Current Events > I think being a Doctor is the hardest job in the whole world...

(+) Yeah! (+)

Like think about it

Aside from the limitless amount of knowledge that you have to acquire

You almost always never have a break, anytime you can be called for an emergency

And you can never afford to make a mistake, because human lives are at stake..

And even when you are not working.. You are working

Right?
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that's why The Good Doctor is not realistic. it depicts an autistic man with a shit ton of problems who somehow is able to hold down a career as a surgeon. fuck that. I don't buy it

I guess that's why they get paid the big bucks. To save your coldshadowater ass.
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Sure but then you retire earlier than everyone else and then are set for life
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No, being The Doctor is the hardest job, in the universe.

coldshadowater posted...

You almost always never have a break, anytime you can be called for an emergency

Eh this isn't always the case.
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Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.
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Questionmarktarius posted...

No, being The Doctor is the hardest job, in the universe.

Also this.
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People: I don't feel too good.

Doctor: Hmmm okay, take some antibiotics. *scribbles words on a small piece of paper* Have a good day. If you don't get better come back.
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I dunno, some of the doctors i've met make me wonder if they didn't win their qualifications in a cereal promotion, and it diverted them from their true calling as a motor oil taste-tester.
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No it's not. Nurses do most of the work. Doctors just give approval.
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being a GOOD doctor is hard. effort fuelled by compassion.

then there are the types who care more about the money.
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90s posted...

People: I don't feel too good.

Doctor: Hmmm okay, take some antibiotics. *scribbles words on a small piece of paper* Have a good day. If you don't get better come back.

Yup. And anyone that's ever been hospitalized can tell you the doc comes in to see you in the morning, usually with a team of interns, they check you out and ask questions and leave. Later you might have another doc pop in and ask you exactly the same questions because they don't communicate worth a dang. The one consistent group are the nurses. They get your meds, help you out of bed, listen to you talk about whatever ails you, and they're with you all day or night while the doc is playing golf or maybe seeing patients in his office away from the hospital. I've had to spend a lot of time in the hospital with pancreatitis over the last 6 or 7 years and nurses were the only reason I got through it all.
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CensorErik posted...

a team of interns, they check you out and ask questions and leave. Later you might have another doc pop in and ask you exactly the same questions because they don't communicate worth a dang.

There is a reason for this.

Different specialty docs are required to talk to the patient and ask questions that are specific for the disease they specialize in and want to rule out. If we don't talk to the patient and just assume what the primary team says, it's considered malpractice.
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CensorErik posted...

They get your meds, help you out of bed, listen to you talk about whatever ails you, and they're with you all day or night while the doc is playing golf or maybe seeing patients in his office away from the hospital.

Doctors in the inpatient wards are required to check on the status of the patient and ask about any acute overnight events such that we don't miss any new developing disease like a myocardial infarction. In addition, we keep track of your symptoms to see if you are improving or not, meaning that we see if the treatment plan is working or not. And we don't play golf, we got no time for that shit.
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CensorErik posted...

90s posted...

People: I don't feel too good.

Doctor: Hmmm okay, take some antibiotics. *scribbles words on a small piece of paper* Have a good day. If you don't get better come back.

Yup. And anyone that's ever been hospitalized can tell you the doc comes in to see you in the morning, usually with a team of interns, they check you out and ask questions and leave. Later you might have another doc pop in and ask you exactly the same questions because they don't communicate worth a dang. The one consistent group are the nurses. They get your meds, help you out of bed, listen to you talk about whatever ails you, and they're with you all day or night while the doc is playing golf or maybe seeing patients in his office away from the hospital. I've had to spend a lot of time in the hospital with pancreatitis over the last 6 or 7 years and nurses were the only reason I got through it all.

You got a resident team.

It's how medical education works. Get over it.

And the residents don't have the luxury to play golf. We have 16 hour shifts. We're lucky to get enough sleep. We have 80 hour weeks at very best. Also our salary is ~$50k/year while we try to pay off $300k in loans and feed ourselves.

So you can take your assumptions about us and shove it.
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CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.
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MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

GP, huh?

