Doctor-in-training forced to work during miscarriage →

Another doctor speaks out on the inhumanity of medical training. 

“We don’t get time to recover our own health issues and when I was in residency there were 2 separate [occasions], I remember the day in the ER. I actually had to tell my colleague, ‘I’m sorry if I’m a little emotional because I’m miscarrying today as I’m going through my shift.’ And that happened actually on 2 separate occasions and it was just kind of considered the norm. And that I guess is what I was just going to say. That it’s unusual that you don’t even get a moment to sit down or something. It’s just—you just deal with it.”

When asked for her call to action, she replied: “I want to say, ‘F*ck you. I need to rest of the day off!'”

Outraged? Have a similar experience? Please share your story below.

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Pamela Wible, M.D., reports on human rights violations in medicine. Struggling? Need help? Contact Dr. Wible. Filmed at Breitenbush Hot Springs physician retreat. Video by Geve.

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Dying med student forced to study with chest cracked open, no hair, no voice, in extreme pain—so he could get a residency →

Pamela, 

I just lost my study partner this morning to cancer. I love him too much to share everything he went through publicly. Maybe he can live on through your blog. 

He was diagnosed with cancer last summer. Had a softball-size tumor taken out of his lung, started chemo and went through hell. The pictures of him are horrifying. He came back to school because another leave of absence may have prevented him from getting a residency. He was beautiful and now he’s gone.

Our med school doesn’t let students recover from accidents or medical conditions without failing them for attendance or making them repeat the term—even though they have A’s. They are abusing the shit out of our class. One of the happiest guys in our class just told me he has been depressed all year. My lab partner, the sweetest human on the planet, tells me she cries in the shower every night.

Now an incredible human is lost. We are all in mourning. Instead of taking care of his body he came back to finish. Please do not share the name or picture, but please share his memory and love for healing. Medical school was more important than his own life. I’m so distraught, angry, and crushed that the system is run in such a way that we can’t get cancer.

After I read your article about a young surgeon who was dismissed from her program when she became ill, I realized you can’t get sick during medical training or this huge investment is taken away. It’s counterintuitive and heartbreaking. This story proves the pressures of residency. Great future doctors choose to continue school rather than fully recover in order to fulfill the timeline in which we must finish. 

It wasn’t a suicide but it kind of was. He should have been home getting treatment. 

I wish I could share more. But he wouldn’t want to be remembered as a victim or as being weak. That is the person he was. Don’t get sick in medical school.

He was here with his chest cracked open, no hair, no voice, and in 10/10 pain. Studying next year’s classes so he wasn’t behind.

~ Chris

P.S. He sent me this in January.

 

Medical student with cancer

 

Facts: A medical school diploma does not allow you to work as a doctor. A residency position is required. In 2016, 35,476 medical school graduates applied for the 30,750 residency positions. That means 4,726 did not match. What happens if you don’t get a residency? Here’s one doctor’s story: I’m a doctor. I’m on Medicaid. I work as a waitress.

Outraged? Here’s how you can help:

Sign this petition to support Dr. Svetlana Kleyman’s return to school.

Support Dr. Stephanie Waggel who was fired for having cancer.

Pamela Wible, M.D., reports on human right violations in medicine. She is a practicing physician in Oregon where she hosts biannual retreats for physicians and medical students to help them heal from their trauma so they can be the healers they were born to be.

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Do flight attendants treat heart attacks? 10 things to know before an airline emergency. →

Airline Emergency

Man collapses at 30,000 feet. Quick, who’s in charge? Hint: it’s not the doctor. Last month, Dr. Tamika Cross was told to sit down when she tried to help an unresponsive man. Why? Apparently the flight attendant was looking for an “actual” medical doctor, not a black woman. Turns out she’s not the only doc making headlines for being turned down in a medical crisis. What in the world is going on up there? I interviewed pilots, flight attendants, and physicians to find out. Here’s what I discovered:

1) A sick passenger can cost an airline $100,000—or more. Think transoceanic diversion to nearest city. Hundreds of grumpy people. All need hotels, meals, new flights. Plus there may be a dead guy on board, a legal investigation, and relatives to notify.

2) Medical kits may be unstocked. Should all FAA-approved flights have oxygen, epinephrine, a functioning defibrillator? Yes. Do they? Not always.

3) Flight attendants are underpaid. Guess how much these smiley greeters are paid to get you blankets, pillows, and help you to your seat. Nothing. They only get paid when the plane is moving. Average starting salary: $18 per flight hour. Yep, they eat airline food, get jet-lagged, and deal with rowdy passengers, terrorists, and medical emergencies—all for $18 per hour. Shocking fact #2: a couple of young pilots told me they also started at $18 per hour. Hauling hundreds of humans at 500 mph. For big bucks pilots fly FedEx cargo. Hauling envelopes.

