Spare a thought for the junior doctor. He’s constantly bullied, he works ridiculously long shifts, he’s often called ‘pond scum’ by those further up the greasy pole of medicine. He’s also hopeless when it comes to the human body.
A study of 55 junior doctors at one hospital found that half of them didn’t have a clue where to insert a chest drain. Fortunately, says the study, senior house officers were more likely than their junior colleagues to find the right place – although it might have been more comforting if all of them knew where to put it.
A training programme could be a good idea, the researchers concluded. Just a thought.
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