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

I found this out the hard way when a nurse did a traumatic catheterization and literally ripped the prostate off the internal urethra.
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Questionmarktarius posted...

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

GP, huh?

OB/Gyn resident but I'm on a general inpatient month right now.
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MrPeppers posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

GP, huh?

OB/Gyn resident but I'm on a general inpatient month right now.

Our OB/Gym residents are the biggest drama queens and I have no idea why that is.
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Coffeebeanz posted...

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

I found this out the hard way when a nurse did a traumatic catheterization and literally ripped the prostate off the internal urethra.

How the fuck do you rip the prostate when you are trying to put in a foley catheter?

WTF?
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Coffeebeanz posted...

MrPeppers posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

GP, huh?

OB/Gyn resident but I'm on a general inpatient month right now.

Our OB/Gym residents are the biggest drama queens and I have no idea why that is.

I'm going insane dealing with all the estrogen from colleagues, lol.
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megamanfreakXD posted...

Coffeebeanz posted...

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

I found this out the hard way when a nurse did a traumatic catheterization and literally ripped the prostate off the internal urethra.

How the fuck do you rip the prostate when you are trying to put in a foley catheter?

WTF?

Inflate the bulb when it's in the prostatic urethra, apparently.
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MrPeppers posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

GP, huh?

OB/Gyn resident but I'm on a general inpatient month right now.

*salutes*

I hated my ob/gyn rotation
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I was always told that moms and teachers have the hardest jobs. I mean doctors only hold people's lives in their hands while teachers make sure that you learn fractions and moms cook you pizza rolls.
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I would imagine that doctors are spending a lot of time reviewing and writing in the patients' charts. Just because you don't see them as much doesn't mean they're not working.
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Idk how the ones who see the crazy shit keep it together.

My uncle has been an ER doctor for like 20 years, I remember my brother talked about getting a motorcycle and my uncle sat both of us down (idk why I was included) and went on to vividly describe some of the horrific motorcycle accidents he's seen over the years. Couldn't imagine seeing or dealing with stuff like that at work routinely and coming home without bring freaked out.
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Our OB/Gyn department requires all residents to address each other as "Dr. (last name)" which gets hilariously pretentious when you try to talk with them casually. "Actually it's DOCTOR Hill!"

Yeah ok Queen Hill
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Honestly, being a MS4 and literally like 1 month before match day, I still suck at doing nursing scutwork. I don't know how I would survive in a NYC hospital where the nursing staff is well known to be trash (because of the nursing union).

I have never placed a foley or drawn an ABG myself. But I have removed a foley safely once.
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DifferentialEquation posted...

I would imagine that doctors are spending a lot of time reviewing and writing in the patients' charts. Just because you don't see them as much doesn't mean they're not working.

Plus we have a census of 20+ patients. We logistically don't have the time to spend an hour with a patient unless it's critical. And running out of Xanax isn't critical.
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DifferentialEquation posted...

I would imagine that doctors are spending a lot of time reviewing and writing in the patients' charts. Just because you don't see them as much doesn't mean they're not working.

That's literally what we do all day.

Whenever we get a new patient, we have to read the chart about past admissions, call outside hospital or the PCP for more information, and then wait an hour for them to reply back, then call a bunch of subspecalty consults so they can figure out a plan if we can't figure it out.

We really don't have time to jerk off like everyone else in the world thinks we do.
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Coffeebeanz posted...

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

I found this out the hard way when a nurse did a traumatic catheterization and literally ripped the prostate off the internal urethra.

I didn't want to sleep tonight anyways.
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Coffeebeanz posted...

Our OB/Gyn department requires all residents to address each other as "Dr. (last name)" which gets hilariously pretentious when you try to talk with them casually. "Actually it's DOCTOR Hill!"

Yeah ok Queen Hill

Haha, well my last name is Pepper so people get a kick out of it and I don't mind; but I don't force people to call me doctor. We are way more lax with the formalities except when we're on GynOnc apparently. But yes when shit hits the fan or a co-resident is having a bad day, it turns into bitch-city. FM and IM are pretty kewl here, though.

megamanfreakXD posted...

I have never placed a foley or drawn an ABG myself. But I have removed a foley safely once.

