thinking that Consultants should introduce a medical student to you?

[BlazingBlaster]

Had a hospital apt today with a consultant, when I walked in the room there was a medical student sitting adjacent to him (I hadn’t been pre-warned about this and I wasn’t phased by it).

AIBU to think it would have been polite to introduce the medical student? I said hello but the consultant didn’t even acknowledge he was there with him.

Whenever there’s been a medical student in with my GP we are pre-warned and introduced to them.

I actually felt quite sorry for the medical student, he was lovely and very polite.

The clinic nurse should have checked before you got anywhere near the consultation, and then you should have been asked in the consultation as well.

Sitting in on clinics is am important part of training for all healthcare professionals, but so is showing patients some dignity and respect.

I work with students. If I am likely to see one in a medical setting I need to know before hand which university they come from - I am absolutely not up for any of the students at my uni seeing e.g. my nethers. They're all lovely, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to be thinking OMG HAS THAT ONE HAS SEEN MY TITS SHIT every time I interact with them.

And yes, it's bloody rude not to introduce anyone in an appointment, etc. with you. Not to mention really bad practice.

Surely the onus was on the student to introduce themselves? As a student nurse - and a qualified nurse - I always tell patients my name when I meet them, even if it’s a quick “hi my names fruit and I’m the wing nurse” through the medication hatch! It’s basic common courtesy!

YANBU
I'm still pissed from my last smear when there was a student nurse who was in there and wasn't introduced.
As I was getting undressed she left so I didn't bother to say anything then returned and sat in the corner. Slightly annoyed but didn't say anything as no big deal. Then the nurse called her over to look. If the nurse wasn't so scary I'd have said something. As it is I'll be refusing that nurse in future due to her nature the entire time.

Yes you should absolutely have been introduced.

Where I work there are posters everywhere saying "this is a teaching department, students will be present" with some other stuff about the stages of students etc. and asking patients to make reception staff aware if they don't want students in; however we all double check with the patient.

Usually I'll go out and fetch my patient and say "I have a student doctor sitting in with me, is that OK?" then introduce them when we get into the room. On the rare occasion the patient says no, they don't have to do it in front of the student who I then just send on an errand.

I remember being in this position as a student and absolutely squirming with the awkwardness - being about 18 and not feeling like I was allowed to interrupt the consultant and say anything, let alone spontaneously introduce myself!

I was introduced to a medical student right before my c section and was told he would be observing the procedure. No asking permission whatsoever! I briefly considered pointing this out but didn't want to embarrass the student and would probably have said yes anyway, if they had asked.

The consultant should have introduced the med student - it is part of the protocol.
Duck - how do you think med students learn if patients object to them being there? In my view if you are a patient in a NHS teaching hospital you should be allowed to refuse.

NOT refuse

rainbow of course, what makes you think I wouldn’t? Actually I always call the patient in by their full name (being wales we can often have 3 Mr Davies in one clinic) but then use Mr/Mrs etc unless they say otherwise.

Because welshweasel I can't remember the last time a dr or nurse actually addressed me as their equal. Here in Surrey the call me *Raindrops" and introduce themselves as title Jones. I don't play i'm affraid

I took my toddler to A&E once (pulled elbow) and the medical student was one who I had taught the previous week! I don't remember the consultant introducing the student. I do wonder whether the student mentioned knowing me.

It's ok Welshweasel. It's because you work for the useless NHS. Mrs Sparkles always drops into these threads with the same theme. Don't take it personally.

Of course they should have been introduced. On the only occasion I can remember when that didn't happen I politely interrupted the (somewhat high handed) consultant to say to them 'I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced'.

I’m glad the overall consensus is currently that IWNBU.

There wasn’t any signs, the clinic for my particular condition was held in another dept today. It would have been easy enough for the HCA to let me know there was a MS in with the consultant today when I checked in. There were three of them behind the reception area, they weren’t busy.

In the grand scheme of things it wouldn’t have made any difference, I would have still been ok with it but it’s still a bit of a surprise seeing two people in a room when you only expect one and to then not being introduced.

I hope the MS picked up valued experience today anyway.

You should feed it back to you consultant, maybe they’ll change their practice for next time. It’s actually nice for the student to feel valued by the consultant introducing them too.

I'm always asked if I mind (I never do) and always introduced after I've said yes. As I understand it, that's The Rules. Students have always thanked me at the end if the consultation too.

I would give PALS a ring.

I had female GP and she asked if the receptionist could obseve me having an implant in my arm. I agreed, and in the course of events talked to the receptionist. She's from a culture where newlyweds are pressured to have kids straight away, which neither she or her husband wanted to do. They were looking for a discreet method as they'd be initially living with his parents and MIL had form for happily going through drawers, handbags and bins to check the weren't 'cheating her' of her future grandson. She'd done it with her other DIL.

So very glad I agreed to the observation.

Thanks WW, there was that slightly awkward moment when my Consultant had left the room and as we hadn’t been introduced I just had to assume that he was a MS.

Luckily for me he was used to talking about bowel related diseases (Crohn’s) and I was quite comfortable with him being there but not everyone is.

I’d feel letting the Consultant know how I feel.

When I was at university, the local hospital always put students into rarely used private rooms on one particular ward as it was a major teaching hospital and they didn't want medical students from the same university getting to know our medical details. My medical student pals still dropped in for a chat but they were never allowed near any information.

I also have Crohn's. I think PALS may be your best bet if the consultant won't be receptive. Chances are your experience isn't unique if the clinic is as you describe. Our nurses are very, very busy, not hanging about in reception!

Weezol, our IBD nurse is amazing, can’t fault her.

Situation today though does need to be improved.

Are you happy with your consultant generally?

There's one in our dept. I won't see. He treats all the staff like shit, regularly reduces patients to tears, is patronising and records everything on a dictaphone. It states on the front of my notes that he is to have no contact with me, it doesn't say 'because Weezol will shove his dictaphone up his supercillious arse if he comes within 20 feet of her', but everyone knows that's what it means.

I never minded having medical students in for appts; had a student midwife for the birth of DC1 (although she wasn't that great in hindsight) and for DC3, the midwife asked if I minded a student in to watch me give birth. I said no and rather than introduce me to the student who I thought would be sitting in there waiting, what she did was stick her head out of the door and bellow down the corridor, "Any students who want to come and watch?!" I was a bit

Hermione - ditto.
I can’t have any sense of gravitas if the students have seen my bits!

What I don't understand Blazing and I agree with you that the student should have been introduced, is why you didn't give a big smile and introduce yourself to him or her.

By the way wben I get the paternalistic treatment. "Come in raindrops, I'm Mr x, Dr J, Miss Z, I always extend a hand or smile and say it is nice to meet them and I am Mrs Sparkles. They almost always apologise and offer their first name rather than continue as the began and use my title and first name.

It has happened at every GP surgery, and every hospital I have attended: Chelsea & Westmiinster, St Georges, Queen Marys, Kingston. I simy don't understand why Drs think it is appropriate to subordinate the patient. Notably it does not happen when seeing a Dr privately.

It's an equality issue and it's one I don't understand. As indeed the Consultant's attitude to Blazing was one of respect and also equality.