Does medical staff remember how we look naked? How do they react to embarrassing situations?

Hello from Germany again,

what do you think, do the medical helpers, doctors, assistants remember your body after some days? Maybe your breast was so huge/tiny, maybe your man`s parts were so long/short? We see it all day, is the common sentence. But really? What if you need to check at dermatologists exam the dream body of a young woman. Do you really forget that? What if you are nurse and have to wash a real long penis? It doesnt impress you? I dont believe.

And on the other hand: What do you think, will they talk trash about us? If the male patient got an erection? Really that normal? Or the woman had to fart at rectal exam? No reaction? Sometimes I wanna know, how students got teached, how they have to react to erections, or losing pee, or a very shy patient.

What are your opinions about feeling at the mercy of the doctor??

Have nice night.

I think medical personnel who see patients naked all day, every day, see all the variations of size. and if they don't know you, won't remember you. I belong to a gym, and see the other men naked every day. Some have large penises, some very small ones. When the guy puts his clothes on I don't remember what his penis looked like. I had a hernia surgery and the nurse was mother of my best friend. I was 16 then and she shaved me. I doubt she gave my size a second thought when I saw her again a couple weeks later.

I’ve wondered.

I’m not in the medical field but when I’m in the office, I notice and remember certain things about people, so why wouldn’t a nurse or doctor?

Talking trash or gossiping, well that’s a different thing. I generally keep my thoughts to myself, though I might discuss something with a friend who’s not part of my workplace.

When you work in medicine, you tend to develop a certain mental compartmentation. You keep in mind that the patient is a whole person, but the parts get focused on as just that, parts. They do, often, blend together. That said, if you are following a particular patient for a particular problem, that "part" is stored in memory so that you can gauge progress. It is called professional detachment.

Now, certain unusual situations or variations do remain in memory, but you don't comment on it, but they may come up in private like other memories do. Certain exams I have done or ...odd variations I remember, even 40 years later, but it is extremely rare that those things are sexualized, and never at the time. As for gossip, it is ingrained about patient confidentiality. Occasionally, you might discuss, in general terms, about something odd happening with a collogue, but it is never dwelled upon.

When that detachment slips or is lost, it is time to hang it up.

I have two sisters who are, or were, nurses. I have overheard them talk about patients. I don't remember them ever violating any patient confidences, but I know they talked about patients for the same reason any of us talk about people. To decompress, to laugh, to get advice, etc.. I don't know why anyone would think health care providers are any different.

I think that they see so many people and that they are used to just about anything they see, but having said that I do think that they have some memorable ones. Might be a physical attraction to the person as we are all humans.

A couple I know, an artist and a doctor, visited a nude beach. The artist commented on the great variety of different body shapes. The doctor said they all looked the same.

From another board. Single female Nurse Practioner does full insurance physical on a guy, including thorough genital exam. That night, by chance they attended same cocktail party. He's not shy: tells everyone she made him get naked and felt him up. (Laughter) NP confesses to the party that she thought he was a hunk and well hung. (more laughter) He hit on her anyway and they actually got married.

I wonder how they're going to answer the question from kids "Dad, how did you & Mom meet?"

During my compulsory military service, one of the most difficult memories for me was the group medical examination. As a whole battalion, we were taken to the hospital where doctors, nurses, and medical students were waiting. We were divided into groups and asked to undress completely. Standing naked with so many others in the same situation was already uncomfortable, but what followed was even more challenging. The examinations included everything not just general checks, but also genital and rectal examinations. For us, it felt less like a private health control and more like being put on display. The medical students and nurses did not always act professionally; they often laughed, whispered to each other, or even made casual remarks while examining us. It felt as if they were more curious than serious, and that made the situation far more embarrassing.

During the genital examination, I remember the cold hands of the examiner and the way the students gathered around, watching closely. Sometimes they touched and moved things without explanation, simply pointing out details to each other. In those moments, I felt like an object of study rather than a person. The loss of dignity was very real. What made it worse was the group setting. While waiting for my turn, I had to stand naked next to the others, hearing their reactions, seeing their discomfort, and knowing they would also witness mine.

Honestly the real answer is a lot less fun than many on this site would hope. Truly to healthcare workers the genitalia, anus, breasts is just another part of the body. Sure there might be something memorable in the same way any other body part might be memorable. But there’s just nothing special about anyone’s anatomy after a few thousand.

Sorry to be a buzzkill

I think MKP48 has probably said it best, at least for the overwhelming majority of patients. I have to wonder if people's personalities are more memorable than their physical characteristics. If someone is very difficult when it comes to getting a catheter or enema, or if someone is very kind to staff...I wonder if things like that make longer lasting impressions. That said, of course there are those stories and television shows where someone comes into the ER with the plunger stuck up their butt...I suppose that would be memorable, but again, it's more the incident than the actual buttocks/anus that people are remembering.