[ozmidwifery] what doctors learn at med school!

[TinaPettigrew]

Hi again all,

had an interesting afternoon today at a BBQ with some old work mates...One friend who I worked at CSIRO with eons ago (past life stuff) like me ....had a radical change in occupation and went to do nursing...she finished her nursing about 8 years ago....anyhow....she brought a friend to the BBQ ...a "work colleague".... I just assumed this woman was a nurse too...anyhow got chatting as you do...my friend announced to her "work colleague" that I was doing midwifery.....So your a nurse too she asked...No...I'm not a nurse ....doing the new Bachelor of Midwifery....bla bla...."Direct entry" my friend announces....one of THOSE midwives who think they are not part of the nursing profession. ...Well that went down REAL well...she always did know how to get my hackles up...thought I had educated her better than that...but can see she has been educated by others than just I...:-((

No not "direct entry" I replied...we don't do direct entry nursing....or direct entry medicine...or direct law or accounting...bla bla bla..Anyhow ...finally this "work colleague" couldn't resist and announced that she was a MO...doing her internship....and wanted to know more about "the likes of you" doing midwifery without nursing first...."do you do any physiology???" ....bla bla bla I guess you can imagine the conversation from there...

The conversion progressed quickly back to medicine...I wanted to pick her brains about being a beginning practitioner and her thoughts on the health care system...What struck me immediately was her sheer arrogance and lack of understanding of people....amazing....According to her the general public are all "fu-k--- nuff nuffs"...."parents have no parenting skills"......"the public all just want to sue us". She was just fascinated to think that I would even consider private practice as a midwife..."too scary - you must be fu--ing mad!!" and "noone from uni is even considering obs and gynae as its just too risky".

This woman is 25 years old and already educated with the 'fear factor'. She stated openly that as doctors they are taught at med school that a "trusting relationship with your patients" is non existent as the patient only looks to the doctor fix up their problems and will sue if they don't..and the doctor looks at the patient thinking all you want is to sue me....I was totally blown away by this...oh yeh she says..."its the underlying premise in all that we do"..."we have to always be thinking at every moment...are you the one who is going to make my life hell?"

How scary is this folks???These are the obs of the future...This woman has this level of fear ingrained into her already..I couldn't believe what I was hearing....I was almost lost for words...beleive it or not!

Ahhh I said..."that's where midwives have it all over doctors....our basic premise is trust....for if we can't establish our professional relationships on that....like you guys are discovering...when it all comes tumbling down....you have nothing else"

Trust and communication.....two important factors in not getting sued I'd reckon......but hey who am I....only a "nuf nuff" in her eyes...

Cheers Tina P.