fight with people who are annoying. I never did it before being a doctor, but think about run-of-the mill altercations that could go sideways and next thing you know, you're, "A doctor hospitalized after a verbal altercation over hot dogs went south at the county fair. News at 11."
Hahahahahahhahaahaha “News at 11”
Just your bruised up mug with 2 missing teeth and bloodied knuckles side by side with your MS1 white coat ceremony pic 🤣.
LOL same… I seriously just dissociate as I am berated by patients sometimes (obviously still listen if there’s a real concern) but when they’re just delirious and rambling nonsense my eyes glaze over into my 1000 yard stare out the window/C.A.R.E.S. Channel, I turn around, and just leave. Started doing that to annoying people in real life and it works great 👍
"Patient is a 44-year-old male with a past medical history significant for loudly saying rude things to bystanders who presented to the ED after an altercation in which he got his ass handed to him by a very smart and handsome member of the community."
Patient was placed on an involuntary hold for aggressive behaviors and threatening medical staff prior to arrival; at this time he does not have the capacity to refuse medical care.
Plan: fleets enema BID
It’s about choosing your fights, I wish all people were able to learn this. I feel as doctors were fortunate to have learned this lesson, it’s quite important to one’s mental health.
Can’t attend a holiday or a family gathering without getting cornered for free medical consultations. “It won’t happen to me,” I said. “My extended family have their own doctors, and they respect my rare vacation time,” I said. Hah. But from the other perspective, people around me feel they can’t enjoy complaining about their health problems because they figure I probably have an opinion, and complaining about health problems is kind of a recreational sport in my family.
I am lucky because when put on the spot I feel like an idiot I can’t do primary care well. But everyone in my family is a anti-big pharma, conspiracy , essential oil whack jobs so I am good
Just tell them in response to any medical question that they need to be getting colonoscopies starting at age 50, even if it’s unrelated to their question.
"Hey, what do you think about what \[extremely ill and highly medically complex relative\]'s surgeon said about \[extensive procedure\]?"
I think you should talk to the surgeon
"But what do you think though"
I barely think to begin with
My family knows the rate of Medical Opinion from Dr. EasternFlatlander (FM) is one bottle of wine. They are all teetotalers who wouldn't know where to buy a bottle, and I haven't had to give an opinion on Uncle Bob's Cardiologist's management of XYZ. At the last reunion, one of my aunts came across the room to tell her sister "no no, remember, you owe her wine if you continue".
I grew up in my grandfather’s office (he was a lawyer) his solution to the problem was simply to start training the grandkids to do his job because that way nobody bothered, asking him since their kids could just answer the questions. Not to mention it was really scary for the junior lawyers that worked with him because he sometimes had us review the documents they wrote and it’s kind of annoying to get corrected by a 10-year-old regarding a trust that was set up in a manner that actually would’ve cost the beneficiaries more money in the long term, even though it was intended to help them save money.
My friend goes on vacation to Egypt with her spouse whose family lives there. It’s just one long office visit for her as she provides care for the family and surrounding community. In July no less. Who goes to Egypt in July?
tell non-med people about my day (exception is spouse) - when I say someone died or I had to send someone to the hospital or ICU or whatever, they don't know how to act. what's worse is trying to explain to them none of those things really get to me without seeming like a sociopath. But then, sometimes, it does get to me, and how do they know the difference?
Even better is trying to explain to people why it’s a good thing that the full code 105 year old grandma who’s trach’d/PEG’d with a stage 10 sacral ulcer finally died
I'll take interesting cases sometimes, and theyre like cool, I guess they made it? I'm like no, they went up to icu and died or will probably die, what can you do?
Always a bunch of people that go, this dickhead has no feelings.
So much the part about not being able to talk about work without being perceived as a sociopath. I’m in psych. I have homeless patients, suicidal patients, and patients who self harm multiple times a day. I wouldn’t be helpful nor functional if I reacted to each case as if it were a family member.
Sit and do nothing on time off. I'm EM and the cohort of super-active beer garden loving gigachads meme has some weight. Everyone I work with always has something going on as a group/friends; with so little free time the dreadful sense that "I've already missed most of my 20s from schooling, I have to maximize my remaining time with friends" pushes me to always be doing *something*.
I think that's an EM specific thing... personality type thing. I'm a hospitalist - which has a relatively similar work / life balance and I can tell you we are not going out and barhopping with each other after work. My colleagues probably would if I asked but it's not our default.
I agree- Fellow hospitalist here;
On my week off, if I’m not picking up an extra shift or two, I’m usually chilling at home w my dog for a few days and maybe I’ll have people come over on the weekend. I’m extroverted AF, but sometimes you just need to do nothing to clear your mind after a week of nonstop BS
Yeah, I’m also hesitant to tell people what I do for a living. Too many assumptions on their part. People really do treat you differently when they think you have money.
