Thread by @DrStevenTChen

I remember a surgeon I worked with in med school. She asked me to do something pre-op (without instructions), and after I did what I thought was correct, she started yelling at me for doing it wrong. Then she loudly announced to the OR how stupid I was.

#thread #medtwitter
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https://twitter.com/FutrsurgPA/status/1172218362895699970

She literally pointed at me, and laughed with the chief, IN MY FACE. This was 11 yrs ago, and I still remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was livid, but didn’t feel comfortable saying anything.

I entered med school planning on a career in surgery, but changed paths.
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While this certainly wasn’t the only reason I ended up in IM/Derm, it helped cement my decision to NOT pursue surgery.

To people who say, “that’s just how surgeons communicate,” or that I just need a thicker skin, I refuse to believe that belittling others is ever okay.
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The bullying that occurs in medical culture is inexcusable & should be addressed. Especially as we talk about #wellness and #burnout, we should think about why our culture is the way it is, and why it’s acceptable for certain people to get away with things like this! /entrant
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