Would you trust your classmates as your doctor?

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DrK2020

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For those that are in your second year or beyond, I assume you have developed a decent understanding of what your classmates are like. Based on that, would you trust them as your doctor? Would you trust them to be the one that delivers your baby? Would you trust them to do neurosurgery on you?

**This is irrespective of their performance in medical school, because we all know that performance in preclinicals/clinicals does not translate into your aptitude as a doctor. Eventually all of us will have to pass boards, so all of us will have the knowledge and ability. I'm asking this from your own personal opinion.

In my opinion, some of my classmates are absolutely brilliant and personable, and I would definitely trust them as my doctor. But there are others that I would not want near me at all.

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Assuming they're board-certified attendings? Why not - I have to assume that getting through residency will quell any of the immaturities that I tend to see a lot of med students display.
 
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I have one classmate that that that I wouldn't trust to feed a goldfish, but most are great. I am anxious to see how a few people handle clinicals since they are a bit fussy and not used to actual work, but there is a place for all types.

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I have one classmate that that that I wouldn't trust to feed a goldfish, but most are great. I am anxious to see how a few people handle clinicals since they are a bit fussy and not used to actual work, but there is a place for all types.

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I always wondered if it was common for someone to get into med school from a privileged background (Which I imagine is common) and never actually had a job. I can't imagine someones first ever job being a resident (or med student on rotations) but I feel like it has to have happened before.
 
I always wondered if it was common for someone to get into med school from a privileged background (Which I imagine is common) and never actually had a job. I can't imagine someones first ever job being a resident (or med student on rotations) but I feel like it has to have happened before.
I would imagine that it happens a lot. It's probably a major contributing factor to why so many physicians answer no to the question, "Would you enter medicine again?" They have no idea what work is like anywhere else.
 
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My classmates range from no way to absolutely - with most falling somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. I base this mostly off of personality, as I expect anyone from my school who becomes a board certified attending to be mostly competent.
 
it think it would do more with preference than trust
 
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For those that are in your second year or beyond, I assume you have developed a decent understanding of what your classmates are like. Based on that, would you trust them as your doctor? Would you trust them to be the one that delivers your baby? Would you trust them to do neurosurgery on you?

**This is irrespective of their performance in medical school, because we all know that performance in preclinicals/clinicals does not translate into your aptitude as a doctor. Eventually all of us will have to pass boards, so all of us will have the knowledge and ability. I'm asking this from your own personal opinion.

In my opinion, some of my classmates are absolutely brilliant and personable, and I would definitely trust them as my doctor. But there are others that I would not want near me at all.

it's not fair to judge your classmates during this phase of life. Time during residency is a better indication, and even better afterwards.
 
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Some yes. Some no. Good friend of mine is a GI fellow and while catching up over some beers said, "You know what would be a great prank. If you came to me for c-scope, I'd place an ostomy appliance bag on your abdomen and have you wake up in PACU and say 'I'm so sorry but I perfed your colon and you needed an urgent Hartmann's.' Wouldn't that be hilarious?" That's when I realized that some of my friends are crazy.
 
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Hell no I'd crawl like a slug through my slime trail of blood to another hospital
 
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My med school classmates at the time they were in med school? Well no, but they weren't doctors at the time. Some of them were competent, others not so much. Presumably residency helps fix that.

My residency classmates? I'd trust most of them to take care of a member of my family. Hell, one of them did take care of my grandmother in the hospital last year. Even the ones that were lazy or called in sick had the skills to recognize when someone was ill, and as long as you can do that and call the appropriate person, I think it's fine.

My fellowship classmates? Well, that's an interesting question. Some of them for sure. Some though? I think it will depend on what the issue was. I don't know how confident I would be in their ability to recognize the rare stuff if they were on their own. And the buck sorta stops with the subspecialist attending in that circumstance.
 
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Save one or two people, I'd trust most of my classmates, and maybe I'd trust those one or two after residency. If you ask would I want to send my family to my classmates that's a different story. I'd be fine sending family to most of my classmates, but there's a few I wouldn't recommend because they're just a-holes, and I'm sure residency isn't going to be changing that.

I always wondered if it was common for someone to get into med school from a privileged background (Which I imagine is common) and never actually had a job. I can't imagine someones first ever job being a resident (or med student on rotations) but I feel like it has to have happened before.

