Stay away from people named "Some Guy" or "This One Dude", because they for whatever reason, just punch someone in the face or hit them with a crowbar and run off. If I see them on the street, I cross the street to get away from them.
never leave your last refill of percocet in plain site after your docs office closes if one of these 3 friends is coming over for dinner:1. some dude
2. my friend
3. that bitch
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I read (a significant portion of) the forum thread. Very funny, but also a bit scary that the people into whose hands I commit my health find human suffering to be amusing.
Now, it's possible that my dad being a sociopath was more responsible for it than being an ER doctor (he is verifiably the first, and no longer the second), but my mom never found anything that wrong with the tone of his stories. In general, people who have to frequently deal with the worst horrors of humanity have to develop a dark sense of humor to stay sane. ER docs, anyone in a military combat role, etc. I have no problem with it.
I'm with you 100%. Just ask ER doctors about "insertion" stories or other "adult themed" situations they've had to resolve. If they've been in an ER for more than a couple of years they will likely have a selection of entertaining stories to choose from.
It's nice to know they have coping mechanisms.
I'm confused. You found it funny as an observer, but the people who have to deal with these repeated feats of human stupidity every day are supposed to be walking through a continuous vale of tears?
At any rate, I highly advise you to never have a workplace-related conversation, especially over dinner, with any nurse. (I know at least six.) Every excrement-related story or joke that humanity can conceive will be only the beginning of your terrors.
As a side note, Megan, what are you doing that this site is a "mental health break?"
Oh, right, wedding planning. Never mind.
Peter, Edgehopper: if you don't have a somewhat dark sense of humor to begin with, you won't end up in those fields. The chat at a conference of pediatricians is rather different from the chat at a gathering of trauma surgeons.
Here's a nice graphic on the health insurance debate.
Don't worry, we can provide all of these people with health insurance, and they will never visit the ER at 3am with gunshot wounds again. Lots of savings to be had!
What use is a mattress in an ER ?
So that when one of the characters mentioned
comes in causing trouble, a group press can
be applied. :)
Many of these "amusing ER anecdotes" seem to be, at best, cultural misunderstandings between the physician and the patient. At worst, they represent the crypto-racism and smug cultural superiority among those on whom our lives depend on the most -- the logical conclusion of weighing medical school applicants by antiquated concepts like "test scores" and "merit" as opposed progressive principles like "empathy" and "community involvement".
When it comes to providing the technical skills necessary to keep me alive, I'd much rather the doctors provide merit as opposed to empathy. As I believe some of the respondents to my post above were trying to say, after 60-80 hours a week even the most noble saint's empathy runs dry. At that point, you're left with whatever technical skills you can summon on autopilot.
If you view the human body as a mechanical system that can be repaired without providing any empathy for the patient undergoing the procedure, then so be it -- as long as you get results. At the end of the day, firms in non-empathetic fields like industrial engineering have much higher quality rates that those in health care (six sigma anyone?).
Peter, you need to read Stan's comment again. I don't think you got it.
I'm not very good with sarcasm.
And it goes on like that for 56 pages.
More impressively - it goes on for six years.
I read the first couple pages. I think many of the posts are true, but many of them are the product of active imaginations engaged in one-upsmanship.
Some things don't improve much with age, and some things must improve with age.
"18 year old kids absolutely need new Audis-- especially the kind with the DVD player built into the dashboard so that they can watch "the fast and the furious" while driving along a windy road at say, 3am. the best thing to say (if you are an 18 year old driver of such a car) is "hey, watch my car handle this turn" as you careen into a tree. (unrestrained driver had not one but TWO spiral femur fractures in the same leg. his foot was pointed backwards). tree survived with minor scratches."
Good for the tree.
Ah, the famous Dude brothers. I learned all about them in medical school, especially working in the county hospital -- This Dude, That Dude, and Some Dude. They are responsible for a remarkable amount of crime and urban trauma. Someone should round them up. Their cousins the Bitch sisters aren't much better, sadly.
Every profession has gallows humor--good for them. I am going to bookmark that and enjoy reading it.
I've had enough doctor and other medical friends and roomies that could tell you some stories. This is just a discussion board version of same.
Nothing wrong with that. It's like "Cops" on tv. Any sensible person can feel superior to such idiots and compassion for their humanity no matter how utterly stupid and self-defeating. Idiot's wisdom and behavior should not be respected. Would you teach your children to behave in the same way and live like that? No? Good. Hopefully they understand that we live in a cause and effect world.