I was just thinking the other day about how there are a lot of good things about being in the field of medicine. Namely, not to be sappy, but it's a field where you can actually help people. Sometimes you don't even realize how much you're helping them until later.
But there are also things about the field that many of us don't like. One of my least favorite things about being a doctor is the pressure to work through having any sort of illness myself. I am just praying I don't get the flu, because I know I'm going to feel pressured to work through it, and I don't know if I can. I've seen other doctors who were literally throwing up between patients, but just kept going. It's hard, because if you work in an inpatient setting, somebody has to be there. You can't just throw up your hands, and say you will deal with Mr. Smith's chest pain tomorrow.
What is your least favorite thing about being in medicine?
The charting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFighting with insurance companies.
ReplyDeleteHierarchy
ReplyDeleteEnslaving the juniors because you can ( and most probably because you were enslaved and abused) and seeing that as a normal expected thing.
Deletethe bottleneck effect of progression in the profession
ReplyDeleteMy top problems have to do with how medical residencies are run (lack of autonomy, hierarchy to which "peace" referred, etc), but over-all I would say it's the impossible expectations of us that we are expected to squeeze into vanishing amounts of time (this not only includes patient work, calling insurance companies, struggling through EMRs and whatnot, but also keeping up to date with your field and.. oh yeah, having and enjoying a life).
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of working while ill, the last time I took off was when I was a 3rd year medical student 4 years ago and developed pneumonia from lack of sleep and work-load abuse on surgery. I haven't miss a day due to illness since, but I'm sure nobody has noticed. If I DID take off, nobody would forget it.
Spreading an infectious disease like norovirus or influenza to your susceptible patients should give you pause to be Superman or Superwoman. If you work in an inpatient setting, I would bet your corporate masters would rather you stay home than beckon a lawsuit from a patient that got seriously ill as a result of you sneezing or vomiting on them.
ReplyDeleteAs for my least favorite thing - dealing with pencil-pushing, penny-pinching administrators.
It is a tie for having doctors who are sick working, egos, know it alls, any human who doesn't respect floor nurses, administration in about every capacity, not doing your best to treat your fellow MD's and prospective MD's with consideration and respect, and not spending time with your family & getting some hobbies outside of medicine. Wait - docs that don't listen when your patient actually does have a clue (and is a zebra!).
ReplyDeleteTo all those people who are shocked -shocked!- that MDs work while sick, well… you're welcome! We don't want to, trust us. But, first of all, unlike nurses, we don't have sick days or a smooth system in place to replace us when we call in sick. Trust me, you'd feel much differently if your clinic appointment that you'd been waiting for for 6 weeks - or worse, your surgery - got cancelled because the doctor had a cold, and rescheduled for many weeks later, or you had to wait an extra 3 or so hours on top of the usual waiting times because the ED went to hell due to a doctor calling in sick. If the doctor is washing their hands and wearing a mask, you won't catch anything. Remember, many of these viral illnesses have a incubation of period of one to several days (during which time the virus is still transmissible), so it is very likely - in the winter time particularly- that doctors and nurses are working while asymptomatic but still infectious. But, you know, that's why we all wash our hands.
ReplyDeleteI think my least favourite thing are ungrateful patients who are never happy regardless of how hard you're working to help them with their non-specific symptom constellations.
Having said that, I'm actually very happy with my job, and think that the good parts of being a doctor outweigh the bad.
I had to push myself out of my bed this morning because I have the flu and I have to attend. It is a terrible feeling not being able to breath and your body aches but you gotta keep going.
DeleteSomeone please change the system!!
Perhaps your workplace has sick days and allows call in for nurses. Not every workplace has that luxury. If I get sick, I must find a replacement and if I don't, then I work while ill. It's not fun to work when you are actually sicker than the patients you see as you obviously know.
DeleteThe current trend of patients being "customers" and doctors providing a "service". I'm not pushing paternalistic medicine with blindly "compliant" patients, but right now the pendulum has swung too far the other way. I'm waiting for it to swing back.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I don't believe the pendulum will be swinging back any time soon. The genie is out of the bottle. For starters, advances in technology
Deletehave exceeded our ability to pay for it. Secondly, we're living longer. It's
a fact we can't ignore and corporations are seizing the opportunity.
A single payer system, Medicare for everyone, as the answer? We
simply can't afford to do so, and the current system is already maxed out.
To superimpose the Canadian or Scandinavian model is unrealistic. We are over 300 million people and counting. Additionally, we would have to
add a health care tax to pay for it. There are no free lunches, as I learned
in economics. How will it all play itself out? As I see it, a two tiered
system: those who can afford to pay for healthcare out of pocket, " good
to see you sir. Please come to the front of the line! and those less fortunate, "I'm sorry, we're very busy right now but we'll get to you as soon
as possible."
- Paul
That in most other professions if something goes wrong it is a sorry move on. In ours we are raked over coals for months/years, even if it was a reasonable mistake.
ReplyDeleteHi,I have enjoyed reading your blog! I am not a doctor or nurse or working in the medical field so I can't speak to having a least favorite thing, but I am a patient with a relevant story (I will try, but fail, to keep it short!).
ReplyDeleteI was scheduled for an outpatient surgery, first time as an adult, and I was troubled, my husband would say freaked out!. It took prayer and courage to get up the morning of my procedure but I did and my husband and I arrived at the surgery center on time. I met the nurses, dressed in the flattering gown ...they gave me hot towels to cover with which I highly recommend! It helps the patient relax... I got hooked up to the IVs, met with the anesthesiologist and was completely prepped for the surgery when 15 minutes past the time my surgeon was to arrive the nurses came to me and said that she was sick in bed. I was mortified! I just wanted to get it over with and now I had to come back and do all prep again. My husband and I hadn't received a call and no one at the surgery center had been notified.... I ended up re-scheduling 2 weeks later.
I share this story because I want doctors/surgeons to know, yes, I appreciated that she didn't show up sick but I wasn't angry with her because my experience with her as my doctor/surgeon leading up to the surgery was such a good one that it was hard for me to be angry at her. I understood that it as out of her control so there was also NO REASON for me to be angry at her. We found out later she did call in sick the night before and I WAS upset because the staff at the hospital where she practiced failed to notify us or the surgery center (that wasn't the first issue I had with that particular staff so I don't go there any more. I had my follow up visits with my surgeon at her secondary location). Therefore, coming from a patient, it's my belief that if a patient has a good experience leading up to their doctor calling in sick they shouldn't be upset at the doctor or even the staff so long as proper and prompt notification has been given. Sure, we patients have every right to be upset at the situation but in reality, who should be blamed? ... Did I mention that surgery day was Friday, June 13th with a full moon? Obviously I'm not superstitious because I knew it was Friday the 13th when I scheduled the surgery but I don't think I will do that again!
As a side note, my husband is a first year med student, I'm watching how hard he works so THANK YOU to every medical personnel for your hard work, dedication and concern for our health!
But I guess the bigger issue here is pressure from the "higher ups" to show up to work, maybe not having enough staff to cover a person's sick day, the potential of losing your job because you stayed home to barf in private. This is a problem in many industries! I don't have a solution to suggest. Oh come Lord Jesus and make all things new and right!
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