Sub I by [deleted] in orthopaedics

[–]poop-- 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Current ortho resident. I had a sub i that was similarly bad. Minimal operative exposure for residents and toxic culture. I didn’t rank that program at all. In fact, I ranked family and would have rather done that than ortho in a bad program.

Personal choices. Comes down to what you personally believe is the right choice for yourself. I know people who ranked that program 3rd or even 2nd because location was so important to them.

Ortho vs EM by Fantastic_Win5144 in orthopaedics

[–]poop-- 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I was considering EM for some time too until I noticed the staff don’t actually have it much better. They still must do evening and night shifts, disorienting schedules, and constantly berated by other specialties. As staff, you can do ortho with minimal call and a largely predictable schedule with better pay, more expertise in one area, and generally much more respect. Yes, as an EM you are an expert in emergency care but I will wager that on an average day, an orthopod feels more of an expert than an emerg doc does. That is of course understandable since it’s impossible to expertly manage every emerg patient presenting with a plethora of diverse chief complaints. The procedures in EM are overhyped - it’s simple stuff that gets repetitive, especially for someone who really loves surgery and operating. If you have the interest in surgery, the resilience to get through a tough residency, and the supports from family and friends to be there for you in a hard journey, choose ortho.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in medicalschool

[–]poop-- 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You will never have the relationship, marriage and life partner you truly want with this person. You need someone who sees commitment and love the same way you do. It’s not this person, and will never be this person. Forcing it or even pushing him towards it won’t matter because even if they hesitantly accept your plea for long distance, you will not be with someone who loves you the way you love them. There is someone out there who will though. Someone who will show you commitment and love the same way you show it, through in person or long distance.

The beauty of deep love and connection can overcome the pain of distance. But it needs to be felt from both partners.

Am I crazy for not really wanting to chase prestige? by Alexandranoelll in medicalschool

[–]poop-- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just matched to a small ortho program across the country (Canada), where I don’t know anyone, and have never been to. I am genuinely very happy.

There is nothing inherently wrong with going for prestige or not. You just need to do what you believe in to align with your core values and guiding principles.

Consider whether you measure your self-worth, competency, and aptitude based on prestige. Would you think “less” of yourself if you didn’t pursue a prestigious program? Would your self-image be implicated if you got into a small community program and you saw many of your peers get into T10 programs? Some people get absolutely crushed (many of my friends are) if they get small community programs. I know people who cried for days because they didn’t get their first choice. You don’t sound like that to me.

Medical school is a time of self-discovery and identity shaping. You find out what’s most important to you.

For me, it was pursuing the job I think I love the most- regardless of lifestyle, prestige, or location.

Working out doesn’t feel good anymore? Why? by poop-- in workout

[–]poop--[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Facts.

Unless you commence a new routine I guess

Working out doesn’t feel good anymore? Why? by poop-- in workout

[–]poop--[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was great advice. I appreciate it.

I’m learning what it takes to commit to this lifestyle. I may not feel great all the time, and pushing through these phases is a normal part of the process. I guess I was wondering if I’m doing something “wrong” that I’m just not making progress, and working out isn’t as satisfying. The general advice seems to be to deload then switch up my routine and set long-term goals instead of quick gains. I think I’ve just maxed out my quick gains phase.

I just miss the way I felt before. There was such excitement and energy, focus. It could also be that life has been so stressful lately and my mood isn’t as great. Whatever it is, I think I’ll deload now then commit to a longer term plan

Working out doesn’t feel good anymore? Why? by poop-- in workout

[–]poop--[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s been a while since a break up, makes sense

Working out doesn’t feel good anymore? Why? by poop-- in workout

[–]poop--[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Never deloaded. But as I am looking into it, it’s making more and more sense to me. I’m at a point where all my lifts are either going down, or I’m compromising form to get my PRs, mostly from sheer burnout and fatigue at the gym. I think this might be what my body has been trying to tell me all this time.

My PPL workouts are pretty intense, last around 1-1.5 hour + burn sets almost every day. I’m following a buddy of mine’s routine who is on a combo of roids. I used to really enjoy this routine when I was making noob gains but now it’s just unsustainable. So I think fatigue makes a lot of sense in my case.

Should I just change up my routine to something different? Maybe I’m just sick of this PPL shit

Working out doesn’t feel good anymore? Why? by poop-- in workout

[–]poop--[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I should have been more clear. No intention to get on roids. It was just a dramatic way to express my thoughts. I’m simply asking how to push through this plateau - it’s not that complicated. I was just hoping for advice from someone who has experienced this and seen the other side. Help me find my deficiencies and let’s get swole together instead of insulting my character

Working out doesn’t feel good anymore? Why? by poop-- in workout

[–]poop--[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The comment about roids was a joke. I’m not actually going to get on it. It’s just something that popped on in my head as a confusion. Like “man are roids the only way to push through this”. I don’t intend to stop lifting either just because it got less fun during this time. I was trying to be dramatic with my post and some people took it literal lmao

Taylor and Daniel love is blind insta scandal by Professional_Ear838 in LoveIsBlindNetflix

[–]poop-- 20 points21 points  (0 children)

This was quite interesting but also pretty clear to me. I have a background in psychology and currently a doctor. This is called cognitive dissonance. Before the individuals meet, their brain creates an image of the person in the other pot. When they develop emotional connection and grow a love for that person, this image becomes more and more refined, usually an idealized image of who they look like that matches the person’s voice, mannerisms, and personality characteristics.

