And you really think I don't give a damn about my patients? Look, I’ve got four elderly ladies on my ward whose entire faces just light up the second I walk in during rounds. I’ve actually tried to bring some actual humanity to this job, but apparently, that doesn't count for anything in this system. If all we deserve is a knife in the back, then maybe people as miserable and selfish as you two shouldn't be getting treated by us anyway. Honestly, we should just go grab a coffee at 1 AM instead—helloooo, now that's an idea—and you can all figure out how to survive without us assholes.
The fact that you two actually enjoyed twisting my words... it's just low. Truly nasty stuff. Pretty sure your moms didn't raise you to act like this.
I'm honestly just disappointed in everyone here. From now on, I'll just watch my mouth...
Alright, I've had my fill of this... go find some other sucker to mess with, someone else you can twist words around and take completely out of context.
Okay, now I’m actually getting worried. Is there any way we could just schedule an appointment so someone can actually look at me? Or am I really fine... maybe I'm overthinking this...😬
Oh, so this is how you talk to people, huh? Just calling them whatever pops into your head. Remind me again why I even bother talking to you... if calling someone lazy, childish, or immature isn't considered an insult in your little universe, then I just hope our paths never cross again... far away from each other...
And where on earth did I say I ever brushed anyone off? Honestly, I have zero interest in defending myself to people who are just sitting around waiting for a chance to jump me...
It’s honestly pathetic when people try to judge how I treat my patients based on how I deal with people who go out of their way to provoke me on this forum.
I mean, how else are you supposed to read northernbear2’s last post? She’s clearly incapable of seeing the log in her own eye... claiming I’m insulting her just because a parent came seeking help for their kid? Look, northernbear2, if you can’t find a single thing in your previous posts that warrants an insult from me, maybe you should start worrying about your own mental state...
And yeah, I think I have every right to snap back when people call me lazy, childish, or immature. If those aren't insults to you, then fine, whatever... but they sure as hell are to me. I'm not just going to sit there and let people be that arbitrary with me. And hey, Justin Fox, keep it up—keep judging people's entire character based on some random internet threads. You're really going places with that mindset... and apparently, we're all coming along for the ride. 😘
It’s always easy to just cherry-pick one little thing from a post and act like you've cracked the code... Sometimes people push my buttons so hard I actually end up biting.
Just because I actually care about my job doesn't mean I have to sit there and swallow every bit of crap being shoved in my face.
Take this specific situation... a kid was basically collapsing from exhaustion and clearly just wanted one thing: his own bed. But instead, the panicked parents drag him straight to the ER, completely bypassing their pediatrician and even urgent care. If that’s what passes for "normal" behavior these days, then I guess I'm happy being the crazy one.
I’ve never turned my back on anyone, whether things were critical or not. I’ve spent my free time posting hundreds of tips online... writing articles for regular people so they can navigate this mess better, especially when kids are involved. And you’re really telling me all that matters less than me speaking up because I see something being handled wrong?
Choosing a career doesn't mean you have to shut up and take it. Oh, wait, I forgot... you're a soldier. You have to 🙂 Us civilians actually have the right to push back 😉
And regarding northernbear2... when someone starts talking to me like that, the gloves come off and all politeness goes out the window. I didn't start insulting people; it started with me being insulted.
But honestly, looking at this whole thread, it's all pointless. Sure, gentlemen, we’re doctors, so we should just eat shit, stay silent, and let everyone walk all over us. We don't deserve a life, right? Because heaven forbid, we spent years in medical school, didn't we? Since when do we have the right to start families, have kids, or actually spend time with them? Basically, we should just be robots. That’d be easiest. Actually, we should probably just live at the hospital so we can serve the precious public 24/7 for every little thing... if they can't sleep, they might as well show up at midnight just for some diaper rash cream, right?
I'm distancing myself from this forum... I'm done participating.
northernbear2 said:Maybe they aren't a kid, but based on how they post... it’s hard to tell.
Forgive me, sir, for actually caring about my own kid. God forbid anyone shows concern. It’s a massive disgrace. Truly shameful. If I ever acted like that, I wouldn’t even bother leaving the house again 🙂)) If emergency responders actually did their damn jobs properly, maybe you wouldn't have to deal with them ruining your evening coffee or whatever else you're busy doing.
And then there's the whole PM drama... and the "coffee" comment. Give me a break. I've worked myself to the bone during my shifts—exhausted enough that I couldn't even get out of bed the next day, probably falling asleep on the subway on my way home... just shove that coffee and its little saucer right up your nose, you absolute moron.
That’s what happens when people push my buttons.
And honestly, you deserve the insults, since you were the one who started throwing them in the first place.
Angela Bailey30 said:1) No. Especially when parents aren't doctors, coming in because they HAVE NO CLUE what's going on and they're terrified for their kid (unless they should just be embarrassed for worrying)...
