I recently took my son to a specialist and the Dr had 3 med students with him. Each time the Dr left the room and came back in, all 3 followed him in a line like baby ducklings. It was adorable 🥰
Had that happen with a pap once. Luckily my GYN knew I didn't care. We'd worked together a few times when I brought traumatic births to the hospital as an EMT. The kids gotta learn some where.
I left a med student with a patient the other day, when I came back in he looked at me like I was Father Christmas giving him a new bike. He was so relieved, I felt so bad.
I have a few patients who simulated medical patients as side gigs. As patients they are absolutely hysterical to leave with students. The one guy is a transradial amputee and runs a haunted house. Fresh crop of people means he gets to make up silicone gloves for his prosthesis and does things like run nails through them and have a tube to squeeze and exude fake blood. Great stuff but he can turn a 15 minute encounter into an hour and a half by talking so much. But there is that.
Ok, tips for any med students left in the awkward alone time with a patient. Either make small talk about their family, ask them if they're married, if they have kids - this doubles as a thorough patient history. You can also fill in other parts of patient history, like allergies, medications or details of the symptoms the patient is presenting with, like precise quality, localization, duration, onset, what the patient suspects... just hone your systematic patient history skills a bit. You may even get some relevant information out of it.
The hospital I’m at doesn’t allow students to have operational badges and it’s the stupidest rule ever created! Even the volunteers have working badges!
Alone with the patient….Oh, you saw & remembered my awkward newbie-ness before we came in the room. I clearly never had a chance of looking competent in front of you, so I’m just going to stand outside the door & wait for the grownup to return, I mean doctor!!
I don’t think it ever stops. I lead a ward round on a frailty unit from time to time and me being there is completely dependent on a nurse hearing me bang on the windows for half an hour, or me slipping in behind a cleaner.
@@praiseolalekan5856 It doesn't make an incredible difference, because nursing school and med school are different beasts. It's an advantage to know the med classes already, and have a foundation, but you don't need to spend an extra couple of years in school for that. That said-- everyone takes different paths. An ADN (associate degree nurse [registered nurse]) was quicker and cheaper to get into the medical field, while still paying for my mums bills/acting as her caretaker. I couldn't have afforded my premed and med school while doing that. Working as an RN means that I'm in an industry I love, helping people-- and able to save up the money I need to go through med school. Would that be the best path for someone else? Maybe not. But it's what works for me. :) You have to decide based on your own situation.
@@zepylos My primary interest is in anesthesiology-- while there are nurse anesthetists, and it would take less time at this point, the medical knowledge provided in med school is vastly different from nursing school. Personal preference, essentially. (Love both our nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists! They both do an incredible amount of work, and I would trust both to manage my anesthesia during a surgical intervention.) I've also wanted to attend medical school since I was-- 10? And couldn't take that path due to the difficulty involved in being a caretaker, and the financial burden it posed. Now that I have the option, and a better idea of what's involved, my interest has deepened considerably.
@@praiseolalekan5856 My personal recommendation would be to just work as something that requires less education but still let you work at a hospital setting where you get co-workers of many different medical professions I myself work as a nurse at a kidney/neuro medicine ward and to interact with alot of different medical professions I'd recommend a ward that includes neuro medicine (I have no experience of neuro surgery wards, but I'd guess they also have these needs of many medical professions). It's a good start since the patients require alot of different medical professionals to examinate the patients. X-ray staff, physiotherapists and occupational therapists always need to examinate the patients if they've had a stroke. Many of the patients that've had strokes get symptoms in their pharynx which require examinations from speech therapists and if they are unable to intake enough food: usually a certified dietitian (the kind that knows every single way to insert enough nourishment into a persons body, not the ones that offer diet fads) and since having a stroke is extremly traumatic, we have special curators seeing the patients to help them accept their body with limited functions and motivate hope and motivation in rehab. Since strokes can leave permanent damage that never heals, they might need adjustments in their homes. Then there will be a meeting from the nurse at the ward, a home assistance officer from the patients home region, a nurse from the primary care unit the patient belong to and the patients own family (if the patient can't speak for her/himself or wishes for them to attend) and if there's time it doesn't hurt for a tech or CNA to attend as they also possess valuable information for the meeting (but doesn't happen often since they are usually needed at the ward taking care of other patients, especially when they are short on 1 nurse). Interacting with them will give alot of experience of different healthcare professionals and it doesn't matter if you later choose to become a doctor, nurse, therapist, etc. Knowing what others do at the hospital is also a good experience. I don't know how it is in your country, but where I live, in sweden, you can become a patient-care technician if you read the right courses in high school. At a ward you'll work under a nurse but occasionaly also help other medical professionals when they examine patients. Then you'll get an easier time to understand if you want to work at a hospital, if you want to work as something else than a doctor. Then you don't have to study an extra 3 years after high school.
