergrad throughout the day, especially because I kinda got stuck baby-sitting her. Later, I thought back to my experiences as an undergrad, and how nobody in the hospital cared you existed. I remember how surprised I was when I realized what a difference it made in the way people treated you when you moved from being a pre-med to being a medical student. In retrospect, I feel terribly guilty for being irritable towards the undergrad. Afterall, that was me just a few years before! I hope that when I move on to residency, I learn from my previous mistake, and from the mistake I see a lot of residents making. I hope that I am the helpful, enthusiastic resident, who the med students go to for things that come up. Yeah, it takes more effort to be that resident, but the med students will be so much better for it. And isn't that what training to be a doctor is all about? Providing more compassionate and competent future doctors?!
I think residents just feel how you felt as an MSI x 100. They're sleep-deprived and over-worked and now they have a little baby student who knows nothing to babysit. But, you are right--it defeats the purpose of the system if we always get dumped on. I hope it changes too...the bottom of the totem pole sucks!
ReplyDeleteI would argue that your residents/interns are not doing their jobs if they're not taking moments here and there to show you the ropes. I don't think you can always expect them to be "enthusiastic" or to have large blocks of time to give, but tending to medical students is part of residency training and part of what distinguishes good residents from bad residents. Bad residents are too overwhelmed by their own work-load to think of anyone else. Every one of them benefitted from a trainee above them who threw them a lifeline and if they aren't willing to do the same then they are cheating the training system by making withdrawals and not deposits. Hopefully, you WILL have some good residents before your year is out.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with both of you, and that's why I brought up my own similar experience, because I do understand it must be difficult to babysit med students while already worrying about your own "flailing around". That said - what I'm talking about more has to do with the residents who don't even acknowledge we exist, even though they are responsible for guiding us. I have met some residents who are on my team, and so theoretically are responsible for "teaching" me, however, they refuse to acknowledge my existence. And by that I mean they don't look at me, they don't talk to me, they give curt/one-word answers to questions I ask. And who knows, they may be up to their ears in stress, so I can't be mad at them. But my main point is that I hope that when I find myself as a stressed, overworked resident, I sincerly hope that I make the extra bit of effort to be a better teacher.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, I didn't mention it in this post, but I definitely HAVE had some absolutely wonderful residents too.
ReplyDeleteIt always amazes me, as well, that the interns don't even remember since they were JUST IN MED SCHOOL!
ReplyDeleteFound you on Medical Blog Hop! Great Posts by the way:) My husband who has done med school, residency, and now practicing - he often contemplates about returning to do another residency but just couldn't handle returning to the bottom of the totem pole! He can't get himself to go back to the trenches:)
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