I haven't had a single problem all year. This is because I have absolutely zero shame in rolling over.
Smile, nod, apologize, blame it on being new, apologize again, get them a soda, apologize again, smear feces on your face until everyone is laughing. I don't care. For me, it's totally worth it. I walk out every day with a smile, and some feces, on my face.
But I cannot blame my classmates who don't feel that way. Without question, the two things that prepared me for being a med student more than anything else were football and my short lived days of being hazed in a fraternity (I'm such a stereotype, bro). Not everyone thinks it's ok to be 26, but be treated like you are 8. And stupid. And useless. So they stand up for themselves. And that's when the flames start to appear, the smoke billows out and we fold a flag very neatly and take it to their parents' house.
After going through it, my advice is as follows**: The hospital really is a rough place. Not to sound over-dramatic, but people fucking die there and that changes the game a bit. So people are really strung out. The problems that occur are almost never because of someone being a genuine dick (although they exist) or incompetent (despite what everyone with a different job title will say about them the second they leave the room). As is the case with most things, the problem is situational, not personal. It is completely worthwhile to cool down and then just go talk to that person. Pull them aside and say, "I'm very sorry that we seemed to have a problem yesterday, I wanted to clarify why I seemed upset." If you talk yourself into a corner just say, "Well at the time, I thought it was best for the patient." Then repeat, "I thought it was best for the patient" in a stern voice until they leave. Or completely roll over and smear poop on your face. Haha, look at that guy, he's got poopey on his face!
*Note: This advice is for the 2 premeds who accidentally read this.
2 comments:
I think the reason people treat each other like shit in a hospital, and especially in an operating room, is because of shared risk. It's the same reason why road rage happens. If someone cuts you off, that person endangers your life and property, and the lives and properties of others on the road. And that's why people are ready to stop their car and strangle the cutters-off with their jumper cables. Health care workers have been doing what they've been doing for a long time without too many patients dying, and if a newbie risks affecting their methods, then they'll go ape-shit.
What pisses me off is that so many doctors and nurses have so little insight into their own ridiculous behaviour. They don't even stop to think why they act like assholes, and yet they must know that their assholitude (awesome new word, btw) is counterproductive. They don't even try for five minutes to do the right thing and address the problem like adults.
In other words, I wish doctors and nurses were held to a higher standard of emotional intelligence than your average schmo on the highway.
--A non-American North American classmate of yours who shall for now remain nameless.
P.S. The anti-bot word verification word for this post was "flumpu." I thought you in particular, Dr. Meat, might appreciate that.
Thanks :)
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