Resident: "When I was doing the mental status exam, I asked the patient what the saying 'People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones' means and he didn't know. Then when I was trying to explain it to him, I realized that I actually don't know what it means. I mean, I sort of do, but..."
Me: "I think it means something like, don't be a hypocrite."
Resident: "Yeah, that's what I said, I think."
Me: "I always give the patient a logic puzzle."
Resident: "What puzzle?"
Me: "So there's an old man who says that he's not in as good shape he used to be, because he used to be able to walk all the way around the park, but now he can only walk halfway around the park, then he has to turn back."
Resident: "Huh?"
Me: "He says he used to be in better shape because he could walk all the way around the park, but now he can only walk halfway around the park, then he has to turn back. So was he in better shape before?"
Resident: "Yeah, he was in better shape then because he could walk all the way around the park."
Me: "..."
Resident: "Oh! Right, okay."
I'm ashamed to admit that sevond one took me a moment there.....
ReplyDeleteLOL. If the resident was *not* severely sleep deprived during that interaction, maybe he/she should've gotten counseling about other career paths. Paths that take you at least halfway away from medicine... Funny story.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that the riddle took me a moment or two, but I blame the sleep deprivation.
ReplyDeleteOh okay it took me a coupe of reads but then it hit me......lol. I got it.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! But isn't that a little high-tech for a patient with say, average intelligence? Or one who perhaps didn't finish school?
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha! Nice.
ReplyDeleteI must not be sleep deprived, because I immediately figured out that it's a trick question. We can't answer it because you didn't say how big the park is.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter how big the park is. Halfway is halfway.
DeleteBut if we're going to be picky, the hilliness (hillosity? Elevation?) does matter. But that's not the point of the question.
Wow. Sarcasm just went *zooming* over your head, didn't it? :)
DeleteThat's kind of high tech for a pt you're giving a MMSE to, isn't it?
Haha oh boy that seems to happen a lot to me.
DeletePardon me. Apparently I don't speak sarcasm.
I blame it on alcohol.
This isn't related, but Fizzy, I thought you'd like to see this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.slutsacrossamerica.org/
I like this! but my patients are not this bright.
ReplyDeleteAs for the resident, when my attendings ask me anything I have a sudden extreme case of stupidness hit me because i'm desperately trying to get them to stop talking to me which causes panic.
I read this half fast and found that I was only half done when I finished the rest of it.
ReplyDeleteWow, I have no problem with the glass houses thing, but in Australia the standard MMSE uses "a rolling stone gathers no moss" and I am buggered if I know what that's supposed to mean. Is moss supposed to be a good thing, or a bad thing?
ReplyDeleteThe metaphorical moss is neither good nor bad, unless one judges those who don't "settle down" in regard to places or people.
DeleteBut if we assume that he only walks around the periphery of the park, and that by "halfway" he means that he is only able to walk half of the perimeter before turning back, then the old man is still walking the same distance. Before he would cover each half of the park's perimeter once, but now he only covers one half twice.
ReplyDeleteSo the old man is still in shape as much as he was before.