TSR Med Students' Society Part VI

OP

I don't know if I have unrealistic expectations of how to communicate and care for patients because of my background. I know the medical role is different to nursing but I find so many times I want to bang my head against the wall because of the way patients are talked to.
I expected psych doctors are just as dismissive as other consultants. Patients constantly drop hints about desperately needing to tell someone something or to talk to someone and they just get brushed off with a pill. There was a woman today who I desperately wanted to hug and tell her to just keep talking but the consultant did his history and sent her away with some pills. Telling me afterwards he didn't want to open a can of worms. But may refer her for talking therapies in the future. She clearly needed them now and wanted to disclose abuse and he just printed a page from the web about a local abuse charity.
Losing all faith in the humanity of consultants. If even psychiatrists are dismissive what hope do patients have.

I know time pressures mean I won't be able to dedicate the time I used to to getting to know my patients. And that clinics are a nightmare time wise. But I wonder how many less clinic appointments we would need if concerns were addressed properly the first time.

I know that you can't please everyone. And that the nhs is massively struggling. But I think we often do patients a disservice in the way we communicate

Sorry for the rant and if said rant offends anyone. It's one of the biggest frustrations I have trying to transition towards the medic role.

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Reply 981

TattyBoJangles

19

Original post by ForestCat

x

I agree with you completely, 100%.

I had some bad experiences with the NHS over the summer, and it made me realise how lacking in humanity medicine can be sometimes. It is so frustrating.

I made a vow to myself to never be like the bastard of a doctor who screwed up the care of a relative. In fact, the experience has changed my outlook somewhat, and I'm now leaning towards palliative / end of life care as a speciality.

I did feel like banging my head against a wall when, in the first week of placement, somebody piped up, 'Err.. how do we do empathy?'
I just wanted to scream, 'By being a decent person, that's how'.

I restrained.

Reply 982

ForestCat

OP

18

Original post by TattyBoJangles

I agree with you completely, 100%.

I had some bad experiences with the NHS over the summer, and it made me realise how lacking in humanity medicine can be sometimes. It is so frustrating.

I made a vow to myself to never be like the bastard of a doctor who screwed up the care of a relative. In fact, the experience has changed my outlook somewhat, and I'm now leaning towards palliative / end of life care as a speciality.

I did feel like banging my head against a wall when, in the first week of placement, somebody piped up, 'Err.. how do we do empathy?'
I just wanted to scream, 'By being a decent person, that's how'.

I restrained.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience.

But that's the thing they're all lacking. Empathy. Consideration for what the patient is experiencing, why they are asking these questions or telling you those things. And a complete lack of consideration about explaining how the process works. They all moan that patients expects too much but if a patient's only source of information is holby city and Google, what do they expect.

I think that was my biggest problem today. The patient was pouring her heart out, disclosing suicide attempts, flashbacks to possible sexual abuse, wanting to give her kids away and the doctor just 'mmm hmmed' her and asked his next question. Usually completely unrelated to the bombshell she just dropped.
If he had simply said, "I'm hearing the things that you're saying and I will come back to them, but I have a certain order I use in order to cover everything", it would have made it seem like he was actually interested. I was mentally checking off the psych history list as he went but to a layman it would appear that he was completely nonchalant to this poor woman's experience.

I knew I would hate psych but I thought it was because I was too much of a acute medic at heart. Turns out it has the exact same reasons to hate it as all the other specialties. Shove some pills at a patient and job done.

I still have the best experiences with nurse specialists. I did a home visit with a mental health support worker today, and she could really teach these doctors a thing or two about patient history taking and communication skills.

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Reply 983

7me7

7

Hi

I'm a bit late to the party but I thought I'd introduce myself- I'm a first year medic at Barts. Any fellow students/rivals around?

(Thanks for adding me @ForestCat!)

Reply 984

Spencer Wells

12

Original post by 7me7

Any fellow students/rivals around?
!

With that attitude you're going to go far.

