So I'm going to be a Respiratory Therapist....

[w0odtactics]

Mr33andabove- how does travel healthcare work? I was would pm you but i'm on my iPhone at the moment.

 

[sole searchin]

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

Originally Posted by Paul Is On Tilt

UTVOL23, so you're an MD? I got much respect for those who have the title "MD" after their name. Look at AntonLaVey's weekly threads complaining about school

. I just hope your writing is legible because some of these docs man, you can't read their chicken scratch.

As far as those egotistical physicians goes, I've worked with them (as a student rotating through various hospitals). It's hard to give your input because they think they're all high and mighty and they know everything. They're not very receptive of a suggestion. One time as a student, I was just watching a bronchoscopy procedure and this physician was straight up yelling at everybody.

I gotta deal with this #$$#$ 3rd and 4th year and for 5 years of residency

And surgery attendings are the worst from what I've heard. Like they're literally the worst human beings on the planet.


Things You Wish You Knew Before Starting Medical School

 

 

1. If I had known what it was going to be like, I would never have done it.
2. You’ll study more than you ever have in your life.
3. Only half of your class will be in the top 50%. You have a 50% chance of being in the top half of your class. Get used to it now.
4. You don’t need to know anatomy before school starts. Or pathology. Or physiology.
5. Third year rotations will suck the life out you.
6. Several people from your class will have sex with each other. You might be one of the lucky participants.
7. You may discover early on that medicine isn’t for you.
8. You don’t have to be AOA or have impeccable board scores to match somewhere - only if you’re matching into radiology.
9. Your social life may suffer some.
10. Pelvic exams are the suck.
11. You won’t be a medical student on the surgery service. You’ll be the retractor @%+$%.
12. Residents will probably ask you to retrieve some type of nourishment for them.
13. Most of your time on rotations will be wasted. Thrown away. Down the drain.
14. You’ll work with at least one attending physician who you’ll want to beat the %%!+ out of.
15. You’ll work with at least three residents who you’ll want to beat the %%!+ out of.
16. You’ll ask a stranger about the quality of their stools.
17. You’ll ask post-op patients if they’ve farted within the last 24 hours.
18. At some point during your stay, a stranger’s bodily fluids will most likely come into contact with your exposed skin.
19. Somebody in your class will flunk out of medical school.
20. You’ll work 14 days straight without a single day off. Probably multiple times.
21. A student in your class will have sex with an attending or resident.
22. After the first two years are over, your summer breaks will no longer exist. Enjoy them as much as you can.
23. You’ll be sleep deprived.
24. There will be times on certain rotations where you won’t be allowed to eat.
25. You will be pimped.
26. You’ll wake up one day and ask yourself is this really what you want out of life.
27. You’ll party a lot during the first two years, but then that pretty much ends at the beginning of your junior year.
28. You’ll probably change your specialty of choice at least 4 times.
29. You’ll spend a good deal of your time playing social worker.
30. You’ll learn that medical insurance reimbursement is a huge problem, particularly for primary care physicians.
31. Nurses will treat you badly, simply because you are a medical student.
32. There will be times when you’ll be ignored by your attending or resident.
33. You will develop a thick skin. If you fail to do this, you’ll cry often.
34. Public humiliation is very commonplace in medical training.
35. Surgeons are %@+$*!@!. Take my word for it now.
36. OB/GYN residents are treated like %%!+, and that %%!+ runs downhill. Be ready to pick it up and sleep with it.
37. It’s always the medical student’s fault.
38. Gunner is a derogatory word. It’s almost as bad as racial slurs.
39. You’ll look forward to the weekend, not so you can relax and have a good time but so you can catch up on studying for the week.
40. Your house might go uncleaned for two weeks during an intensive exam block.
41. As a medical student on rotations, you don’t matter. In fact, you get in the way and impede productivity.
42. There’s a fair chance that you will be physically struck by a nurse, resident, or attending physician. This may include slapped on the hand or kicked on the shin in order to instruct you to “move

 

[sha77er s7ar i]

Originally Posted by w0odTactics

Any socal RTs in here, it seems to me that if you want to get into an acute hospital you need either a gang of experience or a mad conncects. I have little experience less than a year and no connects, any advice on how to get hired. I'm RRT eligible got pals/acls/bls and looking to get my rrt this month and nrp certification. Dream job would be at kaiser, as of now I'm stuck at a wack sub acute and get no days. Can't wait til all the old school RTs retire

socal here.did you already post your resume online and do the typing test @ kaiser lakeview? its hard to get into kaiser unless you know someone or work there and going for a internal transfer. you also have to be an RRT...to the dudes wondering if they could break $100k/year as an RT, of course you can. you just have to be a workaholic though. my father in law (18 years experience) is a nicu lead working 2 part times (kaiser and ahmc) and a home health gig and grossed $216k last year. the real money is in the overtime and the bonuses that hospitals give because they would rather give you the extra shift/OT then a registry. its ridiculous working 16 hr or even 24 hr shifts at a rate of $38-43/hr...

 

[airblaster503]

Sorry to grave dig but I have been looking seriously at getting into Respiratory Therapy and had a question. What is the advantage of getting a Bachelors degree in it compared to an Associates?? I could get my Bachelors in 3 years or Associates in 2 that is why I am asking. Also what are other health care careers that are good to get into with short term degrees with the ability to transfer to a 4 year school later on. I have also been looking into Radiation Therapy and am wondering if there are any other programs worth considering. And Nursing is a no go for now, I live in Oregon and it is practically impossible to find a job as a RN as a new grad with no experience.

Edit:  Also since the earliest I can start any of these would be Fall of 2011, I am looking at getting certified as a Pharmacy Technician or maybe a CNA.  Any thoughts on these and which one if either would increase my chances of getting a job when I get my degree?