Tips for medical students: “First, you should address everyone as ‘ma’am’ or ’sir.’ That includes the nurses, the techs, and all of the residents and attendings. For some reason, surgeons believe that medicine should be run like the military. Granted, none of them had ever served in the armed forces, but I certainly heard a lot of attendings say, ‘This is just like the military.’”
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Many of us surgeons have served or are serving in the military.
Perhaps it’s just that we surgeons prefer students to show a modicum of respect. There is absolutely nothing wrong with “ma’am” or “sir” in polite conversation; in fact, we’d be better off if they were used more frequently throughout the hospital.
Hahaha. Maybe the problem is that surgeons can’t handle anyone disagreeing with them. I behaved the same on every rotation, on other rotations I was “outgoing and friendly”; on surgery “some people were unhappy with my behavior”.
If you want to be a surgeon, that’s fine. If you don’t, stay the hell away.
To this date I have never met a doctor who has served in the armed forces say, “Medicine is just like the military hierarchy.” The only people who ever say that have never actually been in the military. These surgeons just see movies about boot camp and think that every resident and student should blindly follow along in perfect allegiance despite all of the yelling and insults.
So, HalfMD, sounds like you may simply be at the wrong medical school!
I was in the military. I did a surgery internship in a military hospital. I also was a medical student in a civilian school where the surgery service had the attitude similar to the one mentioned above, that being bossy and obnoxious and ending everything with sir or ma’am was “military” (they even made all of the medical sudents wear white trousers when on the service, which became a joke.) They were asinine, and clueless about the military (more like in love with some Hollywood exaggerated rendition of a military school.)
I thought surgery was the best rotation. they were the best role models. the residents worked hard. youd never catch one of them sleeping during duty . So what do you think i chose as my profession.
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