Will medical students look after me?
No. But medical students are often part of the medical team – especially in the bigger hospitals, which are called ‘teaching hospitals’ – but they are not directly responsible for your care.
Remember all doctors were students once. So we need them to get real experience of real patients, talk to you, examine you etc.
Also, they often improve your care, as they ask the doctors tricky questions.
Challenging the diagnosis – e.g. questions like “what else could it be, boss?” – can be especially helpful.
In their exams, they need ‘mock patients’ to show they can examine people properly. You may want to be a patient in their exams. If so, please ask your consultant and they can sort that out.
Nonetheless it is your right to ask the nurses for students not to be present at your clinic appointments or on ward rounds if you are in hospital.
Check out what Abbie has to say:
@myhsnhealth Do I have to let #medicalstudents sit in on my #hospital appointment? Abbie explains! #NHS #Healthcare Find more tips at #myHSN
