Squeamishness- will I learn to get over it?

Hi, sorry to bother you again. Ive been researching into the medical course over the past couple of days; and its kind of dawned upon me that I am a tiny bit squeamish, lol. I mean im ok with the injuries n stuff, but sometimes I feel a bit uneasy watching surgeons cut people up/ stick needles into them, that sort of thing. Is this normal for a potential medic? Will I get used to doing / seeing this sort of stuff? We had to do a rat dissection some months ago at school, and I felt quite uneasy doing it and couldnt do it properly :redface:

. Would I learn about how to deal with this sort of thing in the medical course and get used to it, or does this make me not suitable to do medicine?

Any replies much appreciated

Looking forward to your replies

Thanks :smile:

PS. hope you dont mind my posts or find them irritating, I'll be posting on here more often as I look more into the course :p:

Reply 1

username43584

8

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=391031

Reply 2

Philosoraptor

18

Thankyou dearest, I was about to say the same thing. :p:

Reply 3

Spacecam

15

Ditto to the above - search before asking a question that might have already been asked loads of times.

It's no problem to ask questions, that's what the forum is here for (well that and chatting/procrastinating).

when I first started Med chool, we went to the dissection room on the first Friday we were there. At least 4 fainted and 2 ran out screaming. OK, I have to be sexist and say that they were mostly female. However, they are all still here, finished the dissection and some have even been to Post Mortem examinations, which believe me are so much worse than dissection.

You will get used to the body, and start thinking of it as an item to help learning, albeit one to be treated with the upmost respect, so you will get on with it. But be warned, you will never ever get used to the SMELL - it isn't as gross after two weeks but its still always there!!

Just don't have any premonitions or start thinking up reasons or scenarios before you've even experienced it. It won't be anything like you expect (that's a good thing) - it isn't that bad at all.

Reply 4

Ender

At least 4 fainted and 2 ran out screaming.

Lol, i look forward to that scene when i start in september, am i sick?

Reply 5

Iscariot

11

I watched brain surgery today during work experience. I was so close I could have poked him right in the meninges! I admit before the surgery began I was a little bit unsure what to expect in terms of bleeding and what the hell a real brain looked like - but once the ball got rolling I spent the whole time enjoying it with zero discomfort over the whole thing.

Reply 6

username43584

8

Oooh that sounds cool *is jealous*

I'm guessing I won't get that squeamish. My job involves regular exposure to guts and gore :biggrin:

An abattoir? :P

becca2389

I'm guessing I won't get that squeamish. My job involves regular exposure to guts and gore :biggrin:

It's not just 'guts and gore'.

Reply 9

username43584

8

Oh I'm positive I'll find something that'll make my stomach churn, but I'm sure I'll survive.

Reply 10

Minnie Magic

i'm off to be a vet student, not medic, but i used to be really really squeamish about needles. from my own experience, i think you will become very de-sensitised rather quickly as you become more involved in practice, until eventually you've seen it so many times it's just not a big deal anymore.
from personal experience, my advice would be to actively confront it and try to be as involved as possible. i found the support from telling people about my <slightly embarrassing, hehe> aversion to needles really helped because the vets and nurses were really supportive and encouraging.
i will always remember the time i gave my first sub-cut injection- i felt like a different person- the old me would never have done that, but that was just the first hurdle really- now i handle needles/injections/drips every day and even had my blood taken last week with no problem!

as for a tip for smelly dissections..... for the really bad ones (like digestive tract etc) some people put that olbas oil/vapo rub stuff under their nose and it seems to help :smile:

Reply 11

bright star

1

i'm sure you'll be fine. i fainted when they took my blood to check my hep b status when i arrived here. now i take blood from other people no problems...

Reply 12

Spacecam

15

Taking blood in the first year at Liverpool?

Reply 13

Iscariot

11

Spacecam

Taking blood in the first year at Liverpool?

I was going to say that that struck me as odd too, but then I realised I wasn't 100% sure how much clinical contact first years had with patients. Then I realised that taking blood might actually mean taking blood from a fellow student during clinical skills practice sessions.

Reply 14

Renal

17

Part time phleb?

You just don't know.

Reply 15

katb123

You take blood from each other in the first year??? OMG! I've got the exact same problem as you btw, I'm terrified of needles and sooo squeamish, and I really want to go to medical school so that I can be a psychaiatrist. I've never fainted at an injection but I tend to cry and make a right fuss, when I was little I kicked the nurse and had to be held down by three people for my meninjitis, and I was, like, 7... Then again before you're allowwed to go into contact with any patients, you have to get loads of injections, at least 8 I think. So after that, either you'll need a psychaiatrist or you'll be desensitized to needles enough to go through the training required, if you can get 8 in a row done. :/

Reply 16

digitalis

17

I think it's a different situation when you are doing the job as a student, you're thinking about the disease, the pathology, the implications on a patient etc etc rather than just thinking about it, I was the same as you. Like when you get around to taking blood, you are more concerned with doing all the steps right (lining up the needle, bevel up etc) and causing the least distress to the person that you are taking off so it will help. :smile:

Meh, I think the nice thing about med school is that you can take things at your own pace. I got taught on SSMs to do bloods and cannulas in the first half of second year, I do believe L'pool do accelerate the clinical skills stuff (venepuncture is taught in 1st yr IIRC, a mate of mine just finished first year there).

Reply 17

Mushi_master

17

The idea of needles, watching blood get taken, having my own taken etc. used to make me feel a little squeemish. But after just watching loads of phlebotomy and cannulations on the ward it doesn't bother me in the slightest. You get over it with exposure I suppose.

Reply 18

katb123

I guess that's right, so after I make a **** of myself the first few times I'll probably get used to it. Eventually. I tried watching this nose surgery thing on Youtube, it was like eeew!! But I guess if you want something enough, you can get over illogical fears like needles or blood. :/ Good to know I'm not the only idiot wanting to go 2 med school, but totally squeamish! Thanx. xxx

Reply 19

Renal

17

Where the ******* hell did this come from? And for what purpose? :confused:

Are we done? Can it go back now?

Squeamishness- will I learn to get over it?

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