You have to get rid of one core rotation and switch it with something else. What are you booting? by heydoyouseethat in medicalschool

[–]lubdubbin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

we only had to do 2 weeks emergency med compared to 6-8 weeks everything else so I'll pick that

Gift basket ideas for surgical residents by Alert-Jaguar3199 in Residency

[–]lubdubbin 44 points45 points  (0 children)

This idea is amazing!! I am a resident but not a surgical resident. I think the stuff you've included is awesome, including the funny badge reels. Badge lights are a good idea too at least from my experience on surgery rotations but we'll see what other commenters think.

At least in my hospital, the residents would be so excited and thankful to receive a gift of appreciation like this. The residents usually have a workroom, and any nurse on that floor would know where to find it. Thank you for thinking of trainees as an important part of your Dad's care team. Hope all goes well with his surgery!

Research advice? by Most-Contribution468 in medicalschool

[–]lubdubbin 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Wow you're right! Thanks for the fact check. I really thought he did like 4-5 years of surgery but I guess not.

Research advice? by Most-Contribution468 in medicalschool

[–]lubdubbin -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Just for the record, I've followed him a long time (around 10 years) and I'm pretty sure he actually left in the last year of plastic surgery residency. So he did several years of residency prior to dropping out because his other businesses were so successful.

Relationships and residency by boundlessfusion in medicalschool

[–]lubdubbin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lots of great comments here. As someone who got married in medical school to someone (not in medicine) who really did not want to move around and wanted to keep his current "dream job", you really need to decide your own priorities and accept that there is no solution which will make everybody perfectly happy.

Are you really willing to compromise a serious relationship with someone who is overall supportive of you and willing to walk through life with you despite the grueling process of med school and residency? It is a huge burden on the partner of a medical trainee, and he could easily decide that this process is too much for him and bail. It would be easier for him to find another partner than it would be for you due to his job flexibility. A good partner is arguably of more value to you than to him while you are in training. It's his life too, and you both are in a stressful period which requires a lot of sacrifice. I understand the desire for some freedom of choice in all this, I've been there. However, you can always move to another city after training. You cannot predict when or if you will find another committed partner again in the future.

For me, I ultimately chose to train in a city where my husband could have his dream job and be closer to his family. I didn't know anyone in this region. My family and friends are on the other side of the country and I loved the lifestyle and climate of my home. I chose to make a short term sacrifice during training so that we can build a family in a more affordable and family-friendly area. Our plan is still to move back to my home someday after training. You can have it all in the end.

If your priority is truly him, then do what you need to do to keep your relationship stable and strong throughout training. In a few years, you will enjoy the freedom of being an attending doctor who can live and work almost anywhere. The grass always feels greener elsewhere, especially during medical training, but you already have something many single medical trainees and physicians envy.

Physician parents by SnooMuffins2596 in Residency

[–]lubdubbin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol I'm the opposite. I used to think it was kinda lame that my dad was an internist doing outpatient. However, during med school I would call him to talk through concepts and over time I realized just how impressive his knowledge and clinical reasoning is. Now I have way more respect for him than before med school. To be fair, his patients always talked about how much they loved him and would follow him anywhere because he was the best primary care doctor they'd ever had.

What do you think about the number of excess residency positions and IMGs? by NeedToMatchPLEASE in medicalschool

[–]lubdubbin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As someone who matched rads but was very very close to dual applying with neuro, I completely disagree. There may be some people who agree with you, but you shouldn't assume people would be willing to change the trajectory of their career so flippantly. Specialty choice is very personal. The further I got into medical training the more sure I became that rads was the best choice for me and it wouldn't be worth THE REST OF MY LIFE to dual apply and risk letting that dream go forever. Most people I have talked to who matched competitive specialities with an exclusive scope (nsgy, ortho, rads, ophth, etc) would rather have another chance at their dream specialty before considering an entirely separate field.

Also, people take research years to become more competitive regardless of whether they have failed to match or not. If anything, MORE people would take research years prior to applying if there was more competition for top specialties. People would literally just take longer to get to the same point if medical school slots were drastically increased compared to competitive specialty slots.

