Jaded (1 Viewer)

[+:: $i[Q]u3 ::+]

A question for the meds: Do you ever feel jaded about studying medicine?

I'm gonna say it now. IT'S NOT ALL IT'S MADE OUT TO BE.

True, I love what I am doing. I would not trade places for a spot in another course (even with those darned cool astronauts). And I think it is a privilege to experience the kind of physical and emotional intimacy that's entailed in interacting with patients.

But at the same time. Sometimes, it really. really. sucks.
The hours suck.
The total lack of social life sucks.
The responsibility sucks.
People dying. sucks.
People not listening to you, then dying. sucks.
You screwing up, and then people dying. sucks.
The reliance on "contacts" sucks.

And so sometimes I get by on thoughts like "Well, at least I won't be at a desk job", or "Damn I hope the pay is gonna be worth this".

I'm bringing this up because so many threads on this board are like, "Oh, where do I get UMAT tutoring", or "Oh, do I need to do volunteer work". For a bitter and cynical person like myself it is a little sickening to see so much lemming-like enthusiasm. You are heading towards a cliff, guys.
(And I'll say it now, I did get UMAT tutoring, and I did do volunteer work, and I am Asian, and I did get an overachiever's UAI so I guess I fit into the stereotype. Oh well.)

Anyway, you kiddies don't stop being earnest in your dreams, because med is (sometimes) good fun. I just thought I might bring this up because I think you should realise it is not all sunshine and lollipops. Also, it's late, I can't sleep and I have to wake up in three freaking hours for uni. *sigh.

 

[kimmeh]

I dont do medicine, but close enough. *hugs*

 

[petar13]

I doubt there is even one course that is rosy all the time - even the prestigious and high TER courses. And anyway, those lows hardly matter, when you admit that -

True, I love what I am doing. I would not trade places for a spot in another course

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

yeah but its not as fun as u hoped it to be..

mostly the dying ppl sucks.. but after the 1st one it kinda gets less tragic.. and a reality of life . I did my first full facial dissection and it was exciting.. lik being a kid again.. same with venepuncture.. and putting gelcos in..

then u realise that medical education is generally a joke... and u feel impotent about helping ppl..

remember in high school when we use to talk? u wanted to be a thoracic-surgeon .. in time and clinical wise it will get better soon

 

[funnybunny]

I just came from my first day in medicine.

I agree with,
"The hours suck.
The responsibility sucks.
People dying. sucks.
People not listening to you, then dying. sucks.
You screwing up, and then people dying. sucks.
The reliance on "contacts" sucks."
Pehaps except for "The total lack of social life sucks." but meh i'm only a first year med student and only completed one day of med, so ur prob rite However i always thought med students have a great social life perhaps more than others such as law students coz they always seem to be going to medcamp, medpub etc.

Also what do you mean by contacts???

I didn't get UMAT tutoring, and I didn't do volunteer work, and I am Asian, butI did get an overachiever's UAI so i fit into the nerdy asian sterotype

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

ull find out.. that u dun make a fellowship.. cos of what u know.. but more of who you know..

this is a club.. and there are still a lot of unspoken rules..

 

[funnybunny]

howdo u make these ...."connections"

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

make buddies with older students.. and avoid making a bad name for ureself..

do stuff that gets noticed in a positive way.. lik medsoc...

with older members.. be respectful to them.. just dun thread toes of certain seniors... cos its not liked.. (but if they are wrong.. and you arent sure..or know they are wrong.. then u can sort it out.. esp if its life threatening.. but if its nothin.. avoid inappropriate confrontation)

remember:
your consultant may have been in 6th yr.. when u started..
your registrar can easily be in 3rd or 4th yr when u are in med 1..
your resident may only be 1 or 2 yrs older than u.

u rarely forget ppls names.. cos ull see them or hear them.. ull see patients less frequently. .and u remember their names.. so imagine if ure a fellow grad.. they easily remember u..

I had it happen to me.. i was onbedside tutorials with an intern.. and he had been drinking with me 2 yrs earlier.. when i was on rural placements in 1st yr.. so it was nice.. rather than unpleasant

 

[funnybunny]

i dont get it...coz do u go into the interviews for fellowships and say hey i know Peter, let me in?? or is it more like references??

Also does ur GP being a lecturer at unsw help?

medsoc is petty good, what about St John's amulance/volunteer work?