2) Fine, let's all go get medical degrees so we can diagnose ourselves and handle triage and decide what actually counts as an emergency and what doesn't...
1) Ohhh, my bad... I didn't realize you were the one in charge of making those calls... sorry about that...
2) If you honestly think a kid is gonna kick the bucket from nausea before morning, that's just sad. And especially the idea that someone coughing for two weeks is gonna drop dead if they wait one more night... pathetic...
Alright, everyone jumped on the kid thing immediately—of course they did. That’s everyone's Achilles' heel. But what about everything else? You guys kind of went silent on me there...
After seeing comments like that, you really start to regret just trying to do your job with some actual integrity.
This is exactly what happens when people refuse to look at anything but one side of the coin. If I’m not willing to admit there are flaws in my own logic, then nobody else is going to step up either. But sure, let's just pretend everything is perfect... obviously.
I'm done with this pointless back-and-forth. People can spit on me all they want if it makes them feel better, go ahead. It's all just noise at this point...
Look, I’m no cardiologist, but from what I gather, that kind of thing can get pretty sketchy... it might just be a warning sign for even bigger heart issues down the road. And honestly? I don't think it's just going to vanish on its own.
It’s honestly pathetic when people start screaming at parents who rush their kid to the ER in the middle of the night because they’ve got a 104 fever... But you know what else is pathetic? When parents drag their kid in at 3 AM just because they’re feeling "a little nauseous." The kid hasn't even thrown up once! Or when someone who's been under the weather for four days shows up at 2 in the morning claiming they "just couldn't take it anymore"... or showing up to the urgent care wing because they "don't want to deal with the crowd in the morning." Look, urgent care is meant for emergencies—those critical, immediate situations where things could seriously go south by tomorrow morning. It’s not a convenience service for whenever people feel like it. If people actually understood that, there'd be way less friction in the waiting room...
Humility? Give me a break. I honestly like to think—maybe I’m just being optimistic here—that it was a slip of the tongue... and they actually meant respect.
It kind of lost its edge toward the end once Capra showed up and all that... but honestly, it was essential viewing. Northern Exposure... man, if only I could go back...
Angela Bailey30 said:So once you figured it out, why didn't you just switch majors? I honestly can't believe it took you five or six years to realize certain things. Look, I studied linguistics, so I know firsthand how brutal translation work can be—especially simultaneous interpreting in the booth. It’s high-stakes, exhausting, and when you're dealing with those multi-day conferences, the hours are insane. You barely see your own house. It's basically on par with being a doctor.
Do you seriously think I could have just "realized" all that while I was still in school? It’s a bit late for a mid-life career pivot now... I'm in my mid-thirties, and you don't just swap out your credentials at this stage. I make it work, I guess. It's just... sometimes, when I'm stuck at the office from Monday morning until Tuesday dawn, I can't help but wonder if I could've done something else with my life...
Wait, did someone actually send you the entire medical report in Latin?? I usually just stick to the diagnosis... 😈 That’s how we were trained back in med school. But hey, if there's anything specific you're curious about, just ask.
Angela Bailey30 said:I’m with you on this one. And Benjamin Murphy2, I’m not buying that argument you made in that one post—the one where you claimed you had such an exhausting shift that some guy coming in with a cold was just too much. Look, I’m a career soldier. Nobody asks me how many hours or days I’ve been stuck in my boots on duty before they hand me an order. But that’s the job I chose. I don't complain about it. And I figure the same goes for you choosing to be a doctor. I highly doubt anyone forced you into it; you knew what you were getting into. So, I’m not using your "exhausting shift" as an excuse for your complaint.
I can't tell if you're doing this on purpose or if you just mixed up the two different situations I was talking about... Are you trying to say I should just be dying on shift without any food or water?
And you honestly think it’s fair for someone to show up in the middle of the night with a sore throat? When at that exact moment, I can do absolutely nothing to make them feel better before morning. Or when someone’s been coughing for two weeks and then decides to see a doctor at ten at night. To me, that’s just arrogance. It has nothing to do with having a rough shift. Don't conflate the two...
And no, I didn't know what I was signing up for when I went into med school. Nobody knows, and nobody can know. If I’d realized I’d end up spending way less time with my family than if I’d gone into, say, law or linguistics, I would’ve thought twice...
There’s really just one reason for all this: we're obsessed with sounding English. Honestly, I'm already sick of seeing half the medical terms over here written in English by these wannabe doctors. Does "cat-scratch disease" somehow sound more sophisticated than just calling it what it is? Doesn't feel like it to me. Besides, any infectious disease specialist will know exactly what I mean if I just write "bartonellosis." But to your average person on the street, "bartonella" or some complicated infection name won't mean a damn thing...
Oh, and one more thing: did you guys actually realize that a referral letter is meant for the family doctor, not the patient?