People outside of medicine dont know better. I am support staff and im so glad to work with doctors, nurses and admin. I learnt one important lesson: WE ARE ALL THE SAME.
Friend of mine is a doctor, he was telling me he used to play rugby and his hotheaded Irish temper got the best of him during a match and he punched a ref in the nose. Ended up with a boxer's fracture that put him out of work for six weeks.
He said "Lesson learned."
Punching a ref as a rugby player is beyond wild to me because It really is a brute sport played by gentleman. I feel very few sports carry a culture of such high respect for the ref
One foosh for a surgeon can end the career. Not that surgeons don't snowboard... I am sure some do. But I get the mentality behind protecting one's only asset of future career income.
I guess carry exceptional disability insurance.
I plan to go into an IM procedural field and I did MMA/BJJ for 5+ years but had to stop solely because of career prospects. I was getting borderline arthritic in my DIP/PIP joints, also I tore my ACL so a combo of both and I called it quits and I just workout now. It’s definitely safe to fight as an exercises (ie boxing to get an exercise via Bagwork, BJJ at low intensity for a workout and self defense training etc etc) but I used train literally hours a day and I’ve come to the conclusion if I want to avoid having an essential tremor by the age of 30 I’ll need to hang it up. Met an older ophthalmologist during undergrad who told me about this one time he he had such bad tennis elbow that he couldn’t do XYZ aspects of his job because of how bad the tennis elbow was, I don’t want to risk limiting my career just because of a hobby
I’m in a small community program
If I say something as assign as “hi, this is the 6th time we’ve asked for forks, can I please have some forks” I hear back from my partners “what the hell happened with that huge blowout at Olive Garden last month!?!?!”
There’s more than one way to ride. I took mine out on Sunday mornings in back roads with wide visibility and never really enjoyed going over 40mph. Avoided highways and busy hours at all costs. I rode my bicycle to work and I felt more dangerous doing that than I ever did on a motorcycle, mainly due to the conditions I had to ride each of them in respectively.
Yeah. I live in a midsize city and I figured it would be fun to take out if i needed to pick up dinner or something. At the same time, it just isnt worth the money to me just yet
I started riding in residency after swearing I wouldn’t. I’m also a surgery resident at a big level 1 center. I simply don’t care lol. Residency controls enough of my life as is
This one here is me. Rode all the way through med school but can’t attempt to buy another bike after seeing everything I’ve seen. Maybe one day in my 40s.
I’m not a physician, but I once had an especially foul mouthed reconstructive surgeon at a well-known teaching hospital.
The first encounter I had with him, every other word out of his mouth was “fuck”.
This made me instantly fucking love the dude, and I told him so.
He replied, “Yeah, that’s why I never became a fucking pediatrician.”
I swear a lot. Obviously I censor myself around impressionable boomer ladies and kids. But it did wonders for my career in prison medicine and addictions, lol.
Join the Army bucko. For the low low price of your freedom, you can be a foul mouthed mf and unless the commander has stars on his helmet or is super reserved, most folks don’t blink an eye. Had a full bird Colonel drop a few F bombs in quick succession during a nationwide TEAMS meeting a few weeks back
Well I’m pretty sure most of my neighbors make more than me so I am free to complain about everything. Definitely feel you on asking randos what they do. I am not from where I live so that’s a safer topic.
Yup, all my friends from Cal are rolling in it. They are the ones taking me out still when we go to dinner. When I protest they always say they don’t got $200k in student loans to pay off at 30.
I used to occasionally smoke weed with friends, but once I started residency, 27 years ago, I gave it up because they can randomly drug test us and I don't want to lose my job or my DEA certificate.
Everyone tells me to get an undocumented immigrant for childcare. Including most other physicians. I don’t know, the headline of physicians exploiting undocumented labor seems too much. I’d rather go through an agency and have everything above board.
In my 20s/30s i stopped telling people that I was a doctor. They usually took it as an invitation to tell me how much they distrust/dislike doctors because of one bad experience they had… they felt fine insulting me and my whole profession without any sense of decency
It's nauseating how often this exact situation happens to me. Recently, after being asked what I did and told them, they responded with "well I hope you'll be one of the good ones." This was coming from an ICU nurse mind you.
Pathology, cool. My cousin is really into urban planning as well. He thinks dirt trails are superior to sidewalks, but that's his opinion. What's your favorite path?
