Emets in med school.

[_katherine]

Are there any emets that are thinking about/have gone through med school?

Both of my parents are doctors, and reassure me that I'll be okay (they know I'm an emet.) I want to be a psychiatrist, but I would have to do a year of Internal Medicine and heck knows what's in there!

What are some steps/techniques that I can use to help get me through this? I've already dealt with some v* in hospice, but that's about it.

[andee]

Hi, I love the medical field...I studied speech pathology and audiology for a bit then went on to become a medical assistant. I worked in a peds. office (don't know how I managed to not see v, only once), and after my youngest is off to first grade, I want to get certified for phlebotomy. I love all aspects of medicine and at the same time am a total emetophobic, doesn't matter who, what, where etc. I am worried about drawing blood in case someone faints, or v*, but I love it so I am going to try. It is definitely hard, but maybe a little desensitizing isn't so bad, and if it is truly something you love, you might want to go ahead. Good luck and let us know....

[wing]

I am not a med student, but I want to say, Andee, that's so true. "if it is truly something you love, you might want to go ahead."

This is a little OT, but my roommate tries to talk me out of becoming a teacher since I'm really bad at public speaking (more like, I'm just really shy), but for some reason, I want to teach so much. What you said, gives me more confidence, because I believe that if it's something I really want, then I'll pursue it... xD

But back to the topic. I really don't have much advice, but I guess, you should take one day at a time. I'm wishing you luck!

[_katherine]

Thanks everyone. ^_^

Yeah I would feel terrible if I decided not to go to med school just because of my stupid phobia. Being an emet may make it hard to travel and see movies, but there's no way I'm going to let it get in the way of my dreams.

My mom told me that it helps to put a dab of lavender oil under your nose before seeing a patient that's most likely going to v*. It keeps the smell away.

[jezebel89]

I'm going to med school too, and honestly my emet hasn't affected that decision... I think part of it is all the therapy I've done has got me to the point where I'm not worried about other people v*, but yeah, it's definatly something I love that I don't want to give up

[shelbster5972]

I plan on going to medical school to be a neonatologist but I really would like to be a pediatrician or a teacher. I just am afraid of what I would do if someone vomited in my class or while I was taking care of them. I know that I should just go for it, but I just don't know if I should purse something that I might not be sucessful in (I am a huge overachiever and am really hard on myself)because of this. I don't know what to do!!

[lyntess]

Re: Lavender

The nurses at the hospital I used to work at used to put a dab of Vicks Vapor Rub under their noses when dealing with particularly smelly people (extremely drunk, extremely old and ill-cared-for, extremely infected wounds, etc). Said it worked like a charm.

Off Topic (and GRAPHIC, please be warned)...
I avoided most of the worst v* related things (I was just a secretary), but I'll never forget one guy. He came in with a huge distended stomach from a bleeding ulcer or something, and when I registered him he looked a bit pale and uncomfortable, but when I came back to give him his name band...


**graphic bit below**









and found him literally exploding blood from every orifice in his face. He was v*ing it so hard that it couldn't get out his mouth fast enough, and was just taking the paths of least resistance.






(no more graphic. :-P)

It was shortly after that that I quit, though I didn't connect that incident with my quitting until I realized that I do indeed have this phobia... and I have let it run my life in a lot of ways. So what I'm really trying to say is, you may run into some speed bumps if you pursue that career, but I don't think it'd be anything quite that horrific (hope not), and like Andee said, if you love it... go for it.

[andee]

Yes, every day I think of phlebotomy and how much I love it and want to do it, but then I think about patients fainting and ill people coming to get blood drawn, and I get scared...so what to do? My therapist says exposure, exposure, exposure...and I have been going for a long time, and I can only get so far. So I guess that is the next step.

[lozzag]

My sister is in first year Vet school and she does a lot of the same subjects as first year med students, it's basically all chemistry, biology and anatomy. But if you want exposure to v* move into college hahaha that's what's helped me a lot with this phobia, I find now I can handle drunken people v*ing but I still have a huge problem with sick people, I'm scared I'll catch it!

But I agree with everyone, if it's something you're really passionate about then go for it, I think it's brave of you I could never even consider having a profession where I'd be within a mile of someone sick!

Good luck, I hope everything goes well for you [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

[allypally.]

I reckon you should all go for your dreams. Never let this phobia stand in your way of going for something that you really want and are passionate about. If it doesnt work out, at least you tried.
It is better to try and fail, than never try at all. Thats the motto I live by!!
I work with small children, and I was so so nervous at first, but i LOVE my job, even though I know I know that every day I could be faced with the dreaded v*, but I wont let that stop me. There is nothing more rewarding and heart warming than my job (in my opinion!!) and I will nevr give it up!!

So you all go for it, and I am SURE you can do it!! There may be hiccups on the way, but you CAN overcome them!!

Good luck to you all xxxxx

[sage]

We used to have someone on this site who was in med school. I forget her new user name, but her old one was Pilar.
I'm not a doctor, but I'm a minister, and we have to do chaplaincy work in the hospital. For years I "avoided" scary situations - which some here will recommend to you in one way or another. But honestly, before you become a psychiatrist, get yourself some good treatment for the phobia. Many people are successfully treated for this all the time. Check out the article I wrote on my websiteabout finding professional help - among other tips for treatment and stuff your therapist can use.

[prncesspnk]

i'm still not sure what i'd like to do once i get my bachelor's in
psychology. i do want to go for either an MD or a phD, although i'd have
to do some post-bacc. in science if i want to go to med school.
medicine's always been a passion of mine, so we'll see... either way,
i'm NOT letting this stupid phobia get in the way of that. unlike most
emets, i LOVE hospitals. i'm intrigued by them, and i'm like star-struck
when i see doctors hard at work. i'm always so unsure of what i want to
do when i'm finished with school, but whenever i set foot in a hospital,
i'm confident that's where i'm supposed to be.

[jezebel89]

i'm still not sure what i'd like to do once i get my bachelor's in
psychology. i do want to go for either an MD or a phD, although i'd have
to do some post-bacc. in science if i want to go to med school.
medicine's always been a passion of mine, so we'll see... either way,
i'm NOT letting this stupid phobia get in the way of that. unlike most
emets, i LOVE hospitals. i'm intrigued by them, and i'm like star-struck
when i see doctors hard at work. i'm always so unsure of what i want to
do when i'm finished with school, but whenever i set foot in a hospital,
i'm confident that's where i'm supposed to be.

I feel the same way! I'm definantly going for my MD, but I'm still unsure of exactly what I want to do with it. I was thinking pharmacy maybe, drug research... (where I possibly wouldn't have to deal directly with v* patients) but internal medicine has really got me thinking...

Sage, that is a very good point! My therapist says that sometimes psychologists get so many people with such traumatic events, that is makes them really depressed, or (like I remember reading someone else's post - they looked for a counselor and actually found one with emet -_-) have problems of their own. So then THEY need to go see someone before they can counsel other people! I don't think it would be a very good idea to try to 'fix yourself' either, even if you are a doctor.