4) There’s no place to put your body. No gurney. No exam room. No convenient spot to lie down. So you’ll be on the galley floor (like both people I treated on planes).

5) You will disrupt drink service. Not only will your medical crisis be viewed by a bunch of gawkers with cell phones, you may piss off the crew who can’t wheel the snack cart over your body. Trust me. You will be in the way.

6) Flight attendants have limited medical skills. With just a GED or high school diploma, 3-8 weeks of flight training, and some CPR, these folks are handling medical catastrophes in the air. So, yes, the gal who poured your Pepsi may be treating your heart attack.

7) The flight attendant picks your doctor. If three docs respond to the call for help, how do they choose? Pilots, physicians, and passengers agree—pick the most qualified. Can a flight attendant actually judge the skills of an ob/gyn chief resident, an infectious disease fellow, and a retired rheumatologist? Maybe that’s why 70% of flight attendants told me they take the first person who shows up. Unless implicit bias selects the white guy over the black woman who arrives first.

Pamela Wible Airline Emergency

8) The best doctor may be buzzed. Do we go with the sober rheumatologist or the chief resident post-Kahlua? Maybe the best doctor is a Muslim ICU nurse (they don’t drink).

9) Crew may obstruct care until doctor shows “credentials.” Docs don’t carry pocket-sized diplomas, yet crew must see credentials before accessing medical kits. Do you really want a doctor ruffling through her carry on for a hospital badge while you’re on the floor?

10) The doctor may still get sued. Liability varies by country. While the Good Samaritan law “should” protect you in the USA, nothing prevents a passenger (or next of kin) from calling an attorney. Some airlines offer indemnity but only if the crew initiates the call for help (not if doctor proactively offers). Given poor medical outcomes in the friendly skies, do you think the average doc wants to absorb all that liability

Frankly, I’m amazed anyone volunteers at all—and actually makes it to the passenger in time. How can two highly regulated industries intersect in such chaos? And what’s the fix?

Besides the obvious (stock medical kits), here’s my advice: 1) Mandate diversity training for crew—led by black female physicians. Contact Artemis Medical Society to schedule. 2) Prescreen for medical credentials. Lufthansa does this. Model what works. 3) Allow medical professionals to assemble themselves. Health care is a team sport.

One final request: please thank any doc who willingly stands up to implicit bias, grabs a half-empty medical kit, and risks personal liability (while on vacation) to save your butt—for no pay!

Now who thinks our medical professionals should board first along with active duty military?

Addendum: Thrilled to announce that as a result of these courageous docs stepping forward, Delta airlines has changed their policies.

Pamela Wible, M.D., is a physician who reports on human rights violations in medicine. Have a story? Contact Dr. Wible.

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Surgeon General’s Warning: Medical school may kill your child. →

Cheryl lost her son Sean to suicide in medical school. Just a few months ago. Her only child. Cheryl didn’t know that medical students were at high risk of suicide—until her son was dead. Nobody warned her.

Sean Petro Medical Student Suicide

Rhonda lost her daughter Kaitlyn to suicide in medical school. Unable to recuperate from the pain of her daughter’s suicide, Rhonda died by suicide one year later. Rhonda didn’t know that medical students were at high risk of suicide—until her daughter was dead. Nobody warned her.

Kaitlyn Elkins Medical Student Suicide

Michele lost her only son Kevin to suicide in medical school last year. Just 3 weeks before he was to graduate. Instead of celebrating her son’s graduation, she attended his funeral. Michele didn’t know that medical students were at high risk of suicide—until her son was dead. Nobody warned her.

Kevin Dietl Medical Student Suicide

I was severely depressed in medical school. I lost both classmates I dated in med school to suicide. Suicide is an occupational hazard for medical students and physicians. Recently, I started a support group for parents who lost their children to suicide during medical training. They all wonder why nobody warned them of the hazards of a medical education. If someone had warned them maybe they could have saved their children’s life.

Cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco all come with a Surgeon General’s Warning. Why not medical school? If medical school came with a Surgeon General’s Warning, what would it be? I posed this question to medical professionals. Here’s what they told me.

“I’m an oncologist and this is a package of cigarettes and these cause cancer and you can read that right on the side of the box. It says Surgeon General’s Warning: Smoking causes lung cancer and there are a few other diseases that it causes and they are listed here. And I have a warning for people who may want to go into medicine. This would be my Surgeon General’s Warning to those people: Surgeon General’s Warning: Medical training and the practice of medicine can result in the loss of moral behaviors and expectations. This condition is termed demoralization and can be fatal.” ~ Dawn Lemanne, M.D.

