Interns!

So I really hate to complain, but the Interns that I'm working with are so stupid! For those of you that don't know, in South Africa, after completing your six years of medical school you are required to do a 2 year internship, where you work under supervision of medical officers or registrars if in an academic hospital. After the 2 years you have to be signed off and deemed competent before you may register with the Health Professionals Council. Anyway, an intern is technically a medical doctor with a degree but hasn't had much hands-on experience. There knowledge should still be fairly good though, especially if they are nearing the end of their 2 year stint.

Well, today one of my interns, who has 3 months left of her time couldn't give me the correct dose of cloxacillin. Nor, was she capable of justifying to the radiologist why our patient with a grossly distended abdomen, a tense ascites and a pancytopaenia needed an abdominal sonar. Besides the fact that this patient has known CML, a medical and not a surgical condition, but she admitted this pateint to our surgical ward. When I told her that even though the patient is not technically ours, we need to work the petient up and give her the best treatment we can, she turned around and told me we must merely transfer the patient and let someone else sort it out. What????? Is this girl being serious. What if this were her mother? Would she just transfer her to another hospital because she was too lazy to try and figure out what is wrong with her. I was so astounded, I actually couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew that nothing I said would make any difference. So instead I ordered the investigations I deemed appropriate and left it at that. I care about each of my patients and treat each one as if they were my mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or grandparent. I guess compassion cannot be taught in med school. You either have it or you don't!

Another intern, who is also already into his second year couldn't list the types of pneumothoraces and the treatment of each i the morning meeting. Oh gosh, I guess I need to have patience, they are still learning.

Let's hope tomorrow is a better day.