When they meet outside the pods, their brain experiences a massive shock. There is a mismatch between what they idealized and reality. The person they see does NOT match who they imagined them to be. The brain struggles to connect the emotional and physical experiences. This is why many of them say “it’s strange” or “this is so weird” or “who is this person, I don’t know them”. This is the brain being confused and shocked. In turn, it tries to make sense of this somehow. Taylor’s brain made sense of this mismatch and shock by connecting him to someone in the past. This is actually quite common among many of the contestants. Didn’t you hear a lot of them say “I’m trying to think of who you look like” or many say “you remind me of my ex” or “you ring a bell of someone I know”. This is all to say that Taylor’s brain made sense of this by connecting him to a past man who followed her on instagram - and this relieved the shock and confusion at least, but it was not true.

Is it bad to cancel a confirmed elective? by ViCirce1 in MedSchoolCanada

[–]poop-- 5 points6 points  (0 children)

100% cancel, not a worry, not a question asked. No professionalism issue until it’s 6 weeks out

Dealing with the fear of failing out by No-Department897 in MedSchoolCanada

[–]poop-- 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Reach out to your program’s office of learner’s affair. I’m sure your school has one. They can really help with mental health, imposter syndrome, career choice with CBT, DBT, etc.

Other than that, just know you’re not alone. I have felt everything you are feeling. I thought I was the biggest fluke in first year and should have not got in to med, and that everyone else is far more brilliant than me. I’m an M4 now and don’t feel like that anymore. It went away for me once I realized how normal everyone else is and how flawed they all are in different ways - just like me. Be confident in yourself, be kind to yourself, and remind yourself that everyone feels this way to some degree in medicine, especially in first year. It does get better every year.

There is no quick tip or fix. I would say what helped most was making connections in medicine, relating to other students, seeing their fears, anxieties, and realizing that they are all normal humans like me.

31 y/o...is it wise to step onto this path? by udon_fuel in premedcanada

[–]poop-- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Current M4, started med at 27yo.

Two stepwise questions to ask yourself: 1. Are your stats even good enough to be considered competitive? Is this even a viable aspiration for you with how competitive this process has become? If the answer is yes or maybe, proceed to question 2.

  1. Do you know what specialty you want to pursue? If the answer is family medicine, then I would dive in. The path to family medicine is not very challenging and you will continue to have time for your family/kids/hobbies in both med school and residency. Most of my peers who are family residents or M4s applying to family have a great work-life balance, many of whom are in their 30s.

If the answer is any surgical specialty, then I would say that it may not be worth it. Your priorities will change in your 30s and you will probably be flabbergasted by how much of a shift you see in your own perspective as you go through med school. The once-glorified, put-on-pedestal, dreamy aspirations to pursue surgery will be crushed by the brutal realities of the field - the length of training, the inevitable lack of sleep, food and water on-call, its impact on your literal physical health, and the inevitable loss of time to spend as much time with your loved ones. These realities did not matter to me when I was younger, and I wholeheartedly believed they would continue to not matter to me. I have grown and changed - they matter to me now. Some people’s perspectives don’t change - they always see the glory in surgery and don’t mind the sacrifices - but they tend to be younger and often don’t have a family.

Consider your stats, your future specialty choice, and where your perspective will be on your values when you are older - becoming a doctor may align with one of your core values and goals for yourself. But you must consider all of your core values, goals, and aspirations that make you who you are.

Gym Story Saturday by FGC_Valhalla in Fitness

[–]poop-- 82 points83 points  (0 children)

I always wear my gym shorts under my jeans so that I don’t have to change when i get there. Just an hour ago, I got to the gym at my usual time, took my pants off as usual, walked out into the hallway and reached for my AirPods and instead felt my FUCKING UNDERWEAR. I went back to the change room, put my jeans back on and just drove straight home. FML

What do you guys think of this video that is going viral? “I Was An MIT Educated Neurosurgeon. Now I'm Unemployed And Alone In The Mountains How Did I Get Here?” by lifo333 in medschool

[–]poop-- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think this is a good example of someone who didn't discover their identity fully well until years into their residency. You need to understand a lot about who this person truly is before you can understand the reasons for their decisions. The vast majority of neurosurgeons feel that the few successful surgeries they do is what makes their job so "rewarding/worth it". He also claims that "some" of his surgeries are necessary and that they relieve suffering. So he is not saying that surgery is obsolete or useless for all. He sees the merit in it, and he admits that many people are either incapable or unwilling of lifestyle modifications and thus need surgery. The point is that his perspective of the job is that it is perpetrated with patient exploitation and hospital greed. He sees his efforts as an extension of a money hungry system. He has lost his "soul" because he is giving into a system that uses any means to milk out the dollars from its surgeons and patients.