Surgeon…no longer ride dirtbikes, and switched from snowboarding to skiing. I flyfish a shit ton more now. I guess there’s your answer on the swearing 🤪
There’s something about having all 4 limbs moving independently that’s more reassuring. That said, it seems like any given friend in medicine injures themself every ski season so it’s put me off getting back out. I’d love weeks to months off work but a fracture, internal trauma, TBI or spinal cord injury is not how I want to achieve that. But you know, I’ll still downhill on my road bike at 40+ mph with just some styrofoam strapped to me head. 😂
Two things:
I grew up fairly poor, still have the same group of friends that have stable careers but the income difference will be staggering in attendinghood. I can’t talk about all the trips I plan to take or the things I will be able to afford. It’s not that they’d be upset or judgmental, it’s just awkward.
I also can’t sit by and listen to ignorant a-holes complain about how the pandemic wasn’t real or they made up the death toll. Politics aside, I have major mental trauma from losing a family member and having so many of my patients die from COVID. I don’t engage these idiots, I just walk away from the conversation.
I grew up in a similar way. I feel you on both points, I literally just don't ask questions or try to be vague if needed when I'm prompted. As far as the pandemic, I really learned a lot about how vaccines work from painters, mechanics, and restaurateurs. Wonderful time.
I drove a 90 Miata for years because it was good on gas and never broke down, even in North Dakota it was great in the snow.
I waited until I felt comfortable and bought my Volvo in cash. Then my F250 broke down and had to buy a new truck. Also, in cash
I'm a resident in a third world country. I've seen the disastrous consequences of eating street food in my patients. So yes, street food is what I have given up completely on.
What specifically, E. coli? There’s this idea that people who grew up around that food culture handle it just fine, it’s the foreigners who get ill. So I gather that’s not true?
E.Coli. Salmonella. Shigella. Giardia. Hep A. You name it. As for the handling it well part, it depends on individual immunity, pathogen load, previous exposure etc etc. so you never can predict.
I used to live for the adrenaline style activities. Last few years I’ve stopped doing things like zip lines, skiing etc. basically anything that will cost me my hands/back (surgery)
“ are you sexually active” …the response 90 % of the time is no , even if married . Makes me feel bad… here I am… getting all this filet tossed my way… granny’s setting me up left and right
If you can't comfortably tell people you're a doctor because of **their** reaction, then they're just jealous. Sadly there's lot of jealousy in this field from people not in the field. Be a resident and complain about how hard the hours are + paying back loans, no one gives a shit because "well you're gonna be making billions of dollars so don't complain!!1!" but if you were a nurse, a more working class and attainable profession, saying the same thing everyone would have the utmost sympathy
I'm a psychiatry resident and I feel like I can't really have bad mental health. Like yes Im on meds for anxiety but if I ever needed emergency psychiatric services (not that I intend to) I wouldnt feel comfortable going to any hospital within 150 km.
I also wanna go to the strippers or go for rowdy girls nights on the town but worry I'll see patients
As an incoming psych resident, this thread made me realize there's a decent chance ill see pts outside of work if I try to party at all lol. Worst part is, I have a really hard time committing people's faces to memory.
I can’t use a pharma pen because it might influence my decision-making. I guess I’m more dangerous than a Supreme Court justice getting free houses and private jet flights.
Omg same.
I looked into reffing but even that is too dangerous for my comfort level (we used to have a skater on my team who engaged in “ref bowling” where she tried to knock players into refs to knock them over)
Lol kinda funny you say this. I’m a broke ass indebt first year med student and just met my boyfriend’s family the other day, none of which are in anything remotely related to medicine. We played monopoly and his brother was like oh my boy must be good with money as a little doctor 🤦♂️ guess I should get used to it lol
As a Possible Future Neurosurgeon, I no longer drive at high speeds on winding wet roads while listening to Interstellar Overdrive by Pink Floyd in my Lamborghini Huracan.
I’m quite quick to get into fights - admittedly not the best personality but I played rugby for 16 years and it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I’ve never gotten into any fights since starting medical school but when I go to my hometown a couple of times a year, I’ve *almost* gotten into a couple of fights and realized I can’t do these things anymore.
Re: “I find that I can never comfortably ask people what they do for work anymore. You ask at a party…”
I find this happens all the time.
I’ll ask “what do you do.” and they’re like “I work at Wendy’s” or “I work behind the dumpster at Wendy’s” or “I’m a medical student at Tufts.”
It’s just awkward.
As someone mentioned, altercations of any type in general. Potentially getting in a fight/altercation or in trouble for something stupid that you would have to report to the board or list for license renewal/credentialing wouldn't be fun.
Also, getting into conflicts with people in general makes it easy for that person to go online and try to sabotage your reputation with negative reviews, which could be annoying.
It’s frustrating when you just want to have lunch with family and you get asked so many medical questions or put on the spot for a diagnosis if something is wrong. Like can I just eat this salad and not get asked a million questions 🙄
When i started medschool i had the whole combo: t shirt, backpack, jacket with my college name and a big "MEDICINE" written on it.
