CASE

“I fled from the room”

As a female medical student I was conducting my first physical exam on a male patient, in the presence of classmates and supervising faculty, when it became quite apparent to all that the patient had an erection. I was taken by surprise, flustered and embarrassed, and not knowing how to deal with the situation, I fled from the room. Later, my male colleagues couldn't understand my response. I know my unprofessional behavior added to the discomfort of the patient, a young man not very much older than myself. For that I am profoundly sorry. I was not prepared for such a situation and still have received no instruction as to how best to manage a similar future occurrence – for the patient's sake as well as my own.

CASE

“I still don't know what I did wrong”

I was a third year medical student when one of our patients needed to have a nasogastric tube put in. The team turned to me and told me to see to it that this was done – and then they all disappeared. Before, in similar situations, a resident would say “Let's get the stuff and do it” but this time I found myself entirely alone. A day or two earlier, a resident had showed me the procedure; so, I went to find him. However, this time he just said “I've already shown you how to do that, just get it down. Call me if you have any problems.”