[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

View post   
File: 20 KB, 360x360, cann.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5986114 No.5986114 [Reply] [Original]

seeing as the last thread went pretty well.. ask a medical student anything.

(disclaimer: i'm not here to give medical advice - i'm neither qualified nor able to examine you, obviously)

>> No.5986117

how do you like your eggs in the morning?

>> No.5986118

>>5986117
scrambled on toast with lots of butter and a cup of tea.

>> No.5986124

How do you increase your metabolism?

>Why did you pick medicine?

>> No.5986127

Would you self prescribe or is that against medical practice?

>> No.5986129

>>5986124
Your metabolism is pretty resistant to change without pharmaceutical intervention or pathology. If you're asking for the purposes of weightloss, it's simply a matter of consuming less calories than is required for maintenance. Take a look at intermittent fasting and high intensity interval training.

I picked medicine because I enjoy working things out, I like fixing things, I'm interested by the human body and I like caring for people. IT wasn't something that I realised until I was already doing a different undergraduate degree, though.

>> No.5986131

>>5986127
According to the GMC, you can self-prescribe. But you have to be able to justify why you had to resort to it and why you chose that particular prescription. I personally wouldn't do it because of the effort of getting into that career in the first place and the subsequent risk to it.

>> No.5986133

>>5986114
how many aspirine wil kill you for sure ?
Or more generally, what's the best way to commit suicide using basic medicine ?

I heard that a lot of young people (~15yo) just take a lot of random pills (and maybe some alcohol to "help"), then feel bad and suffer from the stomach, go to hospital where they're forced to vomit and, wooof everything is OK.
They didn't really hurt their body, because the medicine was "inoffensive" in itself (not enough "active molecule"), it was just causing pain and uncomfort.
Is that true ?

Sorry if I'm not clear

>> No.5986135
File: 25 KB, 390x351, lel.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5986135

Why is Thursday?

>> No.5986139

>>5986131
But how do they prevent the abuses ?
I mean, you could prescribe yourself morphine, and then sell it to some addict dudes
(or other dangerous things, I dunno enough about that but you get my point : my doctor could be my dealer)

>> No.5986142

>>5986133
I don't really want to answer the first question about the best way to commit suicide. If you're having thoughts like these yourself, you might find it really worthwhile to speak to someone about why you're feeling that way.

Young people, when they intentionally overdose, tend to use over-the-counter medication, paracetamol being the most common one. It actually takes a massive dose to do serious harm as well as being quite slow and painful. It's fairly easily reversed by supplying the liver with the pre-cursors to make more of the enzymes that it uses to break down paracetamol safely.

If they come to hospital within a certain number of hours of taking the overdose, you can often treat it with activated charcoal. You tend not to induce vomiting due to the subsequent damage to the oesophagus, mouth and teeth.

>> No.5986141

>>5986114

advice on good medical schools? How did you pick yours? how do you feel about obama care changes?

>> No.5986147

>>5986139
Your name will be on the prescription as both the patient and prescriber. It's up to pharmacists to pick up on this. But no, you're right - it's very difficult to spot I would imagine.

Morphine is one of those drugs that would be examined closely by the pharma dishing it out. It would almost immediately raise eyebrows. You would be caught doing that.

>>5986141
I'm UK based so I'm not sure how helpful my advice would be about medical schools. I picked mine based on the open day. Loved the atmosphere, had a great course, good clinical exposure, lots of time with consultants.

>> No.5986150

>>5986114
did you get into medicine because you truly like people or did you just get into it for the money and perceived status

>> No.5986151
File: 611 KB, 960x1299, 1374787395613.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5986151

>>5986114
What are you going to be when you grow up?
aka what are you going to specialize and why

also what do you think of radiologists and oncologists.

>> No.5986152

>>5986150
The money is awful considering the hours you work and the length of time that it takes to begin earning a decent amount.

The status is nice. Whenever someone asks me what I do, they're always genuinely interested. It's a great conversation piece and people usually assume positive things about you. I do enjoy that, I'm not going to lie, but it wasn't really a deciding factor in why I chose the career. I've discussed my reasons in one of the above posts.

>> No.5986153

>>5986151
I really enjoy anaesthetics, intensive care medicine and emergency medicine. That said, I'm starting to develop a taste for surgery, although I'm not sure what kind just yet.

Radiology is pretty cool. Its a great skill to have. The doctors tend to be a little off-beat though, but generally a lovely bunch.

Haven't had too much exposure to oncologists yet. I think what they do is amazing and it takes a certain kind of person. I don't think I could do it myself, personally.

>> No.5986154

>>5986142
ok thanks for your answer !
And I was wrong on some points (the vomiting, ...), you enlighted me.

And OK for the first part, you're right, not a good idea to spread these infos.

>> No.5986158

>>5986153
Is it really true that radiologists are rarely rarely exposed to sunlight?

One last question what do you think is the most challenging career for MD excluding research?

>> No.5986160

>>5986158
lol, I mentioned earlier that radiologists always seem a little off-beat. I do recall one particular radiologist who was incredibly pale, wore a bow-tie, had his iphone strapped to his belt and laughed at his own awful jokes. Whenever I picture a radiologist, I just remember that guy.