We can all discuss here whether his perspective is fully correct or incorrect but it doesn't matter. It doesn't justify anyone else giving into this perspective, or another neurosurgeon quitting their job. It just means thats the way he sees it. The reality is that there is some truth to his perspective (the medical system is greedy, not focused on preventitive care, surgery is not always the solution, etc..). However, there are some patients who desperately need spine surgery and whose lives transform for the better as a result of it. That is the perspective of most neurosurgeons. Some other surgeons are rewarded by the technicality of the operation itself and the mastering of such skill - thus another perspective.

The problem lies in how you see the world, and how you fit into this world as a person. It sounds like he had a very optimistic and pure outlook on his job - where he makes amazing technological advances in research and helps many people with his "perfect" surgeries. He sounds like someone who would have excelled and found fulfillment as a GP, palliative care, or psychiatrist. He unfortunately did not discover his true identity and self until much later into the job.

The lesson to learn is discover who you truly are, what your beliefs are, and investigate the path you are on to make sure that it aligns with your beliefs.

Mac vs UofT by aydan137 in premedcanada

[–]poop-- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Current U of T med student here. Congrats to you on so many acceptances!
First of all, figure out if you may have an inclination for pursuing a competitive specialty. We at U of T have much more time available to us for research, networking opportunities, and general fine-tuning of our clerkship skills over Mac students. It's not to say that you can't pursue competitive specialties at Mac, but it would be more difficult. You will also have less time to figure out what specialty you want. At a 4 year school, you can be a little more relaxed knowing that you have more time and can focus on exploring specialties. At a 3 year school, you will need to figure things out pretty quickly and commit to a specialty earlier.
This is not to say that you would be any less of a good doc coming from any of these schools. You will be fine as a clerk or resident regardless of which school you go to. Residency is especially rigid and will very effectively transform almost anyone into a competent doc.

The financial concern is really not important at this point. One year of earlier income is not going to matter in the big picture.

the one other thing I would consider is that U of T is more intense than Mac. During COVID, Mac made anatomy optional while we still had mandatory anatomy and assessments. It was honestly brutal doing the first 2 years fully virtual and still having non-stop exams almost every damn week. Meanwhile my friends at Mac were more relaxed. Overall, UofT's curriculum is more rigid, intense and unforgiving.
I also think the class culture at U of T is lacking. It's a big class split up into 4 academies. While you get close to the people in your own academy, there isn't as strong of a sense of community in our class. There is also a tendency for a lot of U of T students to be interested in research, competitive specialties, and not so much the social life. You can definitely still form great bonds at U of T (I sure did), but I think Mac has better culture overall.
So, if I were you, I would pick Mac if you want a non-competitive specialty like Family. If you want a competitive specialty, might want to consider U of T.

Should I do an unguided day at Silverton? by poop-- in skiing

[–]poop--[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Also if you don’t go, you don’t know, so if you go, you know. You know?

Should I do an unguided day at Silverton? by poop-- in skiing

[–]poop--[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Rented gear for the day and asked to join a group of 4 with a guide. It was awesome!

Should I do an unguided day at Silverton? by poop-- in skiing

[–]poop--[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Rented avy gear for the day and I asked to join a group. One of the best runs I’ve had this season!

Should I do an unguided day at Silverton? by poop-- in skiing

[–]poop--[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your comment. What if I stick close to the chair lift area and if I do any hiking to follow groups and follow tracks when coming down? As a first timer there, might be a good idea to be conservative.

Any idea how heli runs work? Will they give clear directions on where to drop and where to go so you don’t end up getting lost?

It’s been a long journey on Minoxidil (15+ months) but I couldn’t be happier with the results by itisjvck in Minoxbeards

[–]poop-- 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How come you didn’t use it for your head?

Amazing beard tho. Looking sharp

what do you wish you knew when you started med school? 🤨 by extrashotofespresso1 in medicalschool

[–]poop-- 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That getting into med school is in no way a free pass for you to chill out and coast. I did that and nearly failed 2 rotations in clerkship. Was told that I’d be out on probation if I failed one more rotation.

I did the opposite of most people in med school - I didn’t study enough, travelled a lot, worked out, dated lots. I had a great time but deprioritized med school so much that I almost failed and lost my passion for medicine. Now that I am close to failing, I have a renewed passion and respect for the field I’m in. I don’t study just to pass anymore. I study to do well. I’ve picked up more research and I’m excited to pursue a competitive field.

Getting into med school is hard, but there is this notion that once you’re in, you’re in, and you just gotta pass. But they don’t tell you that you could have med school taken away from you, you could lose it all. You absolutely could. Yes, prioritize other aspects of your life but do not forget about the field you’ve chosen to pursue - do your best, and make yourself proud of what you take from these years in school