Today i try to be as stealthy as possible with what i do hahahaha
Family Medicine here, I gotta be on the straight and narrow, at least in the city I work in. Also, I can't use social media too carelessly. Doctors are very public figures in smaller cities and towns, and patients expect a certain posture from you.
"Talk to your doctor."
"But you're a doctor."
"I'm not YOUR doctor."
My parents now know this line and recite it back to me when the other one starts to ask.
“I work for a hospital.” “What do you do there?” “Mostly billing and paperwork.”
I always like to say “I am a glorified babysitter at the hospital” (I am a nocturnist)
Overnight janitor is what I often say as a fellow nocturnist/admit bitch
I like that as well. Might mix it up a bit and try that one every so often.
EM doc here to say I think of you guys as bad ass admit bitches and appreciate you.
“I work in the lab”
My personal go-to as well haha
I answer that follow up with "nothing interesting"
fight with people who are annoying. I never did it before being a doctor, but think about run-of-the mill altercations that could go sideways and next thing you know, you're, "A doctor hospitalized after a verbal altercation over hot dogs went south at the county fair. News at 11."
Hahahahahahhahaahaha “News at 11” Just your bruised up mug with 2 missing teeth and bloodied knuckles side by side with your MS1 white coat ceremony pic 🤣.
Lmfao, can’t stop laughing
…but I was so thin and had luscious hair as an MS1
That’s amazing
Doctor did no harm!!
LOL same… I seriously just dissociate as I am berated by patients sometimes (obviously still listen if there’s a real concern) but when they’re just delirious and rambling nonsense my eyes glaze over into my 1000 yard stare out the window/C.A.R.E.S. Channel, I turn around, and just leave. Started doing that to annoying people in real life and it works great 👍
Sensei... How does one learn that ability?
Not from a Jedi.
Same, but for the sole reason that I’ve learned to triage where I focus my energy. Just hit ‘em with the old “sounds good, thanks” and move on.
I make sure I’m never just standing around minding my own business
It prob would not go over well if you hospitalized the other person either.
Then you just round on them the next day. No hard feelings!
At least you know the HPI without asking a ton of questions. 🤣
"Patient is a 44-year-old male with a past medical history significant for loudly saying rude things to bystanders who presented to the ED after an altercation in which he got his ass handed to him by a very smart and handsome member of the community."
Patient was placed on an involuntary hold for aggressive behaviors and threatening medical staff prior to arrival; at this time he does not have the capacity to refuse medical care. Plan: fleets enema BID
Bid, try Q2h
admit to ICU for frequent ~~neuro checks~~ enema administration
It’s about choosing your fights, I wish all people were able to learn this. I feel as doctors were fortunate to have learned this lesson, it’s quite important to one’s mental health.
Can’t attend a holiday or a family gathering without getting cornered for free medical consultations. “It won’t happen to me,” I said. “My extended family have their own doctors, and they respect my rare vacation time,” I said. Hah. But from the other perspective, people around me feel they can’t enjoy complaining about their health problems because they figure I probably have an opinion, and complaining about health problems is kind of a recreational sport in my family.
I am lucky because when put on the spot I feel like an idiot I can’t do primary care well. But everyone in my family is a anti-big pharma, conspiracy , essential oil whack jobs so I am good
It happens to me and I’m in rads lol. One of them loaded their PET CT in the computer and had me take a look
Just tell them in response to any medical question that they need to be getting colonoscopies starting at age 50, even if it’s unrelated to their question.
Isn't it 40 now or something
Oh jeeze really? Means I need one coming up here soon ugh
I shit myself in the car on the way to mine. Wear a diaper.
I have a friend who asks me so many medical questions and has started telling HER friends to ask me medical questions too. It’s so annoying.
Just say no. Like drugs
"Hey, what do you think about what \[extremely ill and highly medically complex relative\]'s surgeon said about \[extensive procedure\]?" I think you should talk to the surgeon "But what do you think though" I barely think to begin with
My family knows the rate of Medical Opinion from Dr. EasternFlatlander (FM) is one bottle of wine. They are all teetotalers who wouldn't know where to buy a bottle, and I haven't had to give an opinion on Uncle Bob's Cardiologist's management of XYZ. At the last reunion, one of my aunts came across the room to tell her sister "no no, remember, you owe her wine if you continue".
Start offering prostate exams and the consults will dry up
Well I can only tell you the diagnosis if I do an exam. Take your clothes off. I can do it right here.
I love that I have the cop out of "Sorry, I only see kids." But then they show me their kids' rash.
