Posts by Kevin Garcia12

jadesailor14 said:The complaint I made earlier didn't mean a thing to anyone,
not even to the director or the medical board.
If I mess up at work, even if nothing else happens, I get a massive lecture from the director—or if things get serious, from the owner. My pay could be cut in half (since part of it is performance bonuses, which they can always slash), and ultimately, I could end up out on the street!
If I were to tell a firm partner to drop dead, I’d be handed my walking papers that very same day. 😁
I guess when someone lacks basic manners, fear is pretty good at tying their tongue.

Yesterday, I noticed a similar topic coming up at my job!
The wording was different, but it all boiled down to the exact same conversations. 😬

Look, we have those exact same mechanisms here in the States. If someone deserves a massive dressing down, they get one, plain and simple; no complaints there. Otherwise, you do see places where they try to dock pay for disciplinary reasons, but usually, they don't actually let the high performers earn more—it's always just an excuse to put people in the red. It’s like, if you’re managing a cash register, you better make sure the drawer balances; if money is flying out of there, management is going to lose it, asking "What on earth are you doing?" But honestly, anyone who has ever had even a shred of actual management training doesn't need me to spell out why this is such a toxic way to run a business. When employee motivation is driven exclusively by negative feedback and fear, we all know exactly how that disaster ends...

I mean, honestly, there’s just zero logic in thinking that a mother being the only one who can step up makes any sense... you call 911 and lay out the whole situation, they show up with the police, and if things actually play out the way you say they do—the guy will be hauled off to jail within five minutes...

I’m putting my signature on Angela Wright’s side—just change out that Legion of Merit stuff already...

I didn't go to college just because of that (it might sound that way if you read it literally, but that’s not what I mean) — that’s just a side effect of the whole situation. There are plenty of examples of "bad management" in my own backyard, but I honestly think there are even more instances of successful treatment and recovery, whereas the failure or negligence of a few people doesn't mean we should tear down the entire system. Instead, we need to call out those individuals by their first and last names when they aren't doing their jobs properly, so the system can actually fix itself where it matters...

For instance, if there were public lists of good and bad doctors, and everyone started avoiding the bad ones (since, as a patient, you actually have the right to refuse treatment from a specific doctor), those practitioners would quickly have to rethink their methods because they'd be out of a job if nobody wanted to see them. But, of course, that kind of refusal needs to be backed up by actual reasoning, rather than just following the principle of "I don't like them because they didn't give me exactly what I thought I needed," because that kind of attitude just makes the next person examining you even less interested in looking for anything concrete... Besides, there's also the legal right for a doctor to refuse to treat a patient (except in life-threatening emergencies, obviously), so even the arrogant or aggressive patients really ought to think twice about how they act...

Raymond Nguyen5 Kevin Garcia12 said:Look, anyone who hasn't actually stepped foot inside one of those Mill systems as a patient has absolutely no clue what they’re talking about, let alone having the nerve to post about it...
Of course you won't find doctors posting here about how Big Pharma lures them away to "educational symposiums" at the world’s most glamorous vacation spots—where, by some hilarious coincidence, the lectures always seem to take place right on the beach... but look, we’re all human, and frankly, what you’re saying is just pure theory that doesn't hold up in the real world. Anyone still actually working in this field has to stay on top of new breakthroughs, shifting regulations, and updated protocols just to keep their head above water. As for those administrative types who can't seem to respect deadlines or federal mandates? Well, the government has plenty of ways to deal with them; every single law comes with penalties for anyone failing to comply. Being a specialist doesn't mean you're somehow exempt from keeping up with medical advancements, unless, of course, a representative from a pharmaceutical giant—the kind of company pulling in $8 billion a year just from an MS drug—shows up and tells you, "Hey, listen up, we've got a new treatment, and we're hosting the launch party in Thailand..."
And then, once that's all settled, they just go ahead and tell the patients—as if it’s some kind of massive breakthrough—that this whole thing is actually revolutionary news...
You really have to look at this thing from every possible angle if you want the full picture, because that old saying about "not trusting a full stomach" is just way too obvious and frankly a bit lazy in this context...