 

[funnybunny]

lol at first i thought u had to make connections to be in fracs through the american way..over dinner like in that movie senseless...

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

well it kinda is..

to get XYZ fellowship.. u need a references.. preferably from a person in XYZ college

and its not to difficult to get the basic surgical.. but ull have a smaller chance of getting advanced training... so technically ure half trained..
.
its more lik meet ppl during dinners and meetings.. conferences.. .. i dunno why but it works

 

[lala2]

So, in conclusion it's just not what everyone makes it out to be? Ok, I'm glad I stuffed up UMAT instead.

 

[Bob.J]

once you get to the cliff however, just remember what indiana jones did in the uh... temple of doom? to grab that holy grail or soemthing? Yeaaahh, invisible bridge
oh yeah

you all have to make your own decisions and live by them. Suicide is always open for those of you who make that terrible decision and only realise it when you're stuck with a job you hate, family problems, screwing the secretary or that hot anaesthetist down the road hmmm
becoming a workaholic looks good compared to this... hmm




(i wont reply to any bitchy replies coz i was half joking too)

 

[Skywalker]

Why on earth are you worrying about people dying when all we do right now is almost negligible? I would be more worried about that motherf#$king exam on the horizon.

And if you're that concerned about what it's gonna be like after we graduate, jump ship and switch to dentistry. How much worse can looking in people's mouths be than...say....looking into people's chests everyday. It'd get boring no matter what you do. Also, they don't work as hard, don't study as long, get paid more after graduation and don't need to get involved (as much) in all this political bullshit which is ingrained in medical culture.

Actually come to think of it switching course sounds like a pretty good idea. Hum.

 

[Lexicographer]

Excuse me? They don't work as hard? They work a damn sight harder than we do at uni. As someone who actually works with dental students every day, I say that after those five years of hell they've earned the right to better hours, conditions and pay than us real doctors.

Almost.

 

[santaslayer]

Hmmm...dentistry is actually extremely difficult. This, of course is subjective since we have a whole family of relatives in dentistry who talk about it...

Connections/contacts are something that is preent in a lot of industries. Actually, come to think of it, MOST industries have a certain degree of it.

Everyone has certain responsibilites in what they do. I don't imagine a firefighter having 'less' responsibilites than a doctor.

I also think that dying is a part of life. People who get too easily attached to cases will find it hard to continue practicing.

If you fuck up certain medical procedure and the patient dies because it, then ur fault. u suck. every indistry has their own responsibilites. not directing this at anyone. just a comment.


hours is shithouse. dont u get different timetables each week? OMFG...

people not listening to u and then die...their fault, u cant do much about it...emotional attachment is gonna result in u seeing a psychologist...


the worst thing about medicine and nursing is constantly interacting with sick people....that must get doctors down a lot...



otherwise, conclusion is that doctors are sexy people with sexy jobs and earn sexy money. they eventually marry a sexy girl who will then make sexy babies for u. these sexy babies may then become sexy doctors in future and the whole sexy cycle starts again.

 

[Bob.J]

yahhh
anyway continuing on from sique's post

alllyou n00bs yabbling about how awesome med will be blah blah blah and how you'll do anyTHING omg ANYTHING to get in... it's better to not post that kinda stuff

of course it's a great course to do etc... but it really pushes your limits everyday, sooo many people just want to give up and crumple. You've got to make some serious sacrifices...

yeaaaaahhhhhhhh:burn: :burn: :burn: :burn:


?:mad1: :rofl:

 

[+:: $i[Q]u3 ::+]

alllyou n00bs yabbling about how awesome med will be blah blah blah and how you'll do anyTHING omg ANYTHING to get in... it's better to not post that kinda stuff

Haha yeh. That is EXACTLY what I mean.

 

[Lexicographer]

I recently found out that some of my favourite people decided to throw in the towel, now they're doing science...

It sucks knowing that some of the people that have already stuck it out in the trenches with you for a year have decided "it's too hard" and given up. You really never know who it will be, or when - it might even be you.

 

[vodkacrumble]

what is the average drop-out rate in med? if you start with 100 in 1st year how many will graduate at the end?

in nursing the drop-out rate once you hit 2nd year is pretty massive - mostly people who were just trying to swap to physio or whatever, but i do know of quite a few people who did their 1st day of placement in 1st year (was at the end of 2nd semester) and then quit.
no idea what they were expecting of the job.