Medical students

I love having students involved with my exams, especially if they are female. I am fortunate that my provider practice frequently has NP students doing clinical rotations there.

I always okay it when asked if a med student/students can sit in on an exam. My urology exams have been a little crowded more than once. It doesn’t bother me the slightest. They need to learn, and I am an unusual case, so I’m often used as a teaching subject.

I haven't had medical students examine or care for me. However I have had nursing students several times. When the instructor is teaching, whatever the procedure takes a lot longer, but there aren't any shortcuts. For example, teaching a bed bath they take care to expose as little as possible, while experience aides barely cover anything. The students have few patients to care for, so they take more time, seem to be friendlier. When I've been the teaching subject for a Foley catheter & external catheter I very much enjoyed having extra female attention.

Never had a med student in the with doctor but I would enjoy it if I got the chance.

I forgot to add to my original post that about 10 years ago, my elderly female physician had a young med student at her small one physician office. I did not know this until I was led to the room by the nurse and told to undress and put on the gown. When the doctor arrived, she asked if it was ok for her yong female medical school student can be present AND assist. I said yes. The Dr did the complete physical and as she went from head to toe, she had the med student do the same exam, so went it cam to the genital and prostate exam, I got a 2 for 1 price. felt odd standing totally nude in front of not only me physician, but also the 26ish year old med student how then felt my testicals, did the hernia exam looked around for skin abnormalitit’s. Then also had two prostate exams.

As a 13 year old I was sent to my GP for being overweight. I was examined by him, had to strip down to my underpants for that. There was an intern observing the exam. Really embarrassing, I got an erection quite visibly tenting my y-fronts. During the exam the intern just sat there on a desk in his white coat, arms folded, slightly smirking looking at me. Even after more than 50 years I still can visualise it.

I've had quite a few exams when a medical student has joined my regular doctor. I don't mind it, as they have to learn somewhere and I get two doctors checking me over, so it is win-win

I've had a number of invasive procedures at yhe VA and there were always students attrnding. Kind of awkward knowing a bunch of people were going yo be looking up your butt. Had a defecograph done where they put contrast in my rectum and then took x-rays as I pooped it out. That was kind of unnerving. If you're going to the VA, count on having an audience.

I've had a number of invasive procedures at yhe VA and there were always students attrnding. Kind of awkward knowing a bunch of people were going yo be looking up your butt. Had a defecograph done where they put contrast in my rectum and then took x-rays as I pooped it out. That was kind of unnerving. If you're going to the VA, count on having an audience.

I've been going there for about 25 years, only once did I have “extras” present and she asked me first if it was OK. I got the most thorough physical I've ever had but still no one retracted my foreskin to see what was inside.

I’ve had plenty of medical students observing exams over the years, and they’ve always been polite and professional. None of them actually did the exam. The only negative experience that I’ve had, was with a dermatologist intern who was in a hurry, and failed to diagnose a melanoma . Had I not followed up with an experienced dermatologist at another practice , I likely would have died. When I reported the intern, it was swept under the rug, and tha same doctor is currently in practice.

In 2004 I had a corneal transplant at Emory and in 2012 reattachment of a detached retina. First quarterly, then twice yearly, now annual checkups. An exam by a resident was part of visit, no problem especially given the excellent care I've received

I am fine with it as long as a senior doctor supervises same with nursing school students. Having been in and out of the hospital a lot I welcome the opportunity for student nurses to learn using me as a Guinea pig so to speak lol.

I have no problem with the idea. It may serve as a learning experience for the doctors and patient as well. There seems to be potential that it would be a more deliberate and thorough exam as a result of having a student tag-team with the doctor. Plus, if the student is easy on the eyes, then it's all for the better!

No, I would not like a medical student just observing my exam, as I think it would make me feel like a lab test rat and very uncomfortable and nonhuman. However, if I should be asked if a med student could actually do my exam under the supervision of a more experienced doctor I would have no problem with that. After all, they do need hands on experience, but just observing, well they can get that out of a book or online in my opinion.

Medical students have to learn somehow. So, if I can contribute to their education, all the better. In fact, I've had examinations by medical students from time to time over the years and also had them observe on occasion.

I have no problem with it, though I would not characterize medical students as inexperienced, certainly not in the sense that they are clueless. They have had other medical experience previously obviously or they wouldn't have gotten this far and they are certainly expected to have studied beforehand and attended lectures.

During a last dermatology consult, the doctor herself removed a bit from my leg while she had the medical student remove a bit from my face. The doc asked my permission first of course but I had no objections.

And all went well, both removals by doctor and observing assistant. I expected nothing less.

I’ve experienced this several times growing up, I guess due to the doctors affiliation with a nearby medical school and hospital.

I was never asked if it was ok beforehand, it was just like a surprise. And with some of the medical students not being much older than me, it was embarrassing.

An then the exams took forever as my doctor was explaining every thing he was going to do before he did it, again while doing it and again after he did it. And I’m just there like, red faced.

When they had students who were going to conduct the exam with the doctor overseeing, again it was embarrassing; particularly the ones who seemed to have lots of questions before doing anything. At times I felt like telling the doctor you just stand there and be quiet and I’ll explain to them what they are supposed to be doing and how it would make me as a female patient more comfortable if they did it this way or said something before doing it. Like they need a class on how to talk to your patient so they don’t feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.

But it was a love/hate when it’s happen, I’m sure my interest in medfet was already happening but then when you have an audience it makes certain parts of the exam feel more intense. Like wondering what those students might be thinking.

