Perhaps I'm not meant to work in the ER?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone go to the ER for 'sniffles' or 'general medical exams'? My urgent care copay is like $30. What idiots.

You sound extremely ignorant. People that don’t have healthcare go to the ER for all medical ailments.

[Anonymous]

Find a job at the Baltimore hospitals.

[Anonymous]

Which kind of medicine do you like to do, OP? If you know you're going to be mostly dealing with non-emergency situations, maybe you should go for a non-24/7 urgent care, or primary practice. If you like it busy, maybe you need to go to a different ER.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which kind of medicine do you like to do, OP? If you know you're going to be mostly dealing with non-emergency situations, maybe you should go for a non-24/7 urgent care, or primary practice. If you like it busy, maybe you need to go to a different ER.

Its not that I want it to be busy. I wouldn't wish harm or bad health onto anyone! If we can go a whole shift without any serious injuries, that's great. However, it's when people come in with bullshit that is really annoying. I feel like I'm working crazy hours and just seeing nonsense patients all the time. If I wanted to do GP cases (vaccines, abdominal pain, chronic pains, management of conditions) then I would work in a GP facility and be home at 10 pm relaxing, not writing the chart of Dave the drunk who comes in every night after drinking 2 6 packs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone go to the ER for 'sniffles' or 'general medical exams'? My urgent care copay is like $30. What idiots.

ER is free for us. If something happens, it is the fast track to a specialist appointment. You can get a specialist appointment within days vs. weeks with a regular doctor appointment.

Huh?? Free?? What kind of insurance do you have? We've gotten very large bills the two times someone in our family has gone to the ER.

[Anonymous]

I went to the ER once when I was 18. The nurses were so nice - one of them just stood there with her hand on my knee to be supportive while someone was doing something painful, and the doctor was really kind.

Maybe ICU might feel more comfortable for you? Or, a trauma ER where city shootings and stuff like that come in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which kind of medicine do you like to do, OP? If you know you're going to be mostly dealing with non-emergency situations, maybe you should go for a non-24/7 urgent care, or primary practice. If you like it busy, maybe you need to go to a different ER.

Its not that I want it to be busy. I wouldn't wish harm or bad health onto anyone! If we can go a whole shift without any serious injuries, that's great. However, it's when people come in with bullshit that is really annoying. I feel like I'm working crazy hours and just seeing nonsense patients all the time. If I wanted to do GP cases (vaccines, abdominal pain, chronic pains, management of conditions) then I would work in a GP facility and be home at 10 pm relaxing, not writing the chart of Dave the drunk who comes in every night after drinking 2 6 packs.

This one is tough though. I went to the ER for abdominal pain last year because I was in serious pain and it was 11 pm. I thought it might be appendicitis. It turned out it wasn't. It was just a really bad stomach bug or food poisoning. But it was hard for a medical layperson to tell.

I've also gone to the ER for my infant's croup. I felt borderline about that one too but I called my ped's after hours line and that's what they advised me to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which kind of medicine do you like to do, OP? If you know you're going to be mostly dealing with non-emergency situations, maybe you should go for a non-24/7 urgent care, or primary practice. If you like it busy, maybe you need to go to a different ER.

Its not that I want it to be busy. I wouldn't wish harm or bad health onto anyone! If we can go a whole shift without any serious injuries, that's great. However, it's when people come in with bullshit that is really annoying. I feel like I'm working crazy hours and just seeing nonsense patients all the time. If I wanted to do GP cases (vaccines, abdominal pain, chronic pains, management of conditions) then I would work in a GP facility and be home at 10 pm relaxing, not writing the chart of Dave the drunk who comes in every night after drinking 2 6 packs.

This one is tough though. I went to the ER for abdominal pain last year because I was in serious pain and it was 11 pm. I thought it might be appendicitis. It turned out it wasn't. It was just a really bad stomach bug or food poisoning. But it was hard for a medical layperson to tell.