This is painfully true lmao thankfully I'm decent at small talk because there have been so many times my preceptor has left me alone in a room with a patient and I've thought "wow, if I was even a slightly more awkward person I would be having a terrible time right now"
There was one time a preceptor left me in the clinic room for like a half hour, and I ended up actually having a really nice chat with the patient and talked all about his life and how he ended up moving from the big city to the small town we were in. It was actually pretty pleasant!
Oh man I used to work as an interpreter for a doctor and he knew I'm studying to go to med school, so he would explain things to me while I was interpreting. This one time he needed me to tell this pt that if they didn't take their medication they could potentially die and he made it clear to me that I needed to make it clear to the pt.... I made the pt cry...
Not going to lie I thought he was going to go into cardiac arrest with the student alone. When I was at maternity clinicals one of my classmates was helping the nurse with a precipitous birth of a multipara mom. The nurse left to get the doctor and then the expecting mom yelled out “the babies coming!” And my classmate cried out “please no!” And was trying to hold the head in and up. Luckily the nurse came back in at that time.
I recall a medical student asking me questions when my daughter was in hospital, years ago. He was so sweet and he actually paid attention to my answers rather than assuming he knew what I meant, which is what a lot of doctors seem to do. He had the best attitude of any doctor, before or since. I hope he never lost it. Now I go to my GP and I feel like we're speaking different languages because he means well, and I know he cares, but he doesn't properly *listen*. Also, we had an appalling experience when my son, who has autism, was in hospital as a 16 year old, and placed on an adult ward. Their knowledge of special needs was zero and they had no awareness of that fact. That was the most senior consultant surgeon and all the juniors followed his example. Having said all that, I doubt Doc Schmidt is anything other than kind and I am glad he's here setting a good example to the next generation.
That's a bummer that a 16 year old was put in an adult unit. At the hospital where I trained we held on to them until 18, and even longer than that if they were special needs because it's just a better environment overall.
@@sarahb7626There are certain medical conditions that pediatricians will work on and/or follow throughout the patient's life. This is most notably true of people with congenital heart defects. They're likely to see a pediatric cardiologist forever, because adult cardiologists just don't know those conditions very well.
Omg, I feel like this as a social worker sometimes. The family will call me and ask how the patient is doing and I’m just like….uhhhh, that’s a nursing question! I just help plan the discharge!
I just had a med student working with me while I was at labor and delivery (I’m 35 weeks pregnant) and he was the sweetest and most thorough person there. The OB popped his head in my room for like 3 seconds and said something like “tell me what happened, hmm okay” then left lol.
I scared the crap out a med student because I was so casual with my Dr. Poor guy didn’t know that I’d seen this physician for years and we were good friends. The student seemed appalled that I was joking around with the Dr. 😂😂
Nice. I freak students out a lot, especially with one of my docs. I'll look like a nervous wreck on the verge of a panic attack (which is true due to some unfortunate history), but I'll be answering questions in detail even if I'm crying. With quite a bit of medical lingo no less. She was the first doc I trusted after shit happened. It's hard. But hey, at least I can teach them that appearances can be deceiving.
Ah yes that time when I was getting a gynae procedure and the med student came in and forgot to lock the door, of course some unsuspecting person opened the door just in time to give all the waiting patients a good view!! They wanted to know was I going to sue them. I took it in good spirits and laughed. I feel I was given extra special care that day! I still laugh when I think of it.
I saw your silver play button from RU-vid. Congratulations! Being in the hospital and clinic with med students, I always sparked friendly conversation with them. Even when I went in for surgery. I appreciate seeing young people studying medicine.