I am surprised you were never asked if it was ok @ccm93 . I think they always ask your permission first in Canada. At least, that has been my experience.

@liquidsky As far as I know, in this country, you can refuse to be seen by students coming as extras with a professor (though I suspect many older professors would prefer to do it the old way). They asked for my permission to have a student nurse perform tasks on me.

I just had my first dermatology exam. Someone came out to take me back to the exam room. I don't know if she was a nurse or maybe just an assistant because the dermatologist is a nurse practitioner. She told me to strip to my underpants and asked if I wanted a gown as those would be coming off eventually. I said no as it seemed ridiculous if I was going to be naked anyhow.. She left me to do the strip and soon the dermatologist came in followed by the other person. She found something she wanted to freeze and the other person went out to get that. When she came back she was accompanied by a younger girl who was the watcher. That made it three clothed female strangers and one naked me. The only one I knew was the dermatologist who lives one house from me, I was never introduced to either of the others. To check under the foreskin she told me to take whatever position was easiest for me to be able to show that to her so it was my job to peel it. The last girl in moved closer to watch that so maybe she was a trainee. I'm definitely going back to her next year. She made me feel so comfortable with her I didn't care who she invited in to watch the show.

Last year my wife had a kidney removed due to kidney cancer. She was sent to the local teaching hospital because they had a renowned urologist there. One of his residents actually performed the surgery but somehow he missed or forgot to remove the adrenal gland. We only caught it when followup scans by our medical group spotted it. It has nodules on it. Yes the renowned urologist told us he would be removing it and reported that he did remove it. I guess he stepped out of the operating theate… Do students, residents, interns, and renowned doctors make mistakes? Yes. Aside from the double payment scenario you are indeed being treated by inexperienced so called doctors.

Thinking about my previous post and the “watcher” I'm now wondering if that might be exactly what she was, a watcher. I can hear the conversation in my head that went on when the nurse went out to get the nitrogen freeze stuff. In the office they had a girl who had never seen a foreskin this being the US. “You want to see a foreskin? Follow me”.

I have never had the opportunity to have a medical student observe but, I would not mind. Everybody has to learn sometime right? I guess I would prefer a male student rather than a female but, if that does not happen so be it.

@canadianMD

Your comment only reinforces my belief that some people shouldn’t be allowed into the medical profession. And if you’re caught making such comments or going out of your way to make members of the opposite sex feel uncomfortable, then you should be punished.

I would have no problem with it. A few years ago I had a pre cancerous mole removed from my back by a young female med student under the supervision of my go. She removed the mole then had to “stitch me” up. I could sense she was nervous and it seemed like her hands were shaking but she was meticulous and did an outstanding job. No after effects, no scaring and fortunately no cancer.

My doctor’s office is a teaching facility, so I see student Doctors frequently. I don’t mind it at all! Although repeating myself multiple times to the different doctors can get exhausting. 😂 My current PCP is a resident and he’ll frequently be the one to bring in younger students to participate in the exam. Other times the attending doctor will bring someone with him when he comes in to speak with me. I’m happy to be a teaching experience for anyone. 🤣

I recently threw out my back. Had go to er the young male Dr wanted to grop me and stick his finger up my rear. He was way to in to it. I said no due to pass child hood experience.

@canadianMD

Your comment only reinforces my belief that some people shouldn’t be allowed into the medical profession. And if you’re caught making such comments or going out of your way to make members of the opposite sex feel uncomfortable, then you should be punished.

@ccm93,

I read both your two most recent posts here with great interest. I’m a retired 70 yr old male US doctor but haven’t commented on this thread yet. Just 2 comments or questions for now about your posts.

1) did you comment on a post by @canadianMD that was later moved or deleted? I strongly suspect I’d agree with you, but I can’t find anything he authored.

2) in your prior post you commented about thinking you would rather instruct the med students yourself rather than their attending physician telling them about how to make your experience as a female patient better or more comfortable or more respectful. Did you at that time or later ever actually tell that to the professor or attending to try and improve how they instructed their students or how the students approached you or other future patients, especially women? If you did, then bravo and kudos to you. If not, I’d strongly suggest and recommend to you that you consider doing so. That’s very valuable information that you wanted to convey to them on several levels, and you should feel not reticent but rather proud and satisfied to be able to contribute to their medical education in a uniquely valuable way they may never hear otherwise. Thank you for listening.

Eric, MD

I had a medical student shadow my Internal Medicine doctor during an annual physical exam. I was told beforehand that the student was a male and he had been in the office all week long.

I had already been stripped down to my underwear when the student entered. After introducing himself, he began the customary questioning before the exam began. However, he did not start the exam until my regular doctor entered and again asked for my consent. It was the only time that I received two genital and two rectal exams in the same exam! That scenario provided some intense masturbation material for a long time!

@ericmacson

To answer your questions:

Yes, there was a post that I was tagged in and responded to. I can’t find it anymore either.

At first I didn’t say anything to my doctor, at the time during the exams it didn’t seem appropriate for me to say what I wanted to in front of everyone given what was going on. After the third time though, I did ask my doctor if I could speak with him in his office and it was weird, I didn’t want to come off as rude but once I started I critiqued all three exams and didn’t stop talking until I was done. To my amazement he had several follow up questions and its hard to describe but I felt pretty good about the conversation. He also told me that instead of keeping it all bottled up that I should’ve spoken up during the exam because that is the feedback the soon to be doctors need to hear.