You'll get plenty of experience lol
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Worst part is when some asshole leaves AMA because we won't let them smoke, but then they remember their horrible CHF won't let them walk a block so they come back to be readmitted.

Literally have to write a discharge summary and an H and P because someone wanted to smoke.
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Coffeebeanz posted...

Literally have to write a discharge summary and an H and P because someone wanted to smoke.

I have no idea what most of that means.

Coffeebeanz posted...

DifferentialEquation posted...

I would imagine that doctors are spending a lot of time reviewing and writing in the patients' charts. Just because you don't see them as much doesn't mean they're not working.

Plus we have a census of 20+ patients. We logistically don't have the time to spend an hour with a patient unless it's critical. And running out of Xanax isn't critical.

I was told from an intern to give a patient suspected of drug seeking behavior a drug called Norsal and the pt usually shuts up and say the pain went away.

When I asked what"norsal" is, it's literally just saline.


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Questionmarktarius posted...

I have no idea what most of that means.

about 3 hrs of work
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Questionmarktarius posted...

Coffeebeanz posted...

Literally have to write a discharge summary and an H and P because someone wanted to smoke.

I have no idea what most of that means.

H/P a.k.a a SOAP note. Basically this is what we call documentation of symptoms and patient history. It takes about 30 minutes (or more) to talk to a patient, record everything and formulate the patient's story and plan then write it on the medical record.

Whenever we discharge a patient, we have to write a discharge summary to describe what was done during the admission.

If a patient leaves AMA (against medical advice), you just wasted an hour's worth of a doctors time to talk, write and create a plan for you if you were going to leave the hospital by yourself without listening to us.

You can imagine a patient who goes out and smoke cocaine, comes in for chest pain with suspected heart attack. I ahve to talk to this guy for an hour, write up my notes on the computer which takes like 1 hour of my time. Then discharge this guy when he leaves the hospital. Then he comes back complaining of chest pain because he smoked crack again the next day after leaving the hospital. Then having to rewrite all my notes because he just got readmitted for noncompliance.

And you all wonder why healthcare is so expensive. It's because people are idiots.
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megamanfreakXD posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

Coffeebeanz posted...

Literally have to write a discharge summary and an H and P because someone wanted to smoke.

I have no idea what most of that means.

H/P a.k.a a SOAP note. Basically this is what we call documentation of symptoms and patient history. It takes about 30 minutes (or more) to talk to a patient, record everything and formulate the patient's story and plan then write it on the medical record.

Whenever we discharge a patient, we have to write a discharge summary to describe what was done during the admission.

If a patient leaves AMA (against medical advice), you just wasted an hour's worth of a doctors time to talk, write and create a plan for you if you were going to leave the hospital by yourself without listening to us.

So... if I'm understanding any of this:
"Okay, here's what you need to do, also stop smoking."
"Gimme a minute, I need to go have a smoke."

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

Nope. Multiple family members are nurses in hospitals. Lots of lazy doctors who hate being disturbed.
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CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

pres_madagascar posted...

No it's not. Nurses do most of the work. Doctors just give approval.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGn25URIss8
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Questionmarktarius posted...

So... if I'm understanding any of this:
"Okay, here's what you need to do, also stop smoking."
"Gimme a minute, I need to go have a smoke."

It's papers filled out for leaving AMA along with documentation of counseling against leaving AMA. Then it's a discharge summary for heart failure, which includes symptoms, findings, all meds given, disposition, any procedures that were done, any consults that were made, their recommendations, and a bunch of other shit. Then they come back and the workup for heart failure has to be done all over again because it needs to more or less be treated like a new admission, which involves another lengthy note, not about smoking, but about the reason for being admitted to the hospital.
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pres_madagascar posted...

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

Nope. Multiple family members are nurses in hospitals. Lots of lazy doctors who hate being disturbed.

Ultimately, hospital makes money from the notes doctors write, and usually all the notes must be written by the end of the day. If you are going to bother the doctor for nonsense bullshit like this pt is tachycardic to 101 for 5 seconds, no shit we are going to be mad.
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pres_madagascar posted...