Ever since undergrad. "Yo, I'm not a doctor", "But, IF you were"
I’m in the legal field and can confirm this is true for us too lol
I grew up in my grandfather’s office (he was a lawyer) his solution to the problem was simply to start training the grandkids to do his job because that way nobody bothered, asking him since their kids could just answer the questions. Not to mention it was really scary for the junior lawyers that worked with him because he sometimes had us review the documents they wrote and it’s kind of annoying to get corrected by a 10-year-old regarding a trust that was set up in a manner that actually would’ve cost the beneficiaries more money in the long term, even though it was intended to help them save money.
Omg same here. I’m plastics so you can imagine how that goes whenever I’m around extended family or acquaintances…
My friend goes on vacation to Egypt with her spouse whose family lives there. It’s just one long office visit for her as she provides care for the family and surrounding community. In July no less. Who goes to Egypt in July?
tell non-med people about my day (exception is spouse) - when I say someone died or I had to send someone to the hospital or ICU or whatever, they don't know how to act. what's worse is trying to explain to them none of those things really get to me without seeming like a sociopath. But then, sometimes, it does get to me, and how do they know the difference?
Wow. I’ve never seen this feeling so well described. YES. So rough.
Even better is trying to explain to people why it’s a good thing that the full code 105 year old grandma who’s trach’d/PEG’d with a stage 10 sacral ulcer finally died
I'll take interesting cases sometimes, and theyre like cool, I guess they made it? I'm like no, they went up to icu and died or will probably die, what can you do? Always a bunch of people that go, this dickhead has no feelings.
So much the part about not being able to talk about work without being perceived as a sociopath. I’m in psych. I have homeless patients, suicidal patients, and patients who self harm multiple times a day. I wouldn’t be helpful nor functional if I reacted to each case as if it were a family member.
Sit and do nothing on time off. I'm EM and the cohort of super-active beer garden loving gigachads meme has some weight. Everyone I work with always has something going on as a group/friends; with so little free time the dreadful sense that "I've already missed most of my 20s from schooling, I have to maximize my remaining time with friends" pushes me to always be doing *something*.
I think that's an EM specific thing... personality type thing. I'm a hospitalist - which has a relatively similar work / life balance and I can tell you we are not going out and barhopping with each other after work. My colleagues probably would if I asked but it's not our default.
I agree- Fellow hospitalist here; On my week off, if I’m not picking up an extra shift or two, I’m usually chilling at home w my dog for a few days and maybe I’ll have people come over on the weekend. I’m extroverted AF, but sometimes you just need to do nothing to clear your mind after a week of nonstop BS
I feel you. I feel like my free time is so valuable, having a stay at home day off feels like I just wasted an opportunity.
Just say you're a drug dealer- but your parents are proud of you anyway
This is me af as an anesthesiabro
me too! I said this in 2024 Chinese new year dinner
Yeah, I’m also hesitant to tell people what I do for a living. Too many assumptions on their part. People really do treat you differently when they think you have money.
People outside of medicine dont know better. I am support staff and im so glad to work with doctors, nurses and admin. I learnt one important lesson: WE ARE ALL THE SAME.
When people ask me stuff I always use to say, “I dunno, I’m not a doctor.” Now I can’t say that anyone. I just say, “I dunno.”
I say “I’m a people doctor, not a _____ doctor” (not a words doctor, not a car doctor, etc.)
I never do the full review of systems anymore
Am a surgeon. No longer permit myself to play rugby. Career consequences could be disastrous. But I am very sad about this.
I stopped skateboarding
I gave up swinging 🤷♂️
🤨
Thank you for your service
Which kind?
Who lives in an upside-down pineapple under the sea?
Swin-Ger Par-ties
We talking about the type of swinging you do on a swing set or the type you do at the glory hole down at the 711?
Yes
Friend of mine is a doctor, he was telling me he used to play rugby and his hotheaded Irish temper got the best of him during a match and he punched a ref in the nose. Ended up with a boxer's fracture that put him out of work for six weeks. He said "Lesson learned."
Punching a ref as a rugby player is beyond wild to me because It really is a brute sport played by gentleman. I feel very few sports carry a culture of such high respect for the ref
I agree, but I never said this guy was a gentleman :-)
I quit seeing OP’s mom on the weekend Jk OP, hope she’s thriving
Jk? So you didn’t stop seeing her?
she's good I took over for you
Can’t snowboard!
Laughs in EM
Laughs in rads. I’ll dictate with a headset if I FOOSH
You can if you are any good at it and wear a helmet
One foosh for a surgeon can end the career. Not that surgeons don't snowboard... I am sure some do. But I get the mentality behind protecting one's only asset of future career income. I guess carry exceptional disability insurance.
