Why do surgeons only talk to male medical students?
I know this isn’t a new thing, I just need to rant somewhere. Hope that’s ok.
I’m nearly finished medical school. I’ve never liked theatre environments but I’m really trying to get to grips with them before I’m a surgical FY1.
I did the legwork yesterday of finding a willing surgeon, reading up on the cases, asking to join for watching the patients signing consent forms etc.
My male (same level) medical student colleague turns up as well this morning, piggybacking on the opportunity. Sure, that’s fine, it’s no loss to me, I thought.
From that point on, though, none of the surgeons (male) apart from the female ST1 talked to me or included me at all. I couldn’t see during the operations (there was no stool either), my male colleague was asked to scrub and I wasn’t, and it was like I was turning invisible.
The icing on the cake was when the consultant surgeon turned up with coffee for everyone, including my colleague, but forgot me (low key the biggest sin in this all).
What baffled me was when they let the male medical student do a small part of the procedure instead of the female core surg trainee who had never done it and was there to learn. I was furious on her behalf, never mind mine.
I know it’s not that big a deal but stuff like this makes me want to cry. Please tell me your stories too.