hypochondriac in med school

[Guest deeMD]

So I'm entering med this year. I'm a self-professed hypochondriac and was wondering if anyone out there has had experience in med school with this and how they deal with it.

thanks,

DMD

[Guest noncestvrai]

Some get even worse in medschool...

 

I am not, maybe because I was a boyscout and I worked in $hit (facotries, engines, farm work et al.)...for a good part.

 

You have to die of something someday right?

 

noncestvrai

[Guest scrubbed]

If the literature has an answer ...

 

Medical Education

Volume 38 Issue 5 Page 479 - May 2004

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2929.2004.01813.x

 

undergraduate medical education

Does medical school cause health anxiety and worry in medical students?

Gurminder Singh, Matthew Hankins & John A Weinman

 

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the self-reported experience of health anxiety and worry in medical students compared with control subjects. It was hypothesised that medical students would experience more health anxiety as a consequence of being exposed to medical education, compared to students who are not routinely exposed to such knowledge.

 

Design The design was cross-sectional.

 

Setting Participants were recruited from London University (Guy's, King's & St Thomas' School of Medicine and King's College).

 

Participants Medical students (n = 449) and non-medical students (n = 485) were recruited across Years 1-4. Questionnaires relating to health anxiety and worry were completed at the end of their lectures.

 

Main outcome measures Health anxiety was measured using a questionnaire known as the Health Anxiety Questionnaire (HAQ). Worry was assessed using the Anxious Thoughts Inventory (ANTI).

 

Results Health anxiety was significantly lower in medical students in Years 1 and 4 than in controls (P = 0.017 and P < 0.001, respectively). Worry was significantly lower in the medical students in all years of study.

 

Conclusions Medical students are not a cohort of preselected health-anxious people, nor are they 'worriers'. Medical education at a clinical level was shown to mitigate health anxiety in the medical student population.

[Guest noncestvrai]

Yeah, I have n=3 in my class, so bleh.

 

One self diagnosed polycythemia vera, the other everything people touch is a fomite...the other, I don't know she thinks she's got some N. gonorrhea growing in her throat.

 

Maybe I should do the study.

 

noncestvrai

[Guest UWOMED2005]

"Med Studentitis"

 

There's a name for med school hypochondriasis. I think it's most common in 2nd year, where you study REALLY rare diseases with extremely vague symptoms and everybody worries they have.

 

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a bout or two myself in 2nd year. I think it's only normal.

 

3rd year puts things into context (ie you barely to rarely see most diseases and the patients are often 75+) so I think things get better.

 

If you're really worried, talk to the med school counselling office and advise them of the situation. And BE AWARE of your tendencies. . . insight is often key to managing such problems.

[Guest leviathan]

I think it's pretty normal for everyone to go through a hypochondriac stage to one degree or another. Personally, after reading about tapeworms and other parasites in pork, I find it difficult to eat pork anymore (even fully cooked).

[Guest McMastergirl]

I'm convinced I had West Nile virus in the summer between 2nd and 3rd year. No one believes me, but I had all the symptoms, and I was bitten by mosquitos only 3 days previous!

[Guest cracked30]

mmmmmmm....bacon

[Guest tiaga3]

Don't worry about your West nile, I am sure I had Leprosy after watching a world vision program, so I have no clue as to how I will react once in med school!!!

 

Tiaga

[Guest strider2004]

The truth is you actually may have gotten west nile, but remember less than 1% have a life-threatening reaction. The vast majority only have flulike symptoms.

[Guest McMastergirl]

I think I probably did have it, since it was in the area at the time. I woke up in the middle of night with a fever, and for the next 3 days I had myalgias and anorexia and extreme fatigue. I made an uneventful recovery. I've never had anything like that before!

[Guest purplefairy13]

Speaking of west nile....I'm also worried about SARS (yes, I realize that its 'under control'...). When dealing with patients who are coughing, can we wear masks (and goggles) if we want?

[Guest uteng]

hey purplefairy,

 

since you're going to UofT, there are new protocols in place in many of the Toronto hospitals. I don't know the details, but it seems like patients who present with a cough are given a mask right away, and then put into isolation or are at least curtained off with a type of plastic (depending which hospital you're in). Doctors will don masks, and sometimes gloves and gowns before entering the room. Disposable face shields are available if you want.

 

I followed an ER doc around for a bit at a community hospital, and was myself admitted for Norwalk at a downtown hospital so got to see some of the precautions post-SARS

[Guest kaymcee]

Ouch! I'm very sorry to hear about your Norovirus experience. Downright unpleasant.

[Guest purplefairy13]

Yes...that has to suck

Thanks for the info though!

[Guest opiedog]

Not to be insensitive or anything, but have you ever noticed how limps get worse when you are taking a patient down the hall to the examininng room? Or clients suddenly develop a deeper more convulsive cough without being able to cover their mouths!! It's no wonder some of us think/know we have a bug the patients have brought in. Coughs and limps often improve by the time the client leaves the office. Usually, in flu season, I feel like I have the flu by the end of my shift from being coughed on so much, and go shower before I hug anyone at home.

 

I can feel a phlegm ball develop just thinking about it!

[Guest purplefairy13]

I'm tempted to purchase a hazmat suit...or maybe just get vaccinated :rollin