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I was a lucky med student in 1957 -- my GP father paid for my education.  [NB - in Norway at that time med school was at government expense, but the med school graduate was then assigned a year or two at usually remote locations as a pay-back.]   

My most practical medical "training" was informal -- I needed a job for the summer between my first & second year of med school.  The Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio was only too happy to hire me on at minimum wage.  After a month or so of on-the-job training on emergency room daytime shifts, I was handed the opportunity to "run" the emergency room on night shifts.  I sat at the front desk, out in the waiting room, where I waited for a patient to come in.  As the E.R. secretary I got their complaint and stats on the log book, then escorted them back to an actual patient room where I now became an orderly, getting weight, blood pressure, temperature.  

Then I became clerk, phoning the intern on-call.  After his (her) exam, I took orders.  If an xray was needed, I became orderly, wheeling the patient upstairs to x-ray.  If a shot was needed, I became nurse, getting the medication and giving the injection.  I then advised the patient, if necessary, on how to take the treatment advised by the doctor.  If a cast was needed, I assisted; surgery - I helped the patient change into hospital dress and wheeled them to the O.R.  

At end of patient visit, I logged them out at the front desk. What I was told I wasn't good at was Janitor.  After the patient left, I was expected to clean everything up!  

Although this job lasted only 3 months, I never forgot who does what in the hospital -- or in an office.  Each worker thinks he runs the place -- in most patient encounters, even in the emergency room, the doctor is actually called last!  

Eventually I learned another role on that job -- teacher!  Eventually the interns and residents declared, "Huffman, you're becoming a doctor.  Why don't we teach you how to sew?"  Once they did, I could help the intern challenged by the first time he had to suture a wound all by himself.  

Dave Huffman, retired M.D. 

Longview, WA 

posted 2 years, 3 months ago
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The old age guidlines leant to a false sense of security.  E.g., my then 42? year-old daughter was taking a leave of absence from her job and would have no medical insurance during that year.  To be sure she was reasonably OK she had a physical exam late in the year, along with a mammogram which was reported negative.  Within a few months she sought a medical exam, now covered by insurance through a new marriage, wherein the physician detected a breast mass (which was painful), but recommended waiting 6 months for a re-exam.  

My daughter insisted on a biopsy which was positive for breast CA, as advanced a Stage II as possible, for which she has gone through breast and axillary node removal, and radiation and chemotherapy.  She is doing well, no thanks to that negative breast MRI.  

My Point?: a medical colleague and I reviewed that MRI, agreeing it was negative.  Apparently breast MRI's are not as reliable in women whose breast tissue has not yet shut down, probably explaining my daughter's negative breast MRI.  But it led to a false sense of security. 

Dave Huffman, 

Longview, WA 

posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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