Words of Wisdom on "Bad" Habits and Health Concerns

[photoman13]

See I don't know if I agree with you guys about quality students. Do you know how hard it is to get into medical school right now? It is ridiculous. You need like a 4.0 and have a ton of extra curriculars. I find myself a little offended as well because I just graduated and worked very very hard although I know that wasn't either of your intentions. I have had my fair share of bad doctors but I also know a few people who have had to go to Vanderbilt for medical problems and they helped a ton. On the other hand I know some people who have gone to University of Tennessee for medical problems and they were awful. Again I don't think you can say all medical universities. I am also someone who doesn't think the government is all bad. But that is a different story.

 

[baronsamedi]

I know school has gotten way more expensive. Both of my parents have University educations and were able to pay their way through by working nights and off season. For my Funeral Services degree, only 2 years is college education and I was only able to pay about 35% of it out of pocket.
I'm not saying the fact that virtually anyone can get a student loan is bad, but its availability has made education a major debt to the point where the education can be cost prohibitive and it has made so much easy money available to the schools that it often takes a bite out of the quality of education because the schools want that money.
That said, any education you get is directly related to what you choose to put into the work. I know this first hand. So photoman, no one begrudges you your degree or hard work. In fact, I can totally relate. I busted my ass to do well! The bad side does exist, though.

 

[hobie1dog]

Just like the 3 guys in last years NYC Triathlon who all died....spent their entire lives in the pursuit of health, and still died. Just like the thousands of people who instantly fall to the floor each year from brain Aneurysms. Each human is simply a biological organism and each heart has a finite number of beats. George Burns is always a good one to use for this example.

 

[numbersix]

See I don't know if I agree with you guys about quality students. Do you know how hard it is to get into medical school right now? It is ridiculous. You need like a 4.0 and have a ton of extra curriculars.

Yeah, it's not a clear black and white issue. But the situation today is that many universities are struggling to stay afloat. All or most rely on donations and tuitions and these days, both are rapidly dwindling.
So little by little concessions are being made to fill the gaps. I am not trying to say that the situation at universities are a joke - but the economic climate is creating unusual situations. And at the lower levels, teachers are discouraged in penalizing students because it makes both the teacher and the school look bad.
So the situation is messed up and not getting better.

 

[photoman13]

I agree there is a bad side. I give someone who spent 8 years in school the benefit of the doubt first though. I trust them until they prove otherwise. You definitely have to be careful. I'm no professor but being a recent graduate I understand that some of my classes were what I like to call bullshit classes and that to me is a problem. The education system has more flaws in it then about anything else from elementary all the way up to college. Tennessee is one of the worst offenders. I believe we were ranked 49 in education. In fact I know a couple of people who had 4.0s here and when they go to another state for graduate school it gets knocked down to a 3.9 because our state sucks so bad. Although I chose a great school with a good reputation and did my best to take classes where the professor actually cared about their students and had knowledge to pass on. There is no way I could have gotten a 4.0 though. I honestly don't have the smarts for that. My girlfriend did but I consider a genius. If it is that hard to get into medical school than I have to give them the benefit of the doubt. They deserve it.

 

[photoman13]

We have a good discussion going on here. I like it.

 

[lankfordjl]

Here's the grades of the exam that I just finished grading. Lab Practical II- Human Skeleton- these are the grades from one class. These students want to be RNs. Ages range from 18 to 35. The class started with 31 students...13 have dropped. These are the grades of the students still coming to class. So few students have the reading, writing, memory, study skills that they need, but the administration doesn't want them to fail. Politics are slowly destroying education, but that's another topic.
91

75

75

73

72

71

66

62

59

59

59

58

56

29

29

27

25

24

 

[hobie1dog]

But now we are completely off the original topic 8O

 

[numbersix]

If it is that hard to get into medical school than I have to give them the benefit of the doubt. They deserve it.

I don't really disagree—I understand what you mean. But of course it doesn't necessarily make them an overall smarter person than you are and definitely doesn't make them more ethical. And there are other characteristics that are needed in a person beside book smarts. I've met some doctors who were so arrogant and full of themselves that they couldn't diagnose their way out of a paper bag.

 

[numbersix]

But now we are completely off the original topic

That's evolution for ya!

 

[photoman13]

Lankford that is just sad. At the same time will they be able to continue with those kinds of grades? At my school you have to have at least a c in all your classes or you have to retake them.
Agreed. They do I'm sure have more knowledge on the human body though.

 

[lankfordjl]

@photoman
They can retake Human A&P once (i.e. if they fail the first time). That is our official way of "weeding out" students, but somehow some get passed this...?!? administration?

 

[photoman13]

Good question. That sucks though I feel bad for you.

 

[crazypipe]

Great song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3c-WBn5cCg

 

[baronsamedi]

Well it may be off topic, Lankford, but it explains some of the nurses that work in my hospital. There are ones who are as sharp as a bag of hammers and others who can't even speak English! The few good ones get hammereed with all the work that the others are too lazy or incompetent to do. Makes me never want to be sick. ever.

 

[stanwellman]

IMHO this is no different than any other aspect of life: some people go to school, memorise the daily lessons so that they can repeat it back to the teacher/write it down on the test and get the passing mark with a minimum effort/mental input. They are able to regurgitate the buzz words/terms, spew out a lot of the rhetoric without having ever considered the logic behind what they say.

Then, there are the other ones, the ones who go to school to make a difference. They study hard, they try to actually learn the material presented and put it to use in a practical manner, based on logic.

Now comes the hard part: how do we tell the difference?

This is the very difficult part, especially when it comes to medicine. Each one of us wants to be able to trust our GP – what is the point of seeing them if we don’t?

But the truth is that lately, even though I like my GP, each time I get to see him I feel like the visit is more about him being able to claim certain number of patients seen in a day than it is about me being able to talk about my health. I always feel rushed while in his office… .

It is almost like in the joke series about a doctor who bet his partner that he could see 60 patients in 60 minutes, ex:

…a distressed and panicking mother, crying her eyes out, brings her child to the doctor and tells the doctor that the boy swallowed a fountain pen nib – doctor, what am I to do? Cries the mother… the doctor looks up, tells her to let the boy drink a bottle of ink and to use the boy as a fountain pen….

Or

…a man comes into the doctor’s office and tells the doctor that his right eye hurts when he is drinking hot tea or coffee…. Doctor asks: does it hurt when you are drinking beer? No, says the man… doctor says: take the spoon out of your coffee mug ….

In the end, the doctors are human just like the rest of us. While I am not accusing anyone of purposely perverting the course of medicine for the purpose of personal gain, how do we tell if they really care?

 

[hawk60ce]

My great great grandfather ''Papi'' died at the right bold age of 98 1/2 (actually on his half bday). he smoked king edward cigars like they were going out of style and drank whiskey for medicinal purposes.

 

[sparroa]

A lot of these old fellas had black lung and where beer and shot drinkers. Plus they chewed tobacco, smoked cigars and cigarettes. They talked of the old days when many of there dishes where fried in lard. A few of these men died in there 60s and some later on. Several of these men are still alive in there 90s now and living life the same way.

That's the whole trouble - there's no way to know which group you belong to - its the luck of the genetic draw...
You can change your habits in an attempt to work the odds in your favour, but there may be another card up the dealer's sleeve that you aren't expecting...

 

[lankfordjl]

Somehow everything in this thread relates to health or healthcare...I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments...Sounds like everybody is right on target with their ideas.

 

[lankfordjl]

@baron
I know this exists and I'm trying to stop it in my own little corner. Hopefully those nurses you mentioned were not RNs but LVNs and CNAs. It's scary and sad either way though.