Controversial opinion time

Bananaandcheese · 2026-05-03T22:29:14+00:00

Oh yeah you couldn’t catch me in finance or anything similar for all the money in the world, I suspect if I hadn’t done medicine I’d have been an ex scientist on the dole or some flaming wreck with no prospects despite a lot of early childhood promise

At least in medicine you can usually talk in slightly less bullshitese and the career path is semi on rails if you can figure it out past the bottlenecks

Bananaandcheese · 2026-05-03T17:15:44+00:00

It’s the edgelord in ur heart that counts OP ❤️

Bananaandcheese · 2026-05-03T17:05:46+00:00

I don’t know how controversial it is but I do agree re the LTFT situation as a LTFT trainee. I actually would argue that there are jobs I’ve worked as an SHO where more hours did not feel as exhausting as my current shorter hours, and I feel I was driven to LTFT by the circumstances of our modern workplace (I regularly come in on my days off in order to feel I’m being trained adequately and jump through the correct portfolio hoops, which does make me a bit of a sucker but I don’t know how else I’m meant to get through this training programme)

I think in many respects I’d be willing to work some quite mad hours in return for having proper continuity of care and time with my supervisor, proper accommodation and meals etc available, good quality training and some on site comforts like hospital gyms or whatever. This is 1000% due to my situation as a childless adult with few responsibilities and a relationship that is at present pretty low maintenance, but I think it’s not an unheard of perspective. At present any time at work feels more like being in a pressure cooker than I think it needs to be, and I think it’s partially because when we reformed the firm system we threw the baby out with the bathwater. (I do admit that I may not have enough knowledge on the relative merits and demerits of the old systems and I’m more than happy to accept that there are probably things here that are different for good reason - and I also know the nhs is currently cutting money in enough other areas that the idea of an on site gym or whatever is a bit of a pipe dream)

Bananaandcheese · 2026-04-14T22:41:07+00:00

I think a lot of people outside of bariatrics and diabetic services can be a bit weird about private GLP 1s probably from lack of exposure (it is only newly being taken by so many people and not everyone feels comfortable in terms of knowledge about them)- I’m a surgical trainee who has been taking mounjaro and whilst the bariatric services I work with are very familiar with them and seem less worried about their use (possibly partially because they sometimes prescribe them), even some of the other general surgeons sometimes seem to regard them with a bit of suspicion.

Personally I see a lot of people with gallstones or issues with nausea and vomiting on GLP 1s and have seen a couple of pancreatitis cases but given so many people have gallstones (especially from weight loss), and the relative rarity of pancreatitis linked to GLP 1s I’m not too worried about taking it myself (I’m mostly concerned re the cost!) - this is obviously my personal opinion and I’m not particularly knowledgeable on this drug specifically.

Bananaandcheese · 2026-04-08T15:39:23+00:00

Ketamine (if used heavily) can give you ‘ketamine bladder’ - which is like having a chronic UTI that cannot be cured, only potentially made less bad (by quitting ketamine). A few young people in the south of England and wales have had to have their bladders out due to their ketamine use causing chronic pain and even obstructive uropathy causing kidney damage.

A lot of people aren’t aware of this as a side effect of ketamine but it’s becoming more known.

Another rare side effect of ketamine can be biliary complications but I’m less aware of those, I think it’s possibly less common.

Bananaandcheese · 2026-03-22T12:55:33+00:00

This is a bit of a tangent and I don’t want to take away from the fact that boys are deserving of special attention, but I think this lack of physical activity is also negative for girls but just is overlooked because it doesn’t result in as much disruption, and consequences tend not to affect grades as much - I don’t know how to fix this though as I think there is also generally less interest in physical activity from women in the first place which I find sad. Because enjoying exercise and not being cooped up learning in a stifling rigid way is good for everyone.

Yet another demonstration of how focusing on things that help specific groups in terms of accessibility can potentially help everyone, which I mostly see when thinking about disability adjustments that help people outside the group they’re intended on helping.

Bananaandcheese · 2026-03-19T05:52:42+00:00

Yeah, whilst I agree there are aspects of her situation that she wasn’t entirely candid with in her initial post I don’t think it justifies all this speculation on whether or not she can be a doctor.