Are you considering a job to be an actual job where they go in 5 days a week/are supporting themselves or are you calling a job that ice cream shop they worked at after high school two or three times a week? If it's the former, it happens all the time. I think a large percentage of the kids that go straight from UG to med school don't have a clue what it's like to actually support themselves. You can tell because they're the ones who roll up to first day of class in BMWs acting like they'll be top of the class because mommy and daddy are doctors. Fortunately for me, at my school these people were actually pretty chill and easy to get along with, but I've heard horror stories about those kids from friends at MD schools.
 
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Save one or two people, I'd trust most of my classmates, and maybe I'd trust those one or two after residency. If you ask would I want to send my family to my classmates that's a different story. I'd be fine sending family to most of my classmates, but there's a few I wouldn't recommend because they're just a-holes, and I'm sure residency isn't going to be changing that.



Are you considering a job to be an actual job where they go in 5 days a week/are supporting themselves or are you calling a job that ice cream shop they worked at after high school two or three times a week? If it's the former, it happens all the time. I think a large percentage of the kids that go straight from UG to med school don't have a clue what it's like to actually support themselves. You can tell because they're the ones who roll up to first day of class in BMWs acting like they'll be top of the class because mommy and daddy are doctors. Fortunately for me, at my school these people were actually pretty chill and easy to get along with, but I've heard horror stories about those kids from friends at MD schools.

I meant any full time job more so than a part-time job. For example. I'm in UG now and went straight from HS to UG but I had a full time job every summer. I landscaped full time and it might not truly be a "real job" like a business casual 9-5 but it was it was getting up early and working hard all day.
 
Absolutely not. I'd never let 50% of my class anywhere near me or my family. Another 25% I'd be okay with, and it would be an honor to be treated by the remaining 25%.

The difference in maturity, intelligence, motivation, psychosis between students in a class is absurd. I get scared thinking about the thousands of patients some of my classmates will someday treat.
 
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Absolutely not. I'd never let 50% of my class anywhere near me or my family. Another 25% I'd be okay with, and it would be an honor to be treated by the remaining 25%.

The difference in maturity, intelligence, motivation, psychosis between students in a class is absurd. I get scared thinking about the thousands of patients some of my classmates will someday treat.
You know what they call the person at the bottom of their med school class on the day of graduation?

Doctor.
 
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Some yes. Some no. Good friend of mine is a GI fellow and while catching up over some beers said, "You know what would be a great prank. If you came to me for c-scope, I'd place an ostomy appliance bag on your abdomen and have you wake up in PACU and say 'I'm so sorry but I perfed your colon and you needed an urgent Hartmann's.' Wouldn't that be hilarious?" That's when I realized that some of my friends are crazy.

I lol'd

(still not as immature as 99% of all urologists)
 
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I always wondered if it was common for someone to get into med school from a privileged background (Which I imagine is common) and never actually had a job. I can't imagine someones first ever job being a resident (or med student on rotations) but I feel like it has to have happened before.

I would say 25% of my peers. One of my good friends didn't have a job in high school and college, he didn't need spending money because he had everything in a bank account, and residency was the first time getting paid for work.
 
I'd trust the vast majority of my classmates.

Of the ones I wouldn't-- for more of the it's due to a personality conflict, not questioning their intelligence.
 
actually, the studies on professionalism suggest that the biggest predictor of professionalism issues beyond med school are issues in med school, so I don't buy that people just grow out of some of this stuff

in fact, my own PD told me that "character issues" like poor work ethic, lying, etc are essentially "untrainable"

some of my classmates I wouldn't have trusted to screw in a light bulb in my house- but that was very few
a couple of them I ended up doing residency with - so I can speak to that - and didn't get much smarter

some of them I wouldn't have trusted with a $5 bill for coffee to bring me the change

there were some instances of domestic violence, rape, theft, that sort of thing

there are sociopaths everywhere, corners are cut everywhere, and it might feel good to pat ourselves on the back to sleep at night that the whole process turns the bad apple classmates into good attendings, but that would be a lie

I think it also depends on the field what skills are needed to be competent

some of my classmates I wouldn't want to let near my child in any sort of "caring" capacity, but I would totally trust to excise their bone tumor
some I would trust to be my child's psychiatrist I wouldn't let dose them Tylenol
 
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I'd trust some of my classmates with my life. There are a few that just leave me scratching my head...
 
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I always wondered if it was common for someone to get into med school from a privileged background (Which I imagine is common) and never actually had a job. I can't imagine someones first ever job being a resident (or med student on rotations) but I feel like it has to have happened before.

