Comments on: Seven A1s doesn’t make you a Doctor http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2005/10/10/seven-a1s-doesnt-make-you-a-doctor/ Sinéad Gleeson's blog Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:52:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Sinéad http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2005/10/10/seven-a1s-doesnt-make-you-a-doctor/#comment-583 Sinéad Mon, 07 Nov 2005 11:37:08 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2005/10/10/seven-a1s-doesnt-make-you-a-doctor/#comment-583 I totally agree with you Auds, each profession has its share of bad folk, but it's just so important to recognise that there are so many factors that contribute to being a good doctor. I can only imagine your ability is also diminshed somewhat by the unacceptable hours that young doctors are forced to work. Reading your post, I was reminded of someone I went to school with who chose medicine. Very smart, lovely person, but cripplingly shy and as a result, a very inept communicator. Doctors need to be able to communicate, not just inform, and I'm at a loss to figure out how something so innate can be taught (and at the same time infused with real compassion). It sounds like you're already well aware of the importance of patient/doctor dialogue which is very heartening so best of luck with your career as a doctor. I totally agree with you Auds, each profession has its share of bad folk, but it’s just so important to recognise that there are so many factors that contribute to being a good doctor. I can only imagine your ability is also diminshed somewhat by the unacceptable hours that young doctors are forced to work.
Reading your post, I was reminded of someone I went to school with who chose medicine. Very smart, lovely person, but cripplingly shy and as a result, a very inept communicator. Doctors need to be able to communicate, not just inform, and I’m at a loss to figure out how something so innate can be taught (and at the same time infused with real compassion).

It sounds like you’re already well aware of the importance of patient/doctor dialogue which is very heartening so best of luck with your career as a doctor.

]]> By: auds http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2005/10/10/seven-a1s-doesnt-make-you-a-doctor/#comment-580 auds Sun, 06 Nov 2005 16:10:29 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2005/10/10/seven-a1s-doesnt-make-you-a-doctor/#comment-580 I'm so sorry that you've had such dreadful experiences with the medical profession. I'm currently a few months away from becoming a doctor and am struggling to accept the fact that 5 years have passed since I clutched my As and entered medicine. I'm one of those people who did medicine "because she could". It was a toss up between theoretical physics and medicine in TCD and got the medicine so away I went to get a dissection kit and a white coat. People skills and bedside manner is taught to us in the helpful "role play" format which is a complete waste of time. After 6 years, my youthful idealism and belief in the self sacrificing profession of healers has been tarnished slightly, but has not waned. I've watched doctors tell parents of 26week old twins that they have died in utero, tell a 24 year old woman that her incredibly rare breat cancer has returned and that's there no real cure with compassion and genuine concern for the fellow human being in front of them. Unfortunately I've also watched doctors strip off surgical bandages on ward rounds without pulling the curtains and watched helplessly on an A&E ward round as one woman tried to explain her alcoholism in full view of the world and its mother lying around her. While it's an easy thing to blame, working hours do play a huge part in how doctors treat their patients. If you've been on the trot for 24 hours looking at the same thing over and over again and struggling to keep your eyes open with coffee dreading the ward round where your consultant will expect you to be up to date with all your patients - a simple smile becomes very hard. There will always be bad eggs in every profession but what to do to change this culture? Changing the entry process won't help much - interviews will pick just those who can talk about compassion, not neccesarily practice it and you can't teach someone what to do in terms of a written protocols. The basis of this problem and the only real solution involve an increasing appreciation for the human dignity inherent in every person and continually striving to recognise and honour it in every patient you meet. (Apologies for bit of a rat - got a little carried away!) I’m so sorry that you’ve had such dreadful experiences with the medical profession.
I’m currently a few months away from becoming a doctor and am struggling to accept the fact that 5 years have passed since I clutched my As and entered medicine. I’m one of those people who did medicine “because she could”. It was a toss up between theoretical physics and medicine in TCD and got the medicine so away I went to get a dissection kit and a white coat.
People skills and bedside manner is taught to us in the helpful “role play” format which is a complete waste of time. After 6 years, my youthful idealism and belief in the self sacrificing profession of healers has been tarnished slightly, but has not waned. I’ve watched doctors tell parents of 26week old twins that they have died in utero, tell a 24 year old woman that her incredibly rare breat cancer has returned and that’s there no real cure with compassion and genuine concern for the fellow human being in front of them. Unfortunately I’ve also watched doctors strip off surgical bandages on ward rounds without pulling the curtains and watched helplessly on an A&E ward round as one woman tried to explain her alcoholism in full view of the world and its mother lying around her.
While it’s an easy thing to blame, working hours do play a huge part in how doctors treat their patients. If you’ve been on the trot for 24 hours looking at the same thing over and over again and struggling to keep your eyes open with coffee dreading the ward round where your consultant will expect you to be up to date with all your patients - a simple smile becomes very hard.
There will always be bad eggs in every profession but what to do to change this culture? Changing the entry process won’t help much - interviews will pick just those who can talk about compassion, not neccesarily practice it and you can’t teach someone what to do in terms of a written protocols.
The basis of this problem and the only real solution involve an increasing appreciation for the human dignity inherent in every person and continually striving to recognise and honour it in every patient you meet.

(Apologies for bit of a rat - got a little carried away!)

]]> By: Markham http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2005/10/10/seven-a1s-doesnt-make-you-a-doctor/#comment-477 Markham Tue, 11 Oct 2005 23:01:23 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2005/10/10/seven-a1s-doesnt-make-you-a-doctor/#comment-477 I know a lot of the current batch of graduates, and on the basis of those I am fortunate enough to know, perhaps there is hope for the future. Also, when my mother was in the final stages of her MS, the doctor who dealt with us (Ryan Tubridy's brother, it turns out) could give lessons in bedside manner and compassion - he was straight down the line with us, very sincere and helpful, as were most of the medical professionals that dealt with Mum along the way. That's not to say there aren't eejits in the profession. I had to figure out from conversations with other doctors that the redheaded nincompoop in St Vincents who decided I needed a catheter did nothing but push a kidney stone back up into my bladder. It's a long (and, looking back on it, funny) story that involves an over-friendly and very hands-on male nurse, some pretty poor medical skills by a nameless doctor, and plastic tubing of an uncomfortable diameter. Sadly, his communication skills matched his practical knowledge. I know a lot of the current batch of graduates, and on the basis of those I am fortunate enough to know, perhaps there is hope for the future. Also, when my mother was in the final stages of her MS, the doctor who dealt with us (Ryan Tubridy’s brother, it turns out) could give lessons in bedside manner and compassion - he was straight down the line with us, very sincere and helpful, as were most of the medical professionals that dealt with Mum along the way.

That’s not to say there aren’t eejits in the profession. I had to figure out from conversations with other doctors that the redheaded nincompoop in St Vincents who decided I needed a catheter did nothing but push a kidney stone back up into my bladder.

It’s a long (and, looking back on it, funny) story that involves an over-friendly and very hands-on male nurse, some pretty poor medical skills by a nameless doctor, and plastic tubing of an uncomfortable diameter.

Sadly, his communication skills matched his practical knowledge.

]]>