This is going to sound really terrible, but medical students like sick patients. The sicker and more complicated, the better. We find them challenging, educational and just plain ‘interesting’. We get bored after the 30th patient that presents with a viral upper respiratory infection (aka the common cold). Just stay home and drink fluids, darn it! We want to not know what the primary diagnosis is and be able to create an endless list of differential diagnoses.
Like a mystery from an old Sherlock Holmes case, we want to become obsessed with finding the cause and ultimately the cure. We start lazily with a general google or Wikipedia search, quickly find ourselves unsatisfied and start opening up progressively more detailed and medically relevant websites such as UptoDate, Pubmed, and Cochrane library! All while flipping through Harrison’s and Robbin’s till our fingers become numb. After hours sitting in the library, finding an answer becomes fantastical Grey’s Anatomy bull.
At the end a 30 hour call shift we become increasingly frustrated with the situation, wrong about everything, and find ourselves realizing that we are after all just medical students and become severely humbled by the experience (Humbling Moment #7). Well until the next ‘interesting’ patient that is.
While I am not a medical student – I am a patient – a lot.
I had an experience with CT media contrast the other day – (probably due to very exacerbated asthma I’ve been told) had an anaphalactoid reaction. It was most definitely one of those things I would like to avoid in the future.
On the upside – the fantastic ER doctors that came rushing when Rapid Response was called were giddy – frantic yes, but also humorous and shouting and arguing over the amount of Solumedrol (sp) to give…It was a whirlwind.
Once I was stable and in the actual ER – my main doctor told me that I made his night and thanked me for the excitement.
Here’s to hoping for much excitement in your future!
Hah, no wonder they all love me.
You might find, by looking closely at the 30 people who come to you with upper respiratory infections, that they are all have very unique health problems that are much more complex than anything you might typically see from looking at gross presentations. Look deeper. Personalized medicine starts with the physician, not the technology behind them.
“Personalized medicine starts with the physician, not the technology behind them.”
I agree with you Thomas.
‘Interesting Article’
Thanks Angelo.
Right, but we don’t like challenges when it comes to clinical exams! Patients can be misleading, and we end up walking the wrong direction, going after irrelevant symptoms!
pretty big generalization there.