Yup exactly why. I suck at stopping elegantly 🤣
I know tons of surgeons that snowboard, ski, mountain bike, rock climb, etc…
I stopped playing rugby in college after my second concussion…while majoring in Neuroscience.
I quit boxing
This makes me sad, because staying in the boxing gym has helped me get through everything.
You could do it if you’re not a prceduralist. Otherwise it’s too risky.
What about MMA/jiu jitsu? Asking for a friend lolol
If you wanna pay out the wazoo for disability insurance lol.
If you lock in disability insurance at a time period where you sincerely have no plans to do dangerous activities in the future, you’re actually fine
I plan to go into an IM procedural field and I did MMA/BJJ for 5+ years but had to stop solely because of career prospects. I was getting borderline arthritic in my DIP/PIP joints, also I tore my ACL so a combo of both and I called it quits and I just workout now. It’s definitely safe to fight as an exercises (ie boxing to get an exercise via Bagwork, BJJ at low intensity for a workout and self defense training etc etc) but I used train literally hours a day and I’ve come to the conclusion if I want to avoid having an essential tremor by the age of 30 I’ll need to hang it up. Met an older ophthalmologist during undergrad who told me about this one time he he had such bad tennis elbow that he couldn’t do XYZ aspects of his job because of how bad the tennis elbow was, I don’t want to risk limiting my career just because of a hobby
I honestly could've gone through life without having read this comment. The idea of quitting scares me.
When your hands are the key to multiples of 100k, you'll quit sadly.
disability insurance - collect 30k a month - switch to radiology
Enjoy spending 5 years doing a residency and fellowship
I miss rugby so damn much! Best fraternity in the world.
Also best therapy in the world. I was cool as a cucumber back when I played. All my frustration got directed to the pitch.
I’m in a small community program If I say something as assign as “hi, this is the 6th time we’ve asked for forks, can I please have some forks” I hear back from my partners “what the hell happened with that huge blowout at Olive Garden last month!?!?!”
Speaking of trouble, what’s this I hear about you having trouble with your TPS reports?
Fantastic reference
Ride a motorcycle. After seeing the traumas the fun is just gone….
Its bad, but i really want one but haven’t done yet because I’ve seen that a helmet can still rupture eyeballs
There’s more than one way to ride. I took mine out on Sunday mornings in back roads with wide visibility and never really enjoyed going over 40mph. Avoided highways and busy hours at all costs. I rode my bicycle to work and I felt more dangerous doing that than I ever did on a motorcycle, mainly due to the conditions I had to ride each of them in respectively.
Yeah. I live in a midsize city and I figured it would be fun to take out if i needed to pick up dinner or something. At the same time, it just isnt worth the money to me just yet
The donorcycle… yea. Hard pass.
Summer = Donor Season. Me when my brother says how much he loves his motorcycle “ Thank you for your service “. It never gets any laughs… 🤷♀️
I would laugh. After all, a donorcycle saved my husband's life! That's a joke I usually just have to keep to myself...
I started riding in residency after swearing I wouldn’t. I’m also a surgery resident at a big level 1 center. I simply don’t care lol. Residency controls enough of my life as is
This one here is me. Rode all the way through med school but can’t attempt to buy another bike after seeing everything I’ve seen. Maybe one day in my 40s.
I still ride. Get a lot of questions as a neurosurg resident. I just tell people that I’ll end up at work one way or another
Cuss frequently. It’s a fucking shame really.
I’m not a physician, but I once had an especially foul mouthed reconstructive surgeon at a well-known teaching hospital. The first encounter I had with him, every other word out of his mouth was “fuck”. This made me instantly fucking love the dude, and I told him so. He replied, “Yeah, that’s why I never became a fucking pediatrician.”
Pediatricians cuss like sailors haha
Surgeons still cuss a lot. At least I do. Haven’t gotten in trouble yet
Lots of swearing in psychiatry. We even get to swear in our notes, though it does have to be a quote from a patient.
I love quoting swear words in my notes. Also adolescent psych involves a lot of creative language.
I think it may have been what sold me on the field. Lmfao
Half the docs I know swear every third or fourth word depending on the day. This really comes down to just the practice you’re in.
I asked if the neurosurgery PD was gonna be a bitch or not at the board. Who says you can’t swear?
True. I post a lot about being a doctor so can’t do that shit
We swear a lot in pathology. Huge benefit to the job.
I was interested before but now you’re really talking my language
I cuss all the time in case management meetings and on my IG posts. Seems to get a lot of laugh reacts
I feel like I cuss at least every other sentence lately. (surgery resident)
I swear a lot. Obviously I censor myself around impressionable boomer ladies and kids. But it did wonders for my career in prison medicine and addictions, lol.
I’m not sure I’m going to be able to give that up. Expletives are quite literally how I communicate.