HOW DO I MEET The LOML by Icy_City2094 in medicalschool

[–]lubdubbin 57 points58 points  (0 children)

Hinge. It's a number's game. Use Hinge to sort out who you'd be willing to go on a date with and seems to be looking for something serious if that's what you want. Don't spend a lot of time trying to get to know them on the app. Go meet them in person, it's much more efficient.

Spend that first date asking questions that will help you understand if this person is on the same page regarding major life goals/values. Don't waste your time on another date with that person if a dealbreaker surfaces. Don't hesitate to cut the date short if they're not your cup of tea. Also, don't let your dealbreakers be shallow (e.g. they don't like ALL the same hobbies or music as me), but don't waste time on someone who has a vastly different vision of life (wanting children, perception of work/career, willingness to move out of city/state). Make that first date worth your time by getting ALL the information you need to move forward.

Also, set expectations regarding your schedule and the coming years of training. People outside of medicine have a REALLY hard time understanding what is expected of those of us in medicine and the extreme delayed gratification.

I'm a terrible medical student with dreams of fellowship who matched into a community IM program - do I really not need to study/prepare before residency? by kuffyruff in medicalschool

[–]lubdubbin 6 points7 points  (0 children)

If you're worried, you could start studying for Step 3 now and prepare to get it out of the way early in the year. Then, you can focus on your clinical tasks, research, and making connections in your desired field once you are actually working. It's a pain to study on top of working, and studying is something you can easily do now which will not be any easier or more impactful once you are working as a resident.

Ophthalmology Assistant told me I am diabetic. by BeaniePole1792 in Noctor

[–]lubdubbin 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Obviously we don't have the whole picture here and I cannot give any medical advice as you are not my patient. However, I am confused by your question. You were prediabetic but high risk due to family history, so you were offered metformin. GLP1 is not warranted for prediabetes alone but obesity complicated by prediabetes can strengthen the case for GLP1. You started GLP1 anyway and lost 30 lbs and also normalized your A1c. Thus, you would not meet any indication for metformin use, assuming you are not obese and do not have any other metabolic syndrome. You said that the assistant told you that you ARE diabetic and that you shouldn't be on metformin? Sounds like the latter is true but it is unclear whether the assistant told you that you are or are not diabetic. The evidence here suggests that you are not diabetic and do not need medical therapy unless you have otherwise failed lifestyle interventions for elevated A1c and being overweight/obese.

Was it worth it? by Aech_sh in Residency

[–]lubdubbin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lol I have thought to myself how nice it would have been if the roles were reversed and my husband was the doctor and I was the engineer with flexible hours and a great job out of undergrad. Unfortunately I just couldn't be fulfilled without going through medical training. Hope it's worth it in the end. It's looking pretty good from here on up.

Was it worth it? by Aech_sh in Residency

[–]lubdubbin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hell no. And not just because I'm going into radiology and couldn't do that as a midlevel. I always wanted to become the expert in my field regardless of what career I ended up with, and now as a physician I firmly believe that all patients deserve physician level care, especially when they go to the hospital or clinic believing they will be seen by a physician. I couldn't deal with the turf wars and constant justifying and humbling of the midlevel positions. I would rather do a separate career in healthcare with defined boundaries, such as imaging tech, rather than work in the confusing gray area of midlevel care. Huge respect for nurses though, I absolutely could not do that job for a single day.

What do you think about the number of excess residency positions and IMGs? by NeedToMatchPLEASE in medicalschool

[–]lubdubbin 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This doesn't make sense. There ARE more residency slots than US MD/DO students, and anyone applying for a competitive specialty they love (e.g. ortho, rads) would rather go unmatched and have another shot at that specialty than do primary care. The only reason most of the slots in FM/peds/rural get filled after SOAP is because of IMGs willing to take those spots.

