High school student wants to "intern" with me

[Anonymous]

I'm a physician at a large hospital. Over the summer, a volunteering med student emailed me about volunteering/interning with me during the school year. I said we cod talk about it.

The next thing I knew, the head of volunteer services emailed to let me know the students file was complete and she was getting access to my area - I told her I hadn't even spoken to the student and sent an email to both to hold on the access until we spoke.

So, it took about a month to finally get on the phone (my fault - not hers), and I asked her why she wanted to work with me and she said "I want to build my resume." Then she interrupted me multiple times, told me she's read about my research, but that she doesn't know why I'm working on disease X because its "all figured out." She asked me over and over what day she could start, but has no time except weekends and evenings (after 5 or 6). I said that perhaps she could help in the ER on a specific project on Monday and Tuesday evenings (because volumes are highest - which i explained tp her) and she replied "so, I think I'll just come in on Fridays and Saturdays instead"

I finally told her that it might be better for her to volunteer next semester when she had dedicated time from a class... But I'm feeling like I might be a curmudgeon at 36...

Should I give her a chance or call it a day?

[Anonymous]

Call it a day. You don't want a student like this.

[Anonymous]

I'm confused as to whether she's a high school student or a med student.

Either way, I don't think you have an obligation to take on a volunteer. If you think she could actually be helpful, or that you'd enjoy the experience of mentoring her, then I'd say go for it. Otherwise, it's fine to say "I'm really sorry . . . "

Is there really more volume in the ER on a Tuesday vs. a Saturday? Any idea why? I'd predict the opposite, because it just seems like 1) people are more likely to do stupid things on the weekends and 2) things that could maybe wait until your doctor opens on Wednesday, might seem like more of an emergency when tomorrow is Sunday.

[Anonymous]

OP here - she is a high school student. Not a med student.

[Anonymous]

Oh OP stay away!! I am an educational consultant and I work with a LOT of high school kids. This girl sounds totally obnoxious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh OP stay away!! I am an educational consultant and I work with a LOT of high school kids. This girl sounds totally obnoxious.

OP here - thanks. She has an ethnic name and I feel she just went thought the hospital directory looking for similarly ethnic names to target. She's been ultra- eager - I've gotten at least a dozen emails from her and she's called my admin multiple times to "start work." I just feel like she doesn't get it and sounds like a handful.

[Anonymous]

OP, if she's like this now, when she should be trying to present herself in the best light, she will be a huge pain in the ass to deal with. Your work is important and you don't owe your energy to someone who doesn't know how to act. She's not being proactive, she's being rude (telling you she doesn't know why you're bothering with your area/research??). An intern should not make things harder. Don't tell her "maybe next semester," but instead tell her it's just not going to work out.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it. I just had to "fire" my intern who was a graduate student. She started off the same way as your high school student. I should have put the kibosh on her from the beginning. Think of how hard she will be to get rid of if she is this hard to not hire.

[Anonymous]

She already knows everything, so why bring her on? You'll just slow her down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She already knows everything, so why bring her on? You'll just slow her down.

LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused as to whether she's a high school student or a med student.

Either way, I don't think you have an obligation to take on a volunteer. If you think she could actually be helpful, or that you'd enjoy the experience of mentoring her, then I'd say go for it. Otherwise, it's fine to say "I'm really sorry . . . "

Is there really more volume in the ER on a Tuesday vs. a Saturday? Any idea why? I'd predict the opposite, because it just seems like 1) people are more likely to do stupid things on the weekends and 2) things that could maybe wait until your doctor opens on Wednesday, might seem like more of an emergency when tomorrow is Sunday.

Not OP, but I'd venture volume is higher on weekends but perhaps also has a commensurate staffing, perhaps leading to staff shortages on M/T, so normalized on a per-employee basis maybe Tuesday is worse. Just a guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused as to whether she's a high school student or a med student.

Either way, I don't think you have an obligation to take on a volunteer. If you think she could actually be helpful, or that you'd enjoy the experience of mentoring her, then I'd say go for it. Otherwise, it's fine to say "I'm really sorry . . . "

Is there really more volume in the ER on a Tuesday vs. a Saturday? Any idea why? I'd predict the opposite, because it just seems like 1) people are more likely to do stupid things on the weekends and 2) things that could maybe wait until your doctor opens on Wednesday, might seem like more of an emergency when tomorrow is Sunday.

Not OP, but I'd venture volume is higher on weekends but perhaps also has a commensurate staffing, perhaps leading to staff shortages on M/T, so normalized on a per-employee basis maybe Tuesday is worse. Just a guess.

Nope! Our staffing (I'm OP!) is about a third higher on Monday and Tuesday evenings!

[Anonymous]

Ahhh this sounds like a nightmare OP! Don't do it!

Sounds like she's immature but thinks she knows it all. You don't owe her anything, so if I were you I'd tell her in a very final way you "don't think it's a good fit" and then stop communicating with her. Because she will keep trying... and trying... and if you keep humouring her, she'll never get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused as to whether she's a high school student or a med student.

Either way, I don't think you have an obligation to take on a volunteer. If you think she could actually be helpful, or that you'd enjoy the experience of mentoring her, then I'd say go for it. Otherwise, it's fine to say "I'm really sorry . . . "

Is there really more volume in the ER on a Tuesday vs. a Saturday? Any idea why? I'd predict the opposite, because it just seems like 1) people are more likely to do stupid things on the weekends and 2) things that could maybe wait until your doctor opens on Wednesday, might seem like more of an emergency when tomorrow is Sunday.

Not OP, but I'd venture volume is higher on weekends but perhaps also has a commensurate staffing, perhaps leading to staff shortages on M/T, so normalized on a per-employee basis maybe Tuesday is worse. Just a guess.

Nope! Our staffing (I'm OP!) is about a third higher on Monday and Tuesday evenings!

So why is volume higher on Mondays?

[Anonymous]

Op again with an update. The high school student called me at 8:02 for an update from our conversation on Tuesday. I had told her the ER project wasn't starting until September! And that no info on it would be available for at least 2 weeks. I reminded her if this and she replied "I talked to my guidance counselor and she said I can work winter break and spring break." I told her I don't know my schedule that far in advance and she said "well what about next summer?" So I told her to look for other physicians to work with bc u can't guarantee her a spot that far in advance and I have never had a high school student before. I said she could call me around winter break to see if I had any new opportunities. Argh.