I've also gone to the ER for my infant's croup. I felt borderline about that one too but I called my ped's after hours line and that's what they advised me to do.

I went to urgent care with abdominal pain and they sent me to the ER. Pain that is similar to emergencies but end up being benign are hard to finesse. But I have found urgent care is useless, b/c they don't have sophisticated imaging so for chest or abdominal pain they ALWAYS send you to the ER to cover their liability.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you work too long of hours or odd hours. One time a doctor kind of dismissed my child as just having a cough but on prior ER visits he was in respiratory distress so we thought that was happening again. People don't know how serious it is until they go there and find out. Another time the nurse acted like my child was dying and to rush to the ER when I thought she was finally getting better, and then we get to the ER and they act like she's not dying, thankfully. Why is it even called the ER when they don't act like anything is an emergency? You go there and it's like a regular appointment where the receptionists are taking their time and you sit there waiting. No one is rushing around trying to save lives or offering wheelchairs or stretchers. And you have to hike a mile from the parking lot to get there.

[Anonymous]

Go work in a level 1 trauma center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone go to the ER for 'sniffles' or 'general medical exams'? My urgent care copay is like $30. What idiots.

ER is free for us. If something happens, it is the fast track to a specialist appointment. You can get a specialist appointment within days vs. weeks with a regular doctor appointment.

Huh?? Free?? What kind of insurance do you have? We've gotten very large bills the two times someone in our family has gone to the ER.

Tri-care (military).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you work too long of hours or odd hours. One time a doctor kind of dismissed my child as just having a cough but on prior ER visits he was in respiratory distress so we thought that was happening again. People don't know how serious it is until they go there and find out. Another time the nurse acted like my child was dying and to rush to the ER when I thought she was finally getting better, and then we get to the ER and they act like she's not dying, thankfully. Why is it even called the ER when they don't act like anything is an emergency? You go there and it's like a regular appointment where the receptionists are taking their time and you sit there waiting. No one is rushing around trying to save lives or offering wheelchairs or stretchers. And you have to hike a mile from the parking lot to get there.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone go to the ER for 'sniffles' or 'general medical exams'? My urgent care copay is like $30. What idiots.

Because they don't have the same generous insurance plan as you? You might be the idiot, or at least, the person without empathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which kind of medicine do you like to do, OP? If you know you're going to be mostly dealing with non-emergency situations, maybe you should go for a non-24/7 urgent care, or primary practice. If you like it busy, maybe you need to go to a different ER.

Its not that I want it to be busy. I wouldn't wish harm or bad health onto anyone! If we can go a whole shift without any serious injuries, that's great. However, it's when people come in with bullshit that is really annoying. I feel like I'm working crazy hours and just seeing nonsense patients all the time. If I wanted to do GP cases (vaccines, abdominal pain, chronic pains, management of conditions) then I would work in a GP facility and be home at 10 pm relaxing, not writing the chart of Dave the drunk who comes in every night after drinking 2 6 packs.

You sound miserable. You should find a different practice area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which kind of medicine do you like to do, OP? If you know you're going to be mostly dealing with non-emergency situations, maybe you should go for a non-24/7 urgent care, or primary practice. If you like it busy, maybe you need to go to a different ER.

Its not that I want it to be busy. I wouldn't wish harm or bad health onto anyone! If we can go a whole shift without any serious injuries, that's great. However, it's when people come in with bullshit that is really annoying. I feel like I'm working crazy hours and just seeing nonsense patients all the time. If I wanted to do GP cases (vaccines, abdominal pain, chronic pains, management of conditions) then I would work in a GP facility and be home at 10 pm relaxing, not writing the chart of Dave the drunk who comes in every night after drinking 2 6 packs.

You sound miserable. You should find a different practice area.

Or maybe leave medicine all together. Patients aren't there to entertain you. Your expectations are off if you are looking to be appreciated. I'm surprised you didn't catch on in school or residency that medicine isn't an episode of ER.