I've heard this already - many times. All the older doctors complaining that we young'uns aren't half the doctors they were when they were out age. And I've always thought that was just a load of BS. But, lately I've been thinking they may be onto something. I was only a medical student last year so I don't think that my view of what it used to be like has changed all that much. There is one observation I've made in the last couple of days though - the medical students who are just about sit their gen med/surg exams aren't as boned up on their practical skills as we were only 2 years ago. I remember cannulating on my first day in clinicals and being quite up to scratch by the time exams came around. But on Friday I was speaking with a couple of medical students who happened to mention that they had yet to get their 5 supervised cannulas signed off - and with only 6 or so weeks to go before the exam. A little more probing revealed that neither had really done ANY practical procedures on patients - only getting to use the simulators at the clinical school once or twice. Now I don't know if this is the trend now for medical students, or it is this year in particular, but I hope they catch up a bit before they hit internship, otherwise I can foresee all the calls I'll be getting to slip in difficult cannulas for them on their cover shifts.
Disclaimer - if any of you are reading this, don't take it personally. I assume that you've covered what you need to for your exams and that's fine - I'm just commenting from personal experience and I promise to be nice if you end up calling me at 8pm with a difficult cannula =)
Inside scoop into the thoughts of a junior doctor
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just try not to stuff up both cubital fossa veins with a 22 g cannula first up.....
ReplyDeleteIf it's any consolation, I see the same in other professions such as my own. I blame it on Education turning into a Business, where the customers (aka 'students') need to be satisfied first and foremost (instead of taught). I also see it as a failure of the educational system and the direction into which it is headed.
ReplyDeleteI'm a third year at a new med school in Australia, I've racked up 30+ cannulations in the last 4 weeks alone on a general med/renal rotation, I wouldn't think that what you're describing is the new trend at all.
ReplyDeleteLook, I wasn't trying to make a genearlisation, its just what I've seen so far on the wards. In my experience, I've found that teaching in country hospitals has tended to be more hands on (and helpful to graduating students) than city hosptials which are a lot more accademic - again, this is my own opinion from what I've experienced.
ReplyDeleteYeah Carts - remember you went to RCS.... you actually do practical stuff out there, back here in the big smoke the poor med students get forgotten about A LOT! :op
ReplyDelete/me watches a tumbleweed roll past ...
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