Thanks, beautiful... I’ve seen enough of how these systems work from the inside since I was just a kid. Like one time, I went to a small town in the Midwest back in October to get some blood drawn for allergy testing, and they straight up told me they couldn't run that specific test anymore that year because they had "hit their limit" and I'd just have to wait until the new year... so what am I supposed to do with that now?
So, I had to go through medical school just to end up prescribing my own treatment plan because, apparently, nobody else could get it right... which is pretty much the only way I’m finally seeing some actual—if only partial—relief after fifteen years of being fed absolute garbage therapies that did nothing but make things worse. Genius, right?...
And for the record—I never even bothered going in to get that test done, and honestly, I didn't need the results for anything at all anyway... ☕

Look, just because there are systemic flaws doesn't mean the whole concept is garbage. And honestly, just because you see some people out there catching rays on a beach doesn't mean that’s what everyone is doing... It’s not a monolith. Besides, if we actually changed the laws to stop prohibiting direct donations for training—if we just let people contribute to education funds, or better yet, gave every employee a dedicated $1,000 annual stipend specifically for professional development where they get to decide how to spend it... I mean, if that was their only budget for learning, they’d probably think twice about whether lounging poolside is more important than actually sitting through a course they paid for themselves...

It’s honestly idiotic to think anyone is going to blow their hard-earned paycheck on some fancy continuing education course that offers zero return on investment... I mean, you aren't getting a raise for having more certificates, and let's be real, you don't even get any extra "prestige" in the eyes of the public because 99.99% of patients couldn't care less how specialized you are unless it directly fixes their immediate problem. They just want to feel better right now. And God forbid you have one bad day or a treatment gets a little complicated—suddenly, all the brilliant work you've done leading up to that moment is completely erased in their minds. They’ll drag your name through the mud just as fast as they would someone who’s been killing people their whole career out of pure incompetence and laziness... To me, making a mistake isn't the catastrophe here; the real disaster is when someone fails to learn anything from that mistake to make sure it never happens again...

Look, besides the constant climate of finger-pointing over every little thing, this whole culture of calling people out is exactly what’s killing the very ideas you guys are pushing here—I mean, let's be real, experimental methods are inherently tied to a non-zero chance of failure or complications, and almost nobody is willing to step up and face the public shaming and character assassination that *always* follows when things go sideways... because it’s the same damn story every single time. First, they go after someone with a lawsuit, then once they realize the patient signed a waiver acknowledging the risks of an experimental trial, the yellow press swoops in like vultures looking for a headline, and they don't care about anything except a juicy scandal. By then, the reputational damage is permanent, and if you’re someone who already has a reputation to protect, you aren't going to risk it all just to prove a point... you'll stick to the conservative, tried-and-true methods where there's virtually zero chance of everything blowing up in your face...

By the way, my employer has NEVER once covered the cost of my pharmacy certification courses—honestly, nobody ever has. It’s technically their responsibility, but I’ve sent four separate formal requests and been rejected all four times; they couldn't even bother to send a simple reply... So now I'm stuck paying for them out of my own pocket just to stay compliant, because they know damn well I need those credits to renew my license, and if I don't, they can basically force me into a corner where I'm paying for my own forced inactivity. What am I supposed to do at this point? Demand the course be paid for by force and risk getting fired at the first opportunity, or just shut up and deal with being completely frustrated by a broken system from a professional standpoint?

Look, I don't do this job out of some grand sense of altruism or a desire to save the world; I do it because I need to make a living. I show up to work to get a paycheck, nothing more and nothing less, just like pretty much every other worker out there. I’m not some saint or a messiah, I'm just an employee, and my level of "satisfaction" with my position and my job is directly proportional to how thick my wallet feels on payday, while being inversely proportional to how much extra labor I have to grind through for that same amount...