This reminds me of when I was doing community health rotation in my 3rd year of nursing school. I was at clinic doing the vitals for teenage girl while her mom was with her in the room. Her blood pressure was high and so was her blood glucose and I told them that it was. Plus I asked if anyone in their family was diabetic or hypertensive. In the end both of them were freaking out that because they thought i was saying that she had both hypertension and diabetes. LOL when I tell you that they looked like they had seen a ghost believe they did. in the end the nurse supervising me came back and redid the BP and GMR with a different machine as it turns that the blood pressure cuff wasn't working right and so was the glucometer. Moral of the story: Double check BEFORE you inform the patient, it prevents all of this misunderstanding. *nervous laugh*
Doc Schmidt, this reminds me of one of the classes I took in undergrad where we learned how to interact with patients as if we were doctors. I highly recommend anyone look into Dr. Vachon at the Ruth M. Hillebrand Center for Compassionate Care in Medicine. I highly recommend him as a guest speaker. Learn to avoid these awkward situations, deal with burnout, and putting the patient first.
I took my first born child to A&E when he was just a couple of weeks old because his jaundice wasn’t clearing and his bilirubin level was too high for too long. While waiting on the real doctor the junior doctor started talking about all manner of horrendous liver abnormalities it could be! Luckily I work in hospitals myself so I knew not listen to the baby doctor, he was just impressing himself with all the things he’d learnt about the liver lately. Baby’s dad was a bit freaked out by it though 🤣
In my experience, being a student always ends up helping here and there with lots of stuff, and the patients seem very pleased that they have someone extra to tell their story to. More than regularly people want to talk more about their situation and at least get some social support, all very willingly and not be all quiet. :D (Though, of course, for some people going to the doctor's might be just a chore.)
Is that a new wig or is it the first time I'm seeing this wig ! Also I'm always surprised how all ur characters looks so different even tho ur the only one playing all of them!! Its become part of my daily routine to watch ur videos and I absolutely love it !!
2 months in on working as a second in patient transport (means I ride in the back with the patient) and thats still so me xD. There are 4 types of interactions either awkward silence, I talk them an ear of, they talk my ear of or whatever this is. Well maybe 5 if you count me panicking trying to find out wether they're still breathing, vomiting, .... and dealing with it.
Update: Almost finished my 5th month now still not better. For some reason Im just way to good at sending out that weird convo energy xD. Even with regulars that always talk collegues their ears of I manage to say 2 words and silence them the whole trip. Only thing Im somewhat good at is trying to calm down the anxious ones.
Hahahaha I laughed so hard at this because I have been that med student. I was left alone by an ophthalmologist and the patient asked me whether they give anti VEGF injections in the eye ball. I didn't lie.
Oh sweet, sweet med student 😂 I had one straight up tell me he didn’t know anything 😂 My husband is a doc and I was with him during med school so I thought it was funny but I hope he didn’t tell everyone that! 😂
I feel like I’m going to need a notepad to write in (or doodle) or flip through if I’m left in these situations without a job to do. Like the professional-looking version of scrolling through a phone. I’m a talker. I can hold a one-sided conversation for 45+ minutes. A poor patient doesn’t need to be subjected to my version of “small talk”. Unless the patient wants to chat it would be best if I looked friendly, inexperienced, yet busy.
I'm in Traditional Chinese Medicine school and I too am a talker with ADHD, I couldn't relate more to the 45 min 1 sided convos!🤣 It is hard not to chit chat with the patients, especially when I can relate. It is getting a bit easier because it is really all about them! I have a tablet that I use for notes and I will look things up that pertain to the case instead of blurting out. I believe our ability to talk to anybody/anything is one of our super powers, we can facilitate the process of allowing our patients to openly communicate with us.