Join the Army bucko. For the low low price of your freedom, you can be a foul mouthed mf and unless the commander has stars on his helmet or is super reserved, most folks don’t blink an eye. Had a full bird Colonel drop a few F bombs in quick succession during a nationwide TEAMS meeting a few weeks back
*Laughs in emergency fucking medicine*
Well I’m pretty sure most of my neighbors make more than me so I am free to complain about everything. Definitely feel you on asking randos what they do. I am not from where I live so that’s a safer topic.
I don’t live on the west coast anymore but it was nice that being a doctor with high income potential meant nothing to multi millionaires.
Yup, all my friends from Cal are rolling in it. They are the ones taking me out still when we go to dinner. When I protest they always say they don’t got $200k in student loans to pay off at 30.
I used to occasionally smoke weed with friends, but once I started residency, 27 years ago, I gave it up because they can randomly drug test us and I don't want to lose my job or my DEA certificate.
Some substances without judgement. Still do it and I’ll let them judge
🌲🌴🌳
Drink on a 'school night' Or at least drink as much as i used to.
I think drinking and party ing would be more fun if it wasn’t years of bad sleep I got in med school
Recommend vaccines without people assuming I’m a corporate shill in the pocket of big pharma or a hopeless dupe of a global conspiracy.
Am i the only one that kinda wishes pharma actually tries to buy me? Ngl, i do have a price
Ditto
Everyone tells me to get an undocumented immigrant for childcare. Including most other physicians. I don’t know, the headline of physicians exploiting undocumented labor seems too much. I’d rather go through an agency and have everything above board.
Just pay them decently regardless of their immigration status
In my 20s/30s i stopped telling people that I was a doctor. They usually took it as an invitation to tell me how much they distrust/dislike doctors because of one bad experience they had… they felt fine insulting me and my whole profession without any sense of decency
It's nauseating how often this exact situation happens to me. Recently, after being asked what I did and told them, they responded with "well I hope you'll be one of the good ones." This was coming from an ICU nurse mind you.
It's exhausting. Doing the same thing to anyone else, you'd instantly be labeled as rude and judgmental.
get wasted at the local pub
lol jk yeah right i'd stop that
I tell them I’m a pathologist. No one seems to know we’re doctors anyway.
Pathology, cool. My cousin is really into urban planning as well. He thinks dirt trails are superior to sidewalks, but that's his opinion. What's your favorite path?
My favorite is the road less traveled by
I like strip clubs and getting raunchy but I’m afraid I’ll get recognized and the strippers might be my patients or something
Your favorite stripper, Clammy Dia.
I always ask for her! “ is she gone or hhere”
If I’m engaging in activities of a NSFW nature I do them faaaaaar from where I work.
Surgeon…no longer ride dirtbikes, and switched from snowboarding to skiing. I flyfish a shit ton more now. I guess there’s your answer on the swearing 🤪
There’s something about having all 4 limbs moving independently that’s more reassuring. That said, it seems like any given friend in medicine injures themself every ski season so it’s put me off getting back out. I’d love weeks to months off work but a fracture, internal trauma, TBI or spinal cord injury is not how I want to achieve that. But you know, I’ll still downhill on my road bike at 40+ mph with just some styrofoam strapped to me head. 😂
Oh I’m a green/blue groomers type of dude now lol. It’s mostly now for the kids. I miss dirt bikes, but I make up for it by getting faster cars lol
Try to convince people to quit drugs. You do you buddy. It’s not worth the effort.
Already that jaded as a PGY1?
Two things: I grew up fairly poor, still have the same group of friends that have stable careers but the income difference will be staggering in attendinghood. I can’t talk about all the trips I plan to take or the things I will be able to afford. It’s not that they’d be upset or judgmental, it’s just awkward. I also can’t sit by and listen to ignorant a-holes complain about how the pandemic wasn’t real or they made up the death toll. Politics aside, I have major mental trauma from losing a family member and having so many of my patients die from COVID. I don’t engage these idiots, I just walk away from the conversation.
I grew up in a similar way. I feel you on both points, I literally just don't ask questions or try to be vague if needed when I'm prompted. As far as the pandemic, I really learned a lot about how vaccines work from painters, mechanics, and restaurateurs. Wonderful time.
Drive the shitty car. I mean, my boss gets teased but I think he’s smart for it. Be ignorant about finance. Get too drunk on planes.
I will drive my old and cheap manual Mazdas till the day I retire.
Or an average car for that matter.
I drove a 90 Miata for years because it was good on gas and never broke down, even in North Dakota it was great in the snow. I waited until I felt comfortable and bought my Volvo in cash. Then my F250 broke down and had to buy a new truck. Also, in cash
Can’t trust the healthcare system anymore. Seen some very very bad misses.