Being one of the people responsible for scheduling in my program, I'd say most people don't have a clue how a real, full time job works. I've had multiple people ask me for all major holidays off, or to only work during the week, or to only work days. Welcome to medicine--you work weird hours, and you have to at least survive residency before you can attempt to make your own schedule.

Those that have had a real job before are much more flexible and understanding when their schedule is not great.
 
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Being one of the people responsible for scheduling in my program, I'd say most people don't have a clue how a real, full time job works. I've had multiple people ask me for all major holidays off, or to only work during the week, or to only work days. Welcome to medicine--you work weird hours, and you have to at least survive residency before you can attempt to make your own schedule.

Those that have had a real job before are much more flexible and understanding when their schedule is not great.

Well, to be fair, there are plenty of real jobs where all of these conditions are met. Particularly in government jobs. Medicine and other customer service jobs usually don't allow for this.
 
Well, to be fair, there are plenty of real jobs where all of these conditions are met. Particularly in government jobs. Medicine and other customer service jobs usually don't allow for this.

Yes, but after someone has been in medical school, where they see the residents working all the time, and don't get as much time off as their friends outside of medicine, you would think that this wouldn't be a common request.
 
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Yes, but after someone has been in medical school, where they see the residents working all the time, and don't get as much time off as their friends outside of medicine, you would think that this wouldn't be a common request.

Yeah, after medical school, one should know the score.
 
Most of my classmates that I know well and consider actual friends - yes, I trust them enough and would allow them to take care of me or my family. A lot of them I don't know well enough to form an opinion. And some I absolutely don't trust and would never recommend anyone to be their patient. My opinions are based off preclinical performance, personality, work ethic, and how they fare under pressure. I am far from perfect, but I always try to help out and do the right thing for my patients and my team. There are some real gunners in my class who don't care about any of that stuff and don't work well together with others, which I truly pity.
 
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Being one of the people responsible for scheduling in my program, I'd say most people don't have a clue how a real, full time job works. I've had multiple people ask me for all major holidays off, or to only work during the week, or to only work days. Welcome to medicine--you work weird hours, and you have to at least survive residency before you can attempt to make your own schedule.

Those that have had a real job before are much more flexible and understanding when their schedule is not great.
Asking for major holidays off is fine, in that different people celebrate different ones and letting the program know you prioritize X holiday is reasonable.

For example, I don't celebrate Christmas, so I don't care if I work that holiday. OTOH, I do celebrate New Years, so I did ask for it off most years of training.

That said, asking for Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND New Years off would be a bit much. It might happen for a few people in a bigger program with a lot of elective time, but it's hard to imagine being routine. I'd expect to work (or be on call) at least one of the three each year as a resident.

Asking for days or weekdays only as a resident? Lol. Maybe if you're an upper level derm resident. Maybe.

Oh, and of course, all the above references *asking*. Being upset if your request is denied is a whole nother story.
 
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Asking for major holidays off is fine, in that different people celebrate different ones and letting the program know you prioritize X holiday is reasonable.

For example, I don't celebrate Christmas, so I don't care if I work that holiday. OTOH, I do celebrate New Years, so I did ask for it off most years of training.

That said, asking for Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND New Years off would be a bit much. It might happen for a few people in a bigger program with a lot of elective time, but it's hard to imagine being routine. I'd expect to work (or be on call) at least one of the three each year as a resident.

Asking for days or weekdays only as a resident? Lol. Maybe if you're an upper level derm resident. Maybe.

Oh, and of course, all the above references *asking*. Being upset if your request is denied is a whole nother story.
Asking for A major holiday off is reasonable (though if you are low on the totem pole, you're unlikely to get your preference if it's the most popular preference). Asking for ALL major holidays off, which is what was posted, is just...you don't understand how healthcare works.
 
Saying your classmates are bad doctors is pretty much to be expected if they aren't yet doctors nor have gone through residency.

I'll bet you change your mind on many of them. 7 years of training can really enhance things.
 
Absolutely not. they are fact memorizing machines, they don't know how to integrate information. I honestly don't blame them, it's the way our school pushes to study.
 
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I will say that some folks have a loooot of growing up to do before I trust them with lives....
 
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Our school actually makes us rate our peers on this every block. Always fun getting a rating, scale of 1-5, on whether your peers would, on average, trust you to be a doctor for their family members...
 
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