>> No.5986161

>>5986147
First part : OK, thanx !
(I maybe watched too much breaking bad ;), I guess some products can be turned into dope, which are less "obvious" than morphine.

I think in some countries (where they lack of controls and precaution) it must be a real problem.

Thanks again, this kind of thread is appreciated I think !
Better than 0,999...

>> No.5986164

>>5986158
Forgot second question:
I dunno, that's a hard one to answer. I guess it depends on what you mean by challenging (e.g. competition ratios, emotional drain, academic demands, work schedule, technical skill etc etc). Each speciality has it's own catch I guess.

>> No.5986165

>>5986164
>>5986160
>>5986153

thanks doc

>> No.5986169

What were your A Levels?
How many schools were you rejected from?
Tips of UKcat?
Thought's on Biomed as a career?

>> No.5986173

>>5986169
My A-levels were AAA (pre-A* days), but I went on to do a degree which I got a 1st in.

I applied to 4 schools, got 2 interviews, got 2 offers.

UKCAT is just practice practice practice. There's that 600 questions book floating around. Do that, but keep in mind that the questions are actually harder than they are on the test. The timing of the UKCAT is what makes it hard so be fast. Flag any questions that you can't do immediately, put in an educated guess and come back to it later if you have time at the end.

I'm not really familiar with careers in biomed, sorry.

>> No.5986177

What subjects were your A levels in?
I was looking into Medicine for most of my life and worked really hard but really struggled to get the AS results I needed but I'm still passionate about healthcare and going to work harder to get onto a Bio medicine course

>> No.5986180

>>5986152
nah, the money is actually a little too good considering how physicians are really just technicians with google and rx powers

status is probably the reason 95% get into the field, but just so you know physicians are one of the most despised professions outside of lawyers and car salesmen

so the majority of your patients will actually think that you're a piece of shit. just so you know.

>> No.5986182

>>5986177
Bio, physics, maths

Doing the graduate route is fine - that's the route I took, but only because I didn't really think about medical school until I was already an undergrad. I went to a shitty state comprehensive school so we were all discouraged from careers like that.

Anyway, the graduate route is doable, but it is more competitive and takes a little longer. Try and smash those a-levels if you can. I know it's horrible and stressful at the time, but try and keep your head down and crack on with it.

>> No.5986185

>>5986180
I will be working in the NHS, which is much less profit/money driven than the US systems, so no, the salary isn't anything especially exciting.

I wouldn't say that doctors are dispised. Certainly not in the UK anyway. The patients that I see are nothing but incredibly greatful, pleasant and trusting. Go ahead and google 'most trusted professions', click any of the results and you'll find doctor as either number one or in the top five.

I'm sorry that you have such anger against people who are ultimately there to help you.

>> No.5986188

>>5986182

Ah, I took Bio, Chemistry, Maths and Physics
Unfortunately I'm going to have to drop Physics due to the bad grades even though it was the subject that I enjoyed the most. I am hoping Biomed degree would lead to a career in the NHS as a Hematologist.

>> No.5986190

>>5986188
Haematologists are doctors, sorry dude. The labs are all staffed by biomedical scientists, though.

>> No.5986198

OP here, heading out for a little while - will update thread later

>> No.5986228
File: 902 KB, 1334x969, 12 medical specialty stereotypes full (new).jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5986228

>>5986198
no worries
I'll bump with comics

>> No.5986259

>>5986114
Fucking stupid ass question, but I've heard that the show Scrubs is one of the most accurate depictions of what it is to be a med student/doctor.

How true do you find this?

>> No.5986286

Please state your views about psychedelics

>> No.5986292

>>5986190


You just crushed my dreams

>> No.5986339

OP checking in
>>5986259
It's not really true at all. It can be that way with very close colleagues, but generally everyone on the wards are quite hostile and defensive until you get to know them well. I've also found that in smaller hospitals, the staff have higher morale and are more keen to fuck around.

>>5986286
Certainly wouldn't make a habit of them. I've seen people admitted for drug induced psychosis far too many times. Not so much for shrooms, but LSD certainly.

>>5986292
I'm sorry.

>> No.5986350

sorry to hijack this thread OP ask a junior doctor anything

>> No.5986363

>>5986114
if you're still here, how do you deal with the 'gore'.
Like i'm okay seeing a cut on myself but if its someone else I just get light headed if I don't focus. But as far as I know you guys work with cadavers in med school. It was one of the reasons I couldn't try med school, not to mention the obscene amounts of studying required here in order to pass your exams.

>> No.5986371

To the dude asking about careers in biomed:
Research.
That's fucking it.
Better hope you didn't specialise in something fucking useless like anatomy. A lot of the professors here won't take honours students if they've done anatomy. They take it as a sign you just want to get into med.

>> No.5986406

How does amputation work? If the blood vessels are severed (big assumption here), how does blood circulate away and towards the heart in the amputated area?