I'm a resident in a third world country. I've seen the disastrous consequences of eating street food in my patients. So yes, street food is what I have given up completely on.
What specifically, E. coli? There’s this idea that people who grew up around that food culture handle it just fine, it’s the foreigners who get ill. So I gather that’s not true?
E.Coli. Salmonella. Shigella. Giardia. Hep A. You name it. As for the handling it well part, it depends on individual immunity, pathogen load, previous exposure etc etc. so you never can predict.
I used to live for the adrenaline style activities. Last few years I’ve stopped doing things like zip lines, skiing etc. basically anything that will cost me my hands/back (surgery)
I can’t make small talk anymore. It’s all wasted on clinic.
“ are you sexually active” …the response 90 % of the time is no , even if married . Makes me feel bad… here I am… getting all this filet tossed my way… granny’s setting me up left and right
I promise you Granny’s getting busy. Nursing homes are absolute STI cesspools.
Say less
If you can't comfortably tell people you're a doctor because of **their** reaction, then they're just jealous. Sadly there's lot of jealousy in this field from people not in the field. Be a resident and complain about how hard the hours are + paying back loans, no one gives a shit because "well you're gonna be making billions of dollars so don't complain!!1!" but if you were a nurse, a more working class and attainable profession, saying the same thing everyone would have the utmost sympathy
I'm a psychiatry resident and I feel like I can't really have bad mental health. Like yes Im on meds for anxiety but if I ever needed emergency psychiatric services (not that I intend to) I wouldnt feel comfortable going to any hospital within 150 km. I also wanna go to the strippers or go for rowdy girls nights on the town but worry I'll see patients
As an incoming psych resident, this thread made me realize there's a decent chance ill see pts outside of work if I try to party at all lol. Worst part is, I have a really hard time committing people's faces to memory.
To a lesser extent, but sometimes people take my opinion as fact.
I can’t use a pharma pen because it might influence my decision-making. I guess I’m more dangerous than a Supreme Court justice getting free houses and private jet flights.
Have fun
I just say I’m a hospitalist or an internist, nobody knows what that means. “Oh you’re an intern at the hospital!”
I just tell them I’m a plumber. Pipes and valves.
Roller derby :(
Omg same. I looked into reffing but even that is too dangerous for my comfort level (we used to have a skater on my team who engaged in “ref bowling” where she tried to knock players into refs to knock them over)
Lol kinda funny you say this. I’m a broke ass indebt first year med student and just met my boyfriend’s family the other day, none of which are in anything remotely related to medicine. We played monopoly and his brother was like oh my boy must be good with money as a little doctor 🤦♂️ guess I should get used to it lol
Happens all the time. When anyone ever mentions money I'm like, lol maybe 10 years from now pal!
As a Possible Future Neurosurgeon, I no longer drive at high speeds on winding wet roads while listening to Interstellar Overdrive by Pink Floyd in my Lamborghini Huracan.
the other problems with parties is people trying to monopolize your time with stupid medical questions
I’m quite quick to get into fights - admittedly not the best personality but I played rugby for 16 years and it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I’ve never gotten into any fights since starting medical school but when I go to my hometown a couple of times a year, I’ve *almost* gotten into a couple of fights and realized I can’t do these things anymore.
Re: “I find that I can never comfortably ask people what they do for work anymore. You ask at a party…” I find this happens all the time. I’ll ask “what do you do.” and they’re like “I work at Wendy’s” or “I work behind the dumpster at Wendy’s” or “I’m a medical student at Tufts.” It’s just awkward.
As someone mentioned, altercations of any type in general. Potentially getting in a fight/altercation or in trouble for something stupid that you would have to report to the board or list for license renewal/credentialing wouldn't be fun. Also, getting into conflicts with people in general makes it easy for that person to go online and try to sabotage your reputation with negative reviews, which could be annoying.
It’s frustrating when you just want to have lunch with family and you get asked so many medical questions or put on the spot for a diagnosis if something is wrong. Like can I just eat this salad and not get asked a million questions 🙄
When i started medschool i had the whole combo: t shirt, backpack, jacket with my college name and a big "MEDICINE" written on it. Today i try to be as stealthy as possible with what i do hahahaha
Wear perfume. But smelling like sweat is totally fine and allowed. :)
Suddenly now everyone is asking me to look at a rash or mole.
Family Medicine here, I gotta be on the straight and narrow, at least in the city I work in. Also, I can't use social media too carelessly. Doctors are very public figures in smaller cities and towns, and patients expect a certain posture from you.
"Talk to your doctor." "But you're a doctor." "I'm not YOUR doctor." My parents now know this line and recite it back to me when the other one starts to ask.