It’s nothing groundbreaking—assuming they actually catch him in time—because there’s an antidote for Normabel, and honestly, cutting your wrists is such a pathetic way to go out anyway; I’ve dealt with plenty of "cutters" in my life and not once did it even work...

Look, I’ve looked into this, and if we're talking about the specific type of stent I think you mean, then the bleeding from when the aneurysm ruptured shouldn't really be an issue... theoretically, there could be some lingering effects, but honestly, in practice, I just don't see them being a factor if nothing happened immediately after the incident. Having a foreign object in there isn't something you need to lose sleep over in this situation because it doesn't fundamentally change anything...

As for getting an MRI—look, just follow whatever is written on the referral that the radiologist provides. When you head back to your primary care doctor to get the paperwork drawn up, just tell them about the issues you're having so they can make sure to include everything on the order...

A full clinical workup—to really dig into what you’re dealing with here—is pretty extensive. We’re talking about checking head range of motion, palpating nerve exits, tapping specific spots on the skull for percussion, watching how things move, feeling the jaw joints, maybe even listening to them with a stethoscope, plus eye movement tests, light reactivity, blood pressure, and all that good stuff...

Now, the actual diagnostic path depends entirely on what we uncover during that initial phase. Personally, I usually kick things off with a standard lab panel, like a CBC, and then move to X-rays of the neck—though yours already came back clear, which is a start—along with specialized imaging of the mastoid areas and paranasal sinuses to rule out or confirm any chronic inflammation. If that doesn't give us a smoking gun, we have to pivot in several different directions... looking at functional spinal imaging, deep neurological exams (which might lead to an EEG or some highly specialized radiology if the doctor finds a reason to go that route), and so on, depending on what looks like the most likely culprit...

Grace Davis77 said:One possibility could be an issue stemming from the cervical spine, which can often trigger pain near the temporomandibular joint—at least, that is my own experience with similar symptoms. It would certainly be wise to undergo a thorough diagnostic evaluation.

It’s so easy to overlook this during routine checkups, but you absolutely have to double-check those mastoid and paranasal sinus scans too...

ruggedscout91 said:It looks like even the cats decided to give birth at the exact same moment the order was placed. 😂 We should probably just rename those electrodes: "Kitten Electrodes." 😁

🤣 I bet the old folks back home have already handed those kittens out to the neighbors—not that anyone actually knows when they were even conceived, but hey, it’s a decent thought... 😍

And it wasn't even an official order; I had to draft some special memo just to make it happen because it wasn't even listed as a line item in the procurement plan since nobody had even considered it beforehand—how does that even work... 🤷

Susan Rodriguez4 said:Medicine is just one of many professions where you're constantly dealing with people. Doctors aren't some special exception to that rule. And yes, working with people is the toughest part, especially when they're sick. But being sick doesn't make someone stupid; they're just unwell. Regardless of how rough your day was as a student, believe me, the patient who just found out they have a serious illness is having a much worse day than you are. And they came to you for help.
As for those colleagues who decided to quit the profession, ask them how long it really takes to learn how to translate medical jargon into plain English. In your case, "plain English" should have been: "I don't know," instead of "I'm just a student passing through." To say that, you need a massive amount of confidence and deep knowledge. Once you reach that level, no patient is going to respect you any less for it.

That is absolutely the truth, and I’m speaking from my own personal experience on more than a few occasions. It’s never been a case where people looked down on me just because I couldn't nail a diagnosis and had to refer them out. In fact, it’s actually quite the opposite—it usually works the other way around, where people end up respecting you even more once you've sent them to the right specialist through the most direct route possible...

Just as a side note, I walked into work the other day and they tell me those electrodes I've been waiting for since February finally showed up... 🙄

Bojanić

You can get things like diapers and some of those specialized baby foods through prescription, but as for a crib... I'm not entirely sure, though my gut tells me you won't find that covered...