>> No.5986426

OP
>>5986363
Gore has never really been an issue for me. But the way I look at it, the insides of a human body are just like machine parts. When you know what all the stuff is, it doesn't seem as 'gorey'. It's something that you just get used to.

>>5986406
You would still have the remaining venules, veins and lymphatics from the proximal part of the limb. I'm not sure if I've misunderstood you?

>> No.5986436

>>5986426
I think he's asking how the circulatory system works in an amputated limb. As in, wouldn't the flesh die because the veins aren't connected to the arteries.

>> No.5986458

>>5986436
Ok, well on the remaining proximal stump of the limb they would still be connected. All of the remaining tissue is still being supplied by the proximal arteries/arterioles/capillaries/venules/veins. It's not just a serial network.

>> No.5986464

>>5986436
>veins aren't connected to the arteries.
they aren't directly connected anywhere in the body you fucking retard

>> No.5986465

>>5986426
but doesn't opening up a fat guy for example smell bad or idk, I always thought it smells pretty bad in surgery because his insides are getting in contact with the outsides

>> No.5986472

>>5986465
The inside of anyone doesn't particularly smell unless you open the bowel itself. Cutting through flesh with diathermy smells because you're essentially burning your way through. But you become weirdly fond of the smell if you enjoy surgery.

Fat people smell on the outside if they don't clean between their folds adequately.

>> No.5986474

>>5986458
>It's not just a serial network.
Oh, I get it now! Thank you!

I've always thought it was like that due to the illustrations of the blood vessels in textbooks. The artery -> capillary -> vein thing only occurring once and at the "end" of the artery.

>> No.5986477
File: 48 KB, 517x400, ecg-pqrst-waves.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5986477

OP

does being constantly confronted with all the various ways people can go wrong and then suffer scare the shit out of you?

>> No.5986483

>>5986477
You come to forget how relatively healthy the average person on the street is when you're surrounded by really sick people. Subsequently when you're ill yourself, in your immediate memory is the guy with lymphoma, or the woman with boney cancer metastasies. It's very easy to become a hypochondriac.

>> No.5986491

I have an infection that is probably both dental and sinus related.

Should I go to dentist or doctor first?

>Stupid arbitrary historical professional spheres

>> No.5986493
File: 1.90 MB, 316x213, larry.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5986493

>>5986483
>lymphoma
good lymphoma is 99.999999% curable bro

>> No.5986494

>>5986464
You realize the issue of trying to translate, don't you?

You're in a group of educated individuals, trying to teach the ignorant, with the middle man trying their best to get the intended message across. The question should be are you the retarded one.

>> No.5986496

>>5986494
>plea for good behaviour
kek

>> No.5986499

>>5986491
Probably dentist, but to be honest if you did have bacterial sinusitis, I wouldn't blame you for seeing a doctor if you could get an appointment faster that way.

>>5986493
>implying i havent seen people die of lymphoma

>>5986494
The post that you're quoting wasn't from me (OP), fyi.

>> No.5986501

>>5986499
Obv I don't know if it's bacterial, and viral is more common, but I have a low grade recurrent sinus infection (blood snot) and tooth infection (prob needs root canal).

I assume sorting the tooth will sort the sinus.

But I know you weren't offering medical advice. So just sayin'.

>> No.5986502

>>5986499
Yeah, I know. But lets just drop that whole situation before it ruins the thread.

>> No.5986503

What did you do to enter medical school?

>> No.5986505

>>5986499
>implying i haven't seen people die of lymphoma
Must be sad to see people die of Hodgkins (good lymphoma). Like, if you die of cancer, you don't want to die of the one that you should survive.

>> No.5986506

>>5986503
I'm UK based so:
A-levels (AAA)
Degree (1st class) (can go from a-level if you want)
Shadowing placements
Worked as a nursing assistant
Lots of caring voluntary roles
Entry exam
UCAS application
Interview

>> No.5986507

Alright doc, listen up. Recently I found out I had a little tumor in my bladder, so to find out how serious it is they jammed a stick wth a pincer at the end up my uretha. It went well and everything, but it's been 3 months now and I keep pissing blood, not to mention it still stings a lot whenever I urinate or bend my penis in any way.

wat do doc

>> No.5986514

>>5986507
First course of action would be to go back and read the OP.

Second course of action would be to go to your doctor.

>> No.5986513

>>5986507
Not OP, but I had a cystoscopy (flexible one). I took so much illicit valium prior. I was terrified.

>> No.5986747

>>5986190
B-but that's wrong. My cousin is a Haematologist and he has a MSc in biomed

>> No.5986966

>>5986747
Hmm, well in the UK a 'haematologist' is a doctor. It's a medical speciality requiring you to go to medical school. There are a lot of biomedical scientists working in haematology, but they are not 'haematologists' in our system.

>> No.5987937

bump

>> No.5988052

What colour is your hair?

>> No.5988073

>>5986114

I have tempro mandibular joint disorder my articular disc slipped out of place in both my joints

Should I get surgery even though there's a risk that the facial nerve could get severed

>> No.5988770

>>5988052
blonde

>>5988073
read the OP