“Medical school may cause poor self care, suicidal ideation, and will complicate pregnancy.” ~ Stephanie Waggel, M.D.

“Medical school could kill your child. [It’s] demands are severely underestimated. Ensure that your child has the ability to do this. Do not ideally assume they are smart and talented and send them off. They may die. Many have.” ~ Andrew Chang, medical student

“Protect your child as they enter this dangerous minefield. 1) Remind them that you love them unconditionally. (No one will be telling them that for many years). 2) Always tell them it’s okay to cry. 3) Call me anytime you want. 4) Venting is vital. 5) You are beautiful.” ~ Annmarie Ray, M.D.

“Medical school attendance may lead to any of the following: isolation, sleep deprivation, demoralization, stress, anxiety, obesity, alcoholism, drug use, abuse, bullying, emotional detachment, poor relationships, divorce, bankruptcy, sexual harassment, disillusionment, compassion fatigue, self-neglect, unethical behavior, mental fog, chronic conditions, preterm labor, suicide . . .” ~ Maili Velez-Dalla Tor, M.D.

“It will separate you from the people you love, prevent proper bodily functions such as bowel and bladder, cause extreme guilt that you are not doing everything right, and lead to loss of life.” ~ Wendy Schilling, M.D.

“Hypertension, diabetes . . .” ~ Lisa Splitstoesser, M.D.

“Extreme fatigue, denigration of self-worth, trauma, chronic illness, and suck the joy and passion right out of you.” ~ Ana Maria Sierra, Ph.D.

“[these health conditions are] Due to the blatant disregard for your own mental and physical wellbeing. It [the abuse] is perpetrated by your supervisors and administrators while you hold the weight of the world on your shoulders.” ~ Sangita Pillai, M.D.

“Surgeon General’s Warning: Residency may cause a psychotic break in previously healthy people.” ~ Kayla Luhrs, M.D.

“Is likely to cause loss of compassion, libido, health, wellness, sleep, close relationships, and overall joie de vivre. Apply at your own risk.” ~ David Kwon, D.O.

Informed consent is required in medicine. Everyone deserves to be informed of not only the health risks of using tobacco; they also must be informed of the health hazards inherent in the medical profession. Do you agree?

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Pamela Wible, M.D., reports on human rights violations in medicine. She is the author of Physician Suicide Letters—Answered. Her TEDMED talk “Why doctors kill themselves” addresses the hidden medical culture of bullying, hazing, and abuse that endangers physicians—and patients. She hosts biannual retreats for medical students and physicians to help them heal from the trauma of medical training. Depressed Struggling?  Contact Dr. Wible for help. Video by GeVe.

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Our town lost 8 doctors to suicide. Here’s why. (Dinner & documentary with Dr. Wible) →

Jumping off hospital rooftops, hanging themselves in janitorial closets, overdoing on drugs—our doctors are dying by suicide. Why? 

Join us Friday, November 11 at Tsunami Books in Eugene, Oregon, for a marvelous Mediterranean dinner to celebrate Dr. Wible’s book, Physician Suicide Letters—Answered, and take a sneak peek at the forthcoming documentary on our physician suicide crisis.

Two-time Emmy winner Robyn Symon has investigated the hidden medical crisis in her film, DO NO HARM. In this poignant preview, you’ll meet medical students and families of physicians touched by suicide who come out of the shadows to expose the silent epidemic and the hidden medical culture of bullying, hazing, and abuse that kills doctors—and patients.

Join Dr. Wible, a local physician and national leader on physician suicide and human rights violations in medicine, for an unforgettable evening. View her TEDMED talk here and DO NO HARM trailer.

Enjoy lively conversation while feasting on an organic Mediterranean dinner catered by Park Street Cafe featuring handmade dolmas, spanakopita, hummus, baba ganoush, tapanade, bruschetta, crostinis, quinoa tabouleh, unusual one-of-a-kind veggie platter, assorted fun drinks, and more. Please RSVP here so we’ll have enough food for you.

Plus grab your autographed copy of Dr. Wible’s latest banned book (yes, she’s written two banned books), Physician Suicide Letters—Answered. Now—for the first time released to the public—read private letters and last words from our doctors who could no longer bear the pain of an abusive medical system. What you don’t know about medical training and culture can kill you. Join Dr. Wible and the Eugene community for an evening behind the white coat and into the mind, heart, and soul of our doctors—and get all your questions answered. Listen to KLCC interview about event.

When: Friday, November 11 at 7:00 pm

Where: Tsunami Books (2585 Willamette St.)

What: DO NO HARM film preview (30-minute film and book signing)

Click here to RSVP 

Dr. Wible on doctor suicide at Tsunami Books

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