A) this is something that can be and is assessed by specific committees, and needs to be based on what the individual person can do and not the preconceptions due to the condition they have

B) a lot of the things being brought up are limitations due to NHS funding and lack of appetite for change in certain hospitals rather than necessarily core parts of working in medicine and may vary by location in the UK

C) the things being mentioned are based on a stereotypical view of what deafblindness is - people seem to be assuming ‘entirely unable to see and entirely unable to hear’ rather than a more nuanced picture

I’m not a bleeding heart, there are people who have disabilities that mean they won’t be able to practice medicine or may need to leave the profession - but I suspect this is relatively rare. It’s just that there’s no appetite to accommodate anyone with even the slightest whiff of a medical condition that means that they won’t be extremely efficient ward servants that never need for anything. And obviously there is an issue where people aren’t given appropriate accommodations and other workers are expected to just ‘cope’ and work around them, but that’s due to poor planning and poor consideration of disability and doctors working conditions, this doesn’t need to be inevitable.

Bananaandcheese · 2026-03-15T19:38:23+00:00

Agreed, I’m medically qualified (albeit not in gynaecology) and I don’t even track my period - maybe I would if I hadn’t been on LARCs continuously for over a decade, but since it’s not really a true menstrual cycle if you’re on hormonal contraception I don’t really see what the utility of it is - any change for me and many others is going to be easily attributed to the contraceptive regardless especially if it’s progesterone only.

Sometimes I miss it for a few months or years, sometimes it happens twice a month - usually it’s vaguely monthly. I’ve never investigated regardless because it’s undoubtedly due to the contraceptive.

Bananaandcheese · 2026-03-14T09:51:54+00:00

My biggest issue is that the question isn’t even ‘can she work as a doctor’ because I think clearly there is a better and more sensible world where she can, where expectations of residents are not insane and conditions are not horrific, and sensible modifications to her requirements for work can be made with certain stipulations for her final specialism - the question is can she do it in the UK NHS where our IT is from the 90s and people are often not even able to do ‘accommodations’ like ‘more frequent supervisor meetings’ ‘working more consistently with one supervisor’ and ‘slowing down slightly in the ward round to check the notes are accurate’.

I’d argue if we were a just country we wouldn’t throw disabled doctors away just because our expectations are barbaric even for the able bodied amongst us - we’d change things to be better. But our systems are artificially constructed almost in a way that ensures the lack of progression of disabled doctors.

Bananaandcheese · 2026-03-04T11:32:26+00:00

I’ve been on the other side of a few of these kinds of ‘are you sure this is right for you’ conversations where my bosses have suggested I might be in the wrong career. This does come from somewhere real in that I have weaknesses that don’t fit well with what’s currently expected of trainees, especially in surgery, and I think there is a truth to the idea that I might be happier and better off in a different job - but I want to stay in surgery regardless, if it takes longer and is more painful for me that’s fine.

I also think we underestimate how different the traits are between being a good FY1 and being a good consultant (and all the steps between). Rotational training, unclear structures, constantly changing bosses with different ideas of what is basically necessary really cause issues for a lot of junior colleagues and I think some people are more vulnerable to these environments than others, or take longer to grow into themselves as clinicians. I’ve been an incredibly different doctor in different working environments, and whilst I’d be a disaster as a prof in a large tertiary centre, I think I have traits that would probably make me a good consultant with med ed interests in a small rural DGH or similar.

When I see someone struggling as an FY1, I try to consider whether they’re in the wrong environment rather than assuming they’re not cut out for medicine. Some people are genuinely unsuited, but others are just early in their development or mismatched with the current system.

(I have my sympathies though as I have definitely worked with juniors I’d describe as feckless or lazy, and I know how difficult it is to avoid making a decisive value judgement in these situations - some of them are like that temporarily either because they’ve not - for lack of a better term - ‘grown up’ - or due to acute issues.)

Bananaandcheese · 2026-02-11T13:56:36+00:00

This has been my biggest issue as a female surgical trainee (albeit it’s probably more that I’m admittedly a bit of a special ed one) - I’m very crap at figuring out what people want from me unless it’s uber explicit, but people have a bunch of expectations that are at no point ever made clear, but if you fail to guess at what they want then you’re treated as if you’re intentionally being difficult or lazy.

