A weighty issue

fifofum

If an undergraduate med student/junior doctor is noticably obese/anorexic (ie: to the extent that their own health is at risk), are they allowed continue on in the course as per normal? Would/do superiors comment/act, or is this considered discriminatory/such like?

Vorsprung

There's plenty of consultants who aren't exactly 5k runners themselves. Also, have you seen Mary Harney recently?

ha ha my ps is huge and loads of docs are alcoholics and drug addicts lol

fifofum

They're all in positions of authority though, who'd take them on:D.
An undergrad can be pulled up on something as minor as arriving in unshaven/in shoddy clothing, or being abrupt to a patient. These things are nipped in the bud, surely part of being professional involves looking/being healthy& this should be incorporated into training from the getgo? I mean, you wouldn't go to a physio who was bent over backwards, or a dentist with a mouth full of rot himself, or a pharmacist who didn't believe in taking any pills? (excuse the analogies, but hopefully you get the drift!)

Edit: actually, I'll cite specific cases I met over recent yrs. A size 26/28 female. And a 6 stone girl with the characteristic downy facial hair of severe anorexia (disease confirmed by mutual friends). Both med students.
Genuinely not referring to 5k runners, the odd podgy looking beer belly/spare tyre, but people in need of urgent medical intervention themselves. Is there honestly no protocol for such scenarios?

chanste

My BMI is over 40 which puts me in the morbidly obese category. I'm 5'9" and weigh about 20 stone.

In my course 2 lecturers have commented. The 1st about me being out of breath when I went to see him, and the other when I actually sought her opinion on whether or not I should try jogging at my weight (concerned about joints etc). I have now nearly finished the couch to 5k app on my ipod, and can run for about 15 mins without stopping (nothing to some people no doubt). I now at least feel like I can keep up with the more physical sides of life and am trying to keep up the running.

I am conscious that my peers will judge me in the way you describe, but I really think most people know that losing weight is very difficult. It's not something that can be just done, and the fact that I can't seem to lose it I don't feel makes me worse at the things which make a good Dr.

So in summation I don't feel morally or professionally obliged to lose weight. Nevertheless, I will doubtless encounter people who see me as fat rather than knowledgeable, and all I can do is try and explain that there is a huge difference between knowing how to fix something and actually fixing it. Not sure its mentioned yet but a significant amount of the med students I know smoke, difference is that this is not something which is necessarily seen by patients.

anotherlostie

Is it really any different to a CT surgeon nipping outside for a crafty fag while telling his or her patients to quit smoking? Maybe medicine needs a hypocritic oath:D?