Read on Twitter
Anyway so this morning I tweeted this and whew were y'all mad https://twitter.com/SouthernHomo/status/1283035946963722240
Anywho, the situation was this: we were inducing general anesthesia for a 11 month-old baby for a pretty major surgery. The surgery resident (my friend) left the OR to go to the pharmacy to pick up antibiotics so she was gone.
I asked the student if he could go next door to get some warm blankets for the baby, since our blanket warmer in our OR was empty. His reply was "I'm actually on surgery."
I ignored it and intubated the baby (which was more important at the time).
I ignored it and intubated the baby (which was more important at the time).
While I'm securing the airway (meaning, I tape the endotracheal tube so the baby doesn't like, accidentally extubate and die) I ask again if he could go get some warm blankets. He ignores me and literally leaves the OR.
I assumed he left to go get the blankets, but he didn't.
I assumed he left to go get the blankets, but he didn't.
This seems kinda trivial, but babies get hypothermic quickly under general anesthesia (causing problems) and keeping them warm is essential. You can read about it, but that's not the point of this thread. I'm just pointing it out for the people who think it's something "harmless"
(Baby got the warm blankets by the way, courtesy of the OR nurse!). ANYWAY.
I was more dumbfounded than anything bc I've never actually had a med student just refuse to do something that was directly for patient care???? I actually consider it to be a huge transgression.
I was more dumbfounded than anything bc I've never actually had a med student just refuse to do something that was directly for patient care???? I actually consider it to be a huge transgression.
Couple of things I could've done. I could've brought it up directly to him personally, but the next time I see him, he's always around the senior resident (my friend) and the attending. I wasn't going to bring it up in front of everyone in the OR.
And he's on his surgery rotation, that means he's been following my friend around for about two weeks ago. So, I text her! Feedback comes best from people who are directly in charge of you, I feel. I tell her exactly what I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/SouthernHomo/status/1283042985677148163
Also because logistically, once the surgery is done, I go home, and he goes and rounds with her and she'll actually have time to speak with him. Which she DID!!!
Anyway long story short, he denied me ever asking for anything.
Obviously my friend believes me, and she believes that surgery is a team sport (which is why she went to the pharmacy herself and waited for the antibiotics for *OUR* patient!!)
Obviously my friend believes me, and she believes that surgery is a team sport (which is why she went to the pharmacy herself and waited for the antibiotics for *OUR* patient!!)
But now this med student went from someone who is 1) arguably rude (depending on how you look at it), 2) arguable lazy/unhelpful (also depending on how you look at it), 3) demonstrably a liar.