It’s honestly impossible to give you a straight answer to that question because polymyositis is just a descriptive term—it basically just means your muscles are inflamed, which tells us nothing about what actually triggered it... it could be anything from an autoimmune response or chemical exposure to genetics, a virus, bacteria, fungi, or even some underlying metabolic disorder...

So, look, if his issues were kicked off by something like a virus, then yeah, there is absolutely a chance you could catch it, especially since there are so many different types of myotropic viruses out there...

It could happen, sure, but we're talking about something that is incredibly, incredibly, incredibly rare—usually only popping up in those outlier cases where you're forced to use non-standard anesthesia techniques because of one reason or another...

@Angela Wright
And what even is "communication studies" supposed to be?
If you're talking about things like "delivering bad news" or similar disciplines, unfortunately, we don't teach that here—for quite a few reasons, actually—but at some foreign universities, they have specific workshops dedicated to practicing it, though that’s beside the point right now...

Secondly, I have no idea how you imagine implementing this, but let me tell you, introducing something like that isn't going to change the core of anything—honestly, it just becomes one more exam you have to pass. Learning "communication methods" doesn't change someone's fundamental "nature," and if someone is just naturally a person who doesn't talk much to people, then they won't, period. It's just like math; we all studied it and "learned" it, but that doesn't mean we actually use it outside of the most basic level...

By the way, I'm not even sure how you, as someone without a medical background, can even begin to grasp our perspective on these issues? Honestly, I don't know, I really can't wrap my head around it, and please don't take this as an insult, but it's just incomprehensible to me...

@vixen
What year of college are you in? I'm genuinely curious...

Now, for everyone out there advocating for "omnidirectional care," here's a little quiz...

Imagine you get a call stating that a child with asthma is in critical condition and can barely breathe; you throw on your shoes and head out, only for the dispatcher to tell you that on the other side of your territory, there's an elderly woman, say 60 years old, who also suffers from asthma, has heart disease, and is also struggling to breathe...

Technically, there is absolutely no way you can handle both—you only have one team, consisting of a driver, a nurse, and yourself, plus one ambulance, and you have to make a choice—so, what are you going to do?

I'm listening to suggestions, maybe I'll actually learn something...

The crew over at the salad bar was actually pretty decent, though I can't tell if they've gotten even worse or if they just moved them over to the grill station...

I’d say maybe mono, but you seriously need to go get checked out by a doctor immediately...

Kate Collins67 said:Look, if people actually did things this way, everything would be fine—and clearly, it *is* possible... it’s just that certain people lately have been taking advantage of that "full review" option on their referrals to go big.

I know a former colleague who used to operate exactly how you described, though thankfully she recently moved over to general practice, so that whole headache has died down...

Technically, you can do it. Even if the referral specifically says "review and processing" or something similar just to make the billing work, we still have all our supporting letters, findings, and histories for any scheduled appointments, not to mention those note sections on the paperwork. If the people on both sides of the line are actually reasonable professionals, then this works perfectly with minimal effort. Honestly, the job is already miserable enough without us making life even harder for one another by overcomplicating things...

Kate Collins67 said:Here’s an idea: Why don't we set up a few dedicated clinics within the Medical Center specifically for GP doctors during weekends and holidays? They could have full access to the hospital lab and all the diagnostic tools they need—that way, they can wrap up care for patients who don't actually need to be hospitalized.

We’re actually looking into something pretty similar here, though in my neck of the woods, emergency medicine is already integrated into the general hospital setting, so patients aren't just being dumped straight onto specialists without any filter. Most of the colleagues working there are essentially doing "general practice" anyway—though once the healthcare reforms finally kick in, they should technically be classified as urgent care specialists—so it takes some of the pressure off the specialists since they only get called in when it’s absolutely necessary. Beyond that, whenever I send someone off for diagnostics, I make sure to specify on the referral that we only need the tests themselves, which helps the colleague at intake avoid wasting time starting the entire review and processing from scratch... they can just enter an internal hospital order for the X-ray or the lab work and simply wait for the results to come back...