House officer horror stories

I was going to put the title as HO horror stories but then HO could mean something else and not all House officers are like that. Except these clowns:

1) HO did not turn up for her night shift, called 10x but where was no answer. Turned up next morning with the excuse: couldn’t wake up.
2) Another labelled blood sample of patient B as patient A!!! Reason: couldn’t get blood from patient A due to difficult venepuncture.
3) A HO could not grasp the difference between SpO2 and pO2, despite separate sessions with 2 MOs and 2 specialists.
4) Ignored ABG with pCO2 70mmHg. After being scolded, ignored pCO2 90mmHg of another patient.
5) Disappeared from ward without warning. Once for a toilet break in the OT! Mind you, he was in his medical posting. Another time he went for lunch at 7-11. And yes, there is no 7-11 in the hospital.
6) Ignored serum K 2.3. Didn’t realize it was dangerously abnormal.
7) Dengue patient. Taking FBC at 8am and separating it into 3 bottles:- 8am, 4pm and midnight.

This is sadly some of the things our public hospital specialists have to put up with given the declining standards of medical graduates and the very poor attitude towards work displayed by some of the Strawberry Generation house officers.

Read more horror stories from the Dobbs (doctors only forum) thread HO Training (if you are not a member, you can join Dobbs for free provided you are a bonafide Malaysian doctor)

I sincerely hope these are the rotten minority. For the majority of house officers and for medical students who are soon to be house officers, you might be interested in our House officer survival guide post.

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Malaysian physician, haematologist, blogger, web and tech enthusiast

2 Comments on “House officer horror stories

  1. These r eg from housemen to housemen which they cud learn from. Nothing demeaning.