Reply 985

7me7

7

Original post by Spencer Wells

With that attitude you're going to go far.

I just meant in terms of 'rival' med schools :smile:

after all, we're all in this together!

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Reply 986

Kirimin

11

Original post by ForestCat

X

Original post by TattyBoJangles

X

Also really sorry you had to have a bad experience.

But again, agree with you both 100%, its sad to see a lot of the time and its difficult because it doesn't really take much but everyone is under so much pressure it often gets forgotten.

I always remember the first history I got to take alone on a ward, she had tried to kill herself and although she was feeling "better" by the time I got to her I'm not convinced she had really had a chance to fully talk through everything that was going on in her life to lead to that point from the amount of time I spent with her going through it all. But surely you would think that that would be one of the most important things to do given the state of mental health waiting lists!

In fact I've had a few less than perfect experiences as a patient myself but being able to talk to patients as a fellow patient has been quite interesting in terms of what they expect, and for most people it isn't really much beyond just being a nice person. :P

Reply 987

Anonymous #15

Anyone else use brainscape? honestly is saving my life rn

Reply 988

VividBandicoot

18

This damn anon tick...

Reply 989

Mutmit287

22

Original post by Zain-A

This damn anon tick...

i have been using ANKI for a while now and it really is a life saver!

Reply 990

VividBandicoot

18

Original post by Natalierm2707

i have been using ANKI for a while now and it really is a life saver!

Will take a look after these December exams!

Reply 991

VividBandicoot

18

On another note, thought I'd share this with you all, anyone ever noticed that a cervical vertebrae looks like sid the sloth? Once you see it you will never not see it

Reply 992

Asklepios

19

Original post by Zain-A

On another note, thought I'd share this with you all, anyone ever noticed that a cervical vertebrae looks like sid the sloth? Once you see it you will never not see it

Mate are way ahead of you

http://i67.tinypic.com/1zq5w2c.jpg

Reply 993

Anonymous #15

Original post by Asklepios

Mate are way ahead of you

http://i67.tinypic.com/1zq5w2c.jpg

hahhaha, can see the giraffe and the elephant - but lumbar looking like a moose? Nah mate

Reply 994

VividBandicoot

18

I am plagued to forever forget to untick that damn anon box

Reply 995

Mutmit287

22

Original post by Zain-A

Will take a look after these December exams!

Best of luck in your exams x

Reply 996

Anonymous #15

Original post by Natalierm2707

Best of luck in your exams x

Thank you

Reply 997

Xotol

14

I've really enjoyed my time in clinics so far, but damn some of the doctors treat us like flies. I mean I don't blame them since it's so busy, but trying to get a doctor to give you some time is near on impossible. It doesn't help that teaching is so disorganised and trying to find patients is basically a battle against all your colleagues to who can get there first :lol:

Reply 998

Mrs House

16

Original post by Xotol

I've really enjoyed my time in clinics so far, but damn some of the doctors treat us like flies. I mean I don't blame them since it's so busy, but trying to get a doctor to give you some time is near on impossible. It doesn't help that teaching is so disorganised and trying to find patients is basically a battle against all your colleagues to who can get there first :lol:

I've been fortunate this semester with the clinics I've been in. They've all spoken to me, grilled me and like to talk about the patient before and after. :biggrin:

It really does vary!

Reply 999

Asklepios

19

Original post by Xotol

I've really enjoyed my time in clinics so far, but damn some of the doctors treat us like flies. I mean I don't blame them since it's so busy, but trying to get a doctor to give you some time is near on impossible. It doesn't help that teaching is so disorganised and trying to find patients is basically a battle against all your colleagues to who can get there first :lol:

Obviously it depends on the doctor, but if you're not getting much teaching during a consultation, then just try and ask loads of questions between patients. Once I even asked "why didn't you do this test" and the consultant was like "oh yeah well spotted" and I've never felt a single useful during medical school :tongue:

TSR Med Students' Society Part VI

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