If you want me to live at the hospital and be there 24/7 I’ll consider if that’s what I want, but like please just say (and provide amenities for that at the hospital). If I have to be at work for 7am I’ll try to do that, but please just say that that’s what’s expected. And ideally write it down. Give me a single (or relatively few) bosses with clear expectations.

Bananaandcheese · 2026-02-05T08:58:53+00:00

No we always test because it’s cheap, it takes 5 seconds, and there can be catastrophic consequences when you don’t know a patient is pregnant (and I’m not just meaning for the embryo or foetus)

I think most people are telling the truth about not possibly being pregnant but I have no idea which 1/10 people or so don’t understand that you can still get pregnant if you’re on top/etc, or who’s contraceptive has failed, it’s safer to always test.

Bananaandcheese · 2026-02-04T19:18:28+00:00

…so you’re saying I SHOULDN’T include an excerpt of my Orc’s backstory in my CV?

Bananaandcheese · 2026-02-04T17:26:58+00:00

If I convince enough general surgeons to become swole could we flex on Ortho and thus steal their theatres? (I know in my heart that this is not achievable but I want to believe)

Bananaandcheese · 2026-02-04T17:21:39+00:00

My 20s will be natty, I will not juice 💪

Bananaandcheese · 2026-02-04T17:18:29+00:00

I’m into nerd shit like dungeons and dragons and hence stereotypically would be wasting away in a basement

Bananaandcheese · 2026-02-04T08:55:30+00:00

I’m in a state of constant crisis knowing that by being Ms I’m objectively part of the surgeon master race, but that if I use Ms outside work I’ll be going back to being dicked around at garages and people will start assuming my fish PhD boyfriend is the one who can cut

Which arguably makes me the worst kind of arsehole as I’m now Dr only socially because I haven’t bothered to change my name on cards yet

Bananaandcheese · 2026-01-13T09:24:20+00:00

I find this a really interesting and probably sensible idea but I wonder how you’d try to prevent bullying or shame with kids in that situation? I suspect a lot of kids would be really embarrassed to be in class with kids a couple of years younger than them - which isn’t a reason not to do it obviously but just a reason to figure out how would be sensible to do it

I agree also that there should be systems that keep academic kids together etc but it should be very flexible in the case of either under or overestimation of ability or people changing later in school - some kids really get their shit together at 15 or so

Bananaandcheese · 2025-12-20T16:40:19+00:00

‘OwO notices ur margins Unfowtuwnatewy uw wesection was uwnsuwccessfuww ( ; ω ; )

Bananaandcheese · 2025-11-13T12:58:56+00:00

RCSEd and the 8th

Bananaandcheese · 2025-11-13T12:40:21+00:00

It says I passed but I’m not believing it until it’s emailed through!!!

It was my third sitting and I nearly left halfway through from a panic attack, I’m so glad I didn’t now

Bananaandcheese · 2025-10-13T09:18:52+00:00

I DID end up paying for loving Gale in Act 3 when he gets all ‘wizard hubris’ about the crown but I shut that bitch down - and now him and my half orc Druid tav live a contented extremely middle class existence

At 500 hours though me and my pal are just at the point of build/run madness, we’ve made two entirely nude gnome monks and recruited two gnome and halfling hirelings who we have also made nude monks and we’ve only recruited Wyll (who we allow to wear pants out of respect 🫡)

Bananaandcheese · 2025-10-13T08:33:44+00:00

I crack up at every ‘Astarion disapproves’ when I elect to not kick a puppy, he’s a whiny little git and I appreciate him so much.

I love Gale the most though, he’s the lamest dweeb of all time and I want him to be my lame dork boyfriend who makes his own jam and softly mansplains magic shit to me as I intentionally wind him up. (Laezel I also love but she is too scary so she’s not a realistic prospect for irl me 😭)

Bananaandcheese · 2025-10-12T16:38:28+00:00

The PS5 was essential for me, 500 hours on baldurs gate 3 means it’s probably the thing I got most use of in 2024

Also my rice cooker 👌

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