Doing medicine with a potential fear of blood (1 Viewer)

[uzamandeous]

Hey guys

So I have been thinking of applying for medicine for a while. Other than the stringent entry requirements another thing holding me back is my sqeamishness. I have had 2 or 3 episodes in the past where I have gone to visit relatives at the hospital and whenever the cannulation nurse/doctor came in to perform the procedure I would start of feeling really uneasy. Then when the nurse/doctor started the procedure I would feel light headed and pretty much faint for 5 seconds. The most recent episode was a few weeks ago (so I havent grown out of it). I pretty much fell off my chair and fainted when the nurse was cannulating my relative. I woke up to find 5 doctors/nurses ready to examine me. I found it fairly hilarious afterwards.

So i'm just wondering if I should even try to aspire for medicine given my previous history. Are some medical students initially queasy? Do they grow out of it? Just wanted to hear your thoughts.

Thanks

 

[Queenroot]

Tbh in Anatomy you have to look at and touch dead bodies. So really think about this. If it's ONLY blood that you're squeamish about I guess you can do something to get over it.

Personally I really enjoyed Anatomy when I did it, a lot of people were nauseated but I really liked it. I think the only thing that got me a little grossed out was the blood clots from the heart and the penises, but it wasn't too bad imo. Each to their own.

 

[Kiraken]

When you're on clinical rotations in later years you need to learn how to take blood from patients too, not to mention you will almost 100% have several surgical rotations while ur in uni

So you really do need to condition yourself to the sight of blood tbh

 

[iStudent]

I read somewhere that you become desensitized from it by repeated exposure - apparently including the people who fainted the first time!. You should be fine
(and that almost everyone goes through the same thing of feeling uneasy etc)
Don't let this limit you!

Edit: Though there have been people who dropped out as a result :/. See Penny Wong's Wikipedia page under early life.

 

[astroman]

start watching UFC

 

[z5023909]

Lol most likely youll just get used to it. Stuff like first time anatomy is not that great but after a while it really doesnt faze you at all

 

[Medman]

Some people grow out of it. Some people don't. You won't just be looking at cannulation in the future. You will be involved in trauma cases, bleed outs and you will see things much worse than blood. I saw someone with a huge pressure ulcer which almost eroded a huge hole in his gluteus maximus and you can clearly see his gluteus medius muscle. You will not be able to complete your tasks as a doctor or a medical student if you are squeamish to blood.

 

[Flop21]

Why do you want to do medicine?

You will most likely see things a lot worse than blood. I'm pretty sure you will be cutting up dead human bodies / bits.

But if it's not super severe, then you could probably grow out of it. As others have said you'll get desensitized.

Also, I know I nearly faint when I see family members in hospital. I can't help it - it's weird. So it could be because you're seeing your relative in hospital?