Tests
I'm a bit under the weather, so this will be a short one, but I promise a longer post soon...
In the past week I've had a few interesting tests as a volunteer for demonstrations in our expanded clinical skills sessions. I've had an EEG, a needle EMG, a nerve conduction test, some hearing tests and electronystagmography. It has definitely been interesting. In the past I've also had MRIs and ultrasounds as parts of research projects. I'm a big supporter of doing the tests to know what these things feel like to your patients. Obviously, I wouldn't support putting med students through tests with high risk associated with them (CTs because of the x-ray dose, LPs, etc) but I think it's definitely a worthy learning experience to feel what the battery of common tests patients go through feels like. Some are scary (MRIs of the head) some are uncomfortable (EMG, nerve conduction) and some are not scary at all (hearing tests, EEG) and I think it's good to have gone through them so we can warn our patients about what to expect.
5 comments:
It's kinda like in vivo human testing in biomech. You (as the primary researcher) are always subject 1.
Happy Birthday last week. You are a very accomplished 25 year old, with a lot of potential for even greater accomplishments in the future. Dude, compare yourself to people who hit their peak in high school -- maybe they're old at 25 (maybe not), but you're definitely not.
I sort of dug volunteering for all those MRIs during the post-doc years (although sometimes I just appreciated the nap). But I'll bet getting all those tests has the fringe benefit of stifling the hypochondria, no?
Dr. F (PhD)
Aw. Dr. F!
You make me get all warm and fuzzy! I have to say, I could go into a very small tunnel now and hold my breath for like 40 seconds without freaking out! The breath holding MRIs were definitely the worst! I did one the other day that was face down into the MRI with extended arms (a la superman) and boy was it sore. I love the ones you can sleep through though... bring 'em on.
That's cool that you are getting those kinds of experiences so better inform your patients of what to expect. I'm wishing for a full body CT scan, radiation or not. Hypochondriac = me. Hope you are out from under the weather soon!
I agree that med students should undergo the tests that they give out so they understand what their patients are going through. Too many times have I seen bitchy doctors (or worse, nurses or nurse-practitioners or community matrons or whatever the hell Britain's NHS can throw at you to avoid having a doctor do it) talk down their noses to a patient afraid of entering the MRI Machine of Doom.
Get well soon!
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