I love when med students are shadowing drs. The doctors or nurses always [in my case] informed me and asked if it would be alright for them to come in, that way if I was having a more sensitive situation or was just uncomfortable I could say no.I think this time I has strep or something along those lines so he came in introduced himself and the med students and began talking to me while they all listened. Anytime he was touching my throat to feel for whatever, he had the students do it to just ti get the experience which [before covid] so it didn't bother me. Any little test procedure he would either set up himself or had one of them get the machines ready. Everyone had to start somewhere.If they made a mistake like the wrong cuff size or even they didn't have the right mouth stick think it's always best to reassure them thats it oks and they're doing great. It must be stressful, we all know how we get treated with our jobs our first day. Plus the human body is still filled with many different ailments and conditions we have no fill knowledge of. Sick can be caused by millions of things it's just a probability game process of elimination. Usually why most tests are done to rule out this or that. We all hear it. If they don't know, a referral to a specialist who might know more. Anyway I'm off track sorry
I've had several midwifery students over my pregnancy so far. Most of them are great and totally just go for it and don't make it awkward but others are so timid... They're just like "Uh... Can I touch your belly to feel baby?" Ah yes, that's why I'm here 😅 or the extra awkward "Uh..... Can you find your pubic bone for me?" that I got one time when they were measuring the uterus size. Like seriously woman it's just a pubic bone, it's not hard to find and this is not the most invasive thing to happen to me, not even in just this appointment 🤣 she wouldn't feel my baby's head position properly either because it was down in the pelvis and she was too timid and awkward to feel it's position. The actual midwife had to end up coming over and do it for her.
Oh yes great content as usual Dr. Schmit. Awesome and really amusing. Love the wigs and acting is superb. Maybe you could be on a medical drama one day.For telly or maybe a play or film. You are that good. Adore all of this. Much love to your wife baby and you. Hope all is going great. Wishing everyone the very best.
There's these encounters; but usually it just goes like 'oh so what year are you in? What uni do you go to? How many years does it take? What do you wanna specialise in? Well good luck'- that sorta tjing
Oh man, I’m having severe flashbacks to the first times my EMT instructors would let me be in the back with the patient without them (i.e. they would ride in the front). Bedside manners are definitely a skill only acquired by experience.
I'm thankful none of my "doctor leaves the room" moments have been this awkward. Definitely have experienced the awkward silence before me or the patient starts making small talk and the knocking on the door because my med student badge doesnt have access moments tho 😂
So I haven't started clinicals yet, I'd imagine it'd be awkward as hell if I didn't strike up some small talk... Is it appropriate for the med student to get some social history at that point?
Small talk or social history is usually totally acceptable but I would always talk to your attending before encounters to get an idea of what is encouraged or expected 😁
Once, I was scheduled for a regular meeting with a psychiatrist. I walked in, and there were like 5 med students in the room, and he just... Didn't say anything about it. Just "what's your progress" and that was it. The students were chatting and discussing symptoms. Most awkward day of my life.
The clinic I go to is a resident practice, there is always a new resident coming in to the room. The doctors have never left the room without the resident. This would be very strange in my books.
Hey! Any chance you could do more videos about GI problems? I have really bad GERD, I’m on 60mg a day of nexium, was on 80mg till recently. I had a clear endoscopy but I’m still feeling 💩 and dependent on the meds. My consults have been super strung out and delayed due to COVID. I have free medical but it’s in the U.K. so it’s not fast. I think I’m going to just pay and see a private consult and hoping to get everything sorted then, but not sure what to ask in the appt or what to do. I know you can’t give medical advice but I’d love to see you share your expertise more :)
Can I just say the situation is similar to when I was learning to be a mediator and had to do shadowing. One time the mediator separated the parties and left me with someone who was crying to consult the other. It was a tough situation 😬. The mediator said she forgot to bring me with her so it wasn't great for my learning either.
Aortic dissection-tearing of the aorta. I thought that only happened in motor vehicle accidents. One of our employees was sitting in his living room and this happened to him. He survived the ambulance ride and then had a stroke in the O.R. He didn't live very long after that.
I worked 28 days in a row once. I'm not a doctor, so maybe this story just doesn't compare, but it was still pretty rough. And no one should ever do that.
I just got so stressed out. "Sooooooooo, do you live close to here?" "Not too far, I live in X" .... "Sorry, I haven't lived here that long, where about is X?" .....
When I was a paramedic and precepting students, another preceptor told me this story: He had a student who was fine with knowledge and skills, but was not as good with their "soft" skills, i.e. social interaction. When he was giving feedback he encouraged the student to "be more personable". Shortly after they were taking care of a woman who was about 40yo. The student attempted to make social small talk, and it was ok until it wasn't: Student: Sooo, are you married? Pt: Yes, x yrs S: Any children? Pt: No, no kids (brace yourself) S: Oh, so you're barren? You know, they have doctors who specialize in that nowadays, you could try going to one of them.... [Preceptor frantically trying to redirect and/or shut student up right after the first syllable of "barren" 🤣🤣🤣]
