Saturday, November 29, 2008

Call Me Flabbergasted

For every student that I teach I receive a short (student-written) biography from the Office of Student Affairs. This is relevant because I know from their biographies that both students in the following story grew up in my current city. A fully developed, first-world, informed city.

This past week I was involved in teaching a small group of medical students. It doesn't matter what year these medical students are in, because I would be equally shocked regardless.

We were discussing viral entry into the human body. I raised HIV as an example.

Student #1: "Excuse me, but what is HIV?"

I blinked. I stared. I waited for the student to tell me that he was joking.

When it became clear that he wasn't joking, I explained.

Student #2: "So, are you telling us that HIV is related to AIDS?"

I blinked three times. Four times. Five times. I stared for a very long time.

Give it to me straight: I've been Punk'd.

Right?

God help us all if we are admitting students to medicine who haven't even heard of HIV/AIDS.

10 comments:

#1 Dinosaur said...

*enormous sigh*

And these are the supercilious specialists of tomorrow. That student is probably planning a career in radiology so he doesn't actually have to talk to or examine any, you know, "patients."

Scary to think one of those guys may very well be doing my cardiac cath someday.

Anonymous said...

Maybe there are just no music videos on MTV or reality TV shows that covered HIV/AIDS. I mean, if it's not on MTV or American Idol, does it really exist?

Bardiac said...

No Child Left Behind is leaving lots behind, isn't it?

All that abstinence training? I bet 60% of 22 year olds in most third world countries know more about condoms than that student, and know why people think they should use them.

Anonymous said...

SCARY!

Dr. Wannabe said...

really?! REALLY?!?!?! THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GET INTO PROGRAMS OVER ME?!?!?!?

kill me.

Midwife with a Knife said...

I think I just lost the will to live.

tracy said...

Dr. Wannabe Just kill me too. Does this mean i could get in to Med Skool?????

Dragonfly said...

Kill me now. And he/she wasn't joking? Scary....

Elaine said...

How? On? Earth?

Cathy said...

It's hard to believe that someone (especially in medicine) hasn't heard of HIV and AIDS. Lord I'm not in medicine and I have known about them for many many years. Are you sure they were not just messing with you? On the other hand, why would you want to make yourself look that stupid to the person in charge of your grades?