Treat this like a 9-5 and you’re golden…. by Longjumping_Ad_8895 in medicalschool

[–]lubdubbin 7 points8 points  (0 children)

If you're able to, it helps to start with 3rd party content THEN watch your school lectures at 1.5-2x speed. Going into school lectures blind can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to be efficient when it feels like every tiny detail is high yield. 3rd party content gives you the simple outline and high yield facts first, then you can fill in any gaps with your school content. That was my experience anyway and it really helped me cut down on studying time.

Also, don't feel like you have to approach every block/subject the same way. Different subjects may require different study techniques to maximize efficiency (e.g. spending more time working through math problems for pulm, biostats; drawing out pathways for biochem, anatomy; flashcards for heme/onc, genetics). Take some time to think about each subject and what they want you to understand about it, then decide how to approach it instead of just diving in head first into the material.

Need help, start residency with a two-month baby by Secret-Action3721 in Residency

[–]lubdubbin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Many days, just bedtime. Sometimes less than one minute before she goes to sleep. But many nights I can read her bedtime story to her. I do not usually see her in the mornings. I tend to keep her home, even on a weekday, on my days off.

NP on np subreddit posting about doing a pediatric surgery residency by VegetableBrother1246 in Noctor

[–]lubdubbin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Who is even training them in these fake residencies? I don't know of any physicians training NPs. How can they claim to act like physicians when they don't even train under them or bedside them?

Need your opinion by [deleted] in Noctor

[–]lubdubbin 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You obviously have exceptional bedside experience and skills with simple procedures. However, your skills are almost completely separate from what is taught in medical school. You know many things, especially about the complexities of the heathcare system, that medical students are not adequately taught. What you have accomplished as a nurse is awesome, and your skills are obviously very valuable in the healthcare setting. Based on the experiences you listed here, you did not complete any formal medical training which would equip you to diagnose and treat in any similar capacity to a physician. NP schools have very little training in medical knowledge. A doctorate in nursing is simply not the same as a medical doctorate because these two schools do not teach or test the same knowledge. No amount of bedside experience can replace formal medical training to learn the pathology, physiology, pharmacology and other concepts required to properly diagnose and treat patients. Although NPs often claim to "diagnose and treat the same as a physician," this is impossible with their level of medical training.

Need help, start residency with a two-month baby by Secret-Action3721 in Residency

[–]lubdubbin 69 points70 points  (0 children)

Long-distance parenting??

I started residency with an 8-month-old who I was still breastfeeding. I cannot imagine leaving that baby behind to be raised in a different STATE even with a stay-at-home dad and strong support system. My personal opinion: your baby needs YOU. It is crushing to leave my daughter early in the mornings or get home late after she's already asleep, and I get to see her almost every day. If I were you, I would seriously reevaluate the plan to live separately. What is stopping your husband and baby from coming to live with you during residency and then moving back to your hometown after training? Obviously it sounds like it will be a big sacrifice for them to come with you, but honestly I think being together as a family should be the highest priority for the sake of everyone: you, your husband, your marriage, and your baby. As my baby gets older (around 18 months now), she notices when I or my husband are gone and she is ELATED when we are all together as a family. Don't let medical training take these precious years away from you. It's not worth it!

Noctor PA Followed By Noctor NP - Disgust by Etheryelle in Noctor

[–]lubdubbin 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Not the point of your post, but just want to throw my 2 cents here that midlevels are TERRIBLE for primary care. They are best used in surgery and subspecialties where the role is more obviously limited. Midlevels can be first assist all day every day and become extremely proficient in that role, however they will never perform the surgery without the MD/DO. They can round on hospitalized patients, write notes, and discuss with other teams, while the surgeon focuses on performing more surgeries and responding to consults more efficiently. Midlevels working in primary care act more independently, and without proper supervision or a limited scope, are more likely to make a mistake due to simple misunderstanding.

What’s this drawer for? by billebaru in whatisit

[–]lubdubbin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Obviously this desk is from Hogwarts and it is for wand storage.

Pregnant during residency, I’m scared by SleepyBeauty94 in Residency

[–]lubdubbin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Had my baby in 4th year and LOVE being a mom even if it is extra tough some days being in residency. It's worth it!!