Nope. Multiple family members are nurses in hospitals. Lots of lazy doctors who hate being disturbed.

"DOC, this baby needs to be delivered NOW, she's gonna be a c-section I've been working here for 15 years and it feels like a c-section"

"What does the data say? Where's your evidence?"

*Head explodes*
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MrPeppers posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

So... if I'm understanding any of this:
"Okay, here's what you need to do, also stop smoking."
"Gimme a minute, I need to go have a smoke."

It's papers filled out for leaving AMA along with documentation of counseling against leaving AMA. Then it's a discharge summary for heart failure, which includes symptoms, findings, all meds given, disposition, any procedures that were done, any consults that were made, their recommendations, and a bunch of other shit. Then they come back and the workup for heart failure has to be done all over again because it needs to more or less be treated like a new admission, which involves another lengthy note, not about smoking, but about the reason for being admitted to the hospital.

I, uh...

yeah, I'm out.

MrPeppers posted...

pres_madagascar posted...

Nope. Multiple family members are nurses in hospitals. Lots of lazy doctors who hate being disturbed.

"DOC, this baby needs to be delivered NOW, she's gonna be a c-section I've been working here for 15 years and it feels like a c-section"

"What does the data say? Where's your evidence?"

*Head explodes*

I won't ever forget this story a friend told me.

This guy was bleeding the shit out of his ass and his hemoglobin dropped like 3 points within 2 hours and needed immediate blood transfusion.

The nurse was suppose to help him, but she said "NOPE, I AM ON MY LUNCH BREAK FIND SOMEONE ELSE"

#nyc
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megamanfreakXD posted...

pres_madagascar posted...

MrPeppers posted...

CensorErik posted...

Here's a little fun fact for you, nurses do the bulk of the work the doctors get praised and paid for.

Doctor here. No they fucking don't. They THINK they do the bulk of the work then they freak the royal fuck out when something goes haywire or is beyond routine.

Nope. Multiple family members are nurses in hospitals. Lots of lazy doctors who hate being disturbed.

Ultimately, hospital makes money from the notes doctors write, and usually all the notes must be written by the end of the day. If you are going to bother the doctor for nonsense bullshit like this pt is tachycardic to 101 for 5 seconds, no shit we are going to be mad.

No, shit like the doctors have to put in the orders for stuff for patients, and hate being asked to do so by nurses. Or, you know, shit like prescribing meds wrong, or shit like telling nurses to discharge a patient who is vomiting blood. That sort of thing.

You may be a decent doctor, there are many. But there are also many lazy incompetant ones too. My best friend is a nurse. One of the two main doctors in her department is fantastic and my friend is friends with that doctor, but there's also one notorious for being a dick and not wanting to do anything.
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pres_madagascar posted...

Nope. Multiple family members are nurses in hospitals. Lots of lazy doctors who hate being disturbed.

With all fucking due respect, you have absolutely zero clue over the magnitude of considerations even a single patient has with regards to their management. There is a reason rounds every day takes hours just to discuss the previous day's course and the day's plan for every patient on service. Part of it is the medical education hierarchy of it, but seriously, if nurses thought they could do a doctor's job they'd literally murder half the patients on service because of the slightest oversight.

Nurses are incredibly important and a doctor couldn't do their job efficiently without them. But there is something to be said about carrying out orders as opposed to coming up with them yourself.

It's the whole tip of the iceberg effect and you don't know what you don't know. And that's fucking dangerous.
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megamanfreakXD posted...

I won't ever forget this story a friend told me.

This guy was bleeding the shit out of his ass and his hemoglobin dropped like 3 points within 2 hours and needed immediate blood transfusion.

The nurse was suppose to help him, but she said "NOPE, I AM ON MY LUNCH BREAK FIND SOMEONE ELSE"

#nyc

It's like that everywhere, man. Good nurses are hard to find. The worst are the ones who think they don't need doctors and they go rogue. We had a fuckin' nurse try to deliver a patient.

Then you get the ones who call you to confirm explicit orders that were painstakingly written out. "Doc, your note says labetalol for BPs >160/100. Her systolic is 162, should I give it?"

Like, why the fuck are you calling me.
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