University Hospital or Regular Hospitals?

[vtsammy]

Do you think it's better to go to a University Hospital or a regular hospital? I had brain surgery at George Washington hospital and most of the time I was dealing with a resident doctor. He looked really young so I asked him how old he was and he said 26. A friend of mine who's mom recently passed away from cancer said that he was at Georgetown University and he went through the same thing, as far as dealing with resident doctors.

Sam

[brain]

I've been at BOTH places.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

There are Hospitals that are better
than Universities and then there are
vice versa!

Some specializes better in other areas.
Some are dumpy. Some are superior.
Some are 50/50. Some cares. Some
don't give a darned freaking flip.

Don't just research.
Stop by.
Look.
Talk to people who've been there.
How are the Staff?
How are the Patients?
Is the inside as it is on the outside?
So much more.

And plus - Are they quick to answer
questions or do they lag around?
Or is someone always willing even if
it's not their position, to go the extra
mile to find out for you?


AND PLUS - above all things; go to
the CAFETERIA .. observe the staff;
are they happy employees? If they
are happy employees - the chances
are - you're going to be in good hands
(this includes everyone from Medical
Doctors to Janitors). If you see Doctors
sitting with Patients or Patients families
eating in there - that is a sign of a very
good Hospital.

Don't be afraid to ask for a TOUR!
If a Hospital Administration who is
a good hospital - will go OUT of their
way to give you a personalized tour
on the dot! A Hospital that doesn't
care or requires you to make an
appointment - don't bother.

I always make SURPRISE VISITS; I
never make planned visits - I want
to catch them unguarded and in action!

[Bernard]

By definition, a resident doctor is one who is just graduated from med school and doing their residency period before becoming a full fledged doctor. I don't think there are too many old timers graduating from med school at any given time, so the chances are resident doctors are going to be young. I don't think you can draw any conclusions about competency from just that observation though.

[RobinN]

I had a bad experience at a University Hospital, and yet they are rated rather high. Not sure if they are allowed to vote for themselves, or if they have learned to navigate the system to receive that rating. I was unimpressed.

[brain]

Not sure if they are allowed to vote for themselves, or if they have learned to navigate the system to receive that rating.

No - they cannot vote for themselves.

There are several Healthcare Systems out there
that have their own standards and grading systems
that goes out there that grades them.

In the Epilepsy Forum - it was posted 3 different
Health Agencies via the News System that
provided the grading and ranks and provided
the criteria that needed to be met.

Hence why my original posting:

DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

[Nancy]

It's morning -- a hunk of my temporal lobe is missing -- a great excuse ~blush ~blush~ and I can't answer exactly.
Somehow I am totally confident that you should always chose a university hospital. I know I would.
My neurosurgeon was not so young. Yes, the interns were but the surgeon wasn't. He's not as old as I am - lol - who is? - Santa?

[Bernard]

Did you just undergo your second lobectomy operation Nancy? I wish you all the best.

[brain]

My neurosurgeon was not so young. Yes, the interns were but the surgeon wasn't. He's not as old as I am - lol - who is? - Santa?

Bernard!

[stilldancing_98]

It also depends on what you are going in for. Harborview in Seattle is one of the best. The epilepsy center is Awsome. The Nursing staff is awsome. But, its a team of dr.s and when my Dr. retires I am not staying there. He will have a private practice. So I say its both. I have been to a local hospital where I almost died. The womens clinic at harborview needs help.I'm sorry, now I am just babbeling.

[lahacade]

I do not have any option but to go to a teaching hospital. But the second that I walk through the door I come right out and say: I do NOT want anyone in training, student nurses, med students, interns, residents, anyone in a fellowship or anyone from research to even look at my son's chart. I only want people that have graduated and completed all post-graduate education/trainig. I know that I come off as bitchy- but I have had numerous bad experiences with the students at this particular hospital.

[Meetz1064]

I do not have any option but to go to a teaching hospital. But the second that I walk through the door I come right out and say: I do NOT want anyone in training, student nurses, med students, interns, residents, anyone in a fellowship or anyone from research to even look at my son's chart. I only want people that have graduated and completed all post-graduate education/trainig. I know that I come off as bitchy- but I have had numerous bad experiences with the students at this particular hospital.

I can't say as I blame you. I've gone through some bad experiences at a major teaching hospital, too. What about letting them just watch, but not actually participate?

[hawke86]

I have been to both types of hospitals. I found my best doctors at a learning hospital.

[lahacade]

I can't say as I blame you. I've gone through some bad experiences at a major teaching hospital, too. What about letting them just watch, but not actually participate?

I don't even like for them to watch... let's just say that I had REALLY bad experiences. I was 17 years old when I had twin girls that were born two months early... I was sent down to this hospital to have them. I was all alone- 17- history of sexual abuse- and yet they still let multiple residents (all male, including the head doctor in the room) check my cervix (one after the other) while the rest watched. I had even told them that I didn't want 'students', but the magic word that I didn't know at the time was 'residents'. I was all alone, and didn't know that I could say no. I still feel violated 5 1/2 years later. I can't describe how awful it felt. So no, I don't even want them to watch my son. He is not a lab rat, or a research project.

[RobinN]

I think you should write a letter to the head doctor in charge of the residents (don't know what they are called). A respectful letter, but one that gets this message across of how this felt, and how you still to this day are dealing with their insensitivity. I know you say you can't describe how you felt, but maybe once you write the letter it will let you release some of the anger.

So sorry that you had to go through that.

[Meetz1064]

about writing a letter, telling them how you felt and STILL feel even now. No one should ever have to go through that, EVER. AND, insist that from now on, there is to always be a female nurse in attendance. Whenever you and your children are there. But do it respectfully....I know, I know. It sounds odd, but trust me, if you do it this way, it will pay off in the long run.

[haird18]

At each kind of hospital it seems different.I can definetly atest to that.Here the dr.s treat youvery poorly and the worst bedside mannners.
Except my drs' then you some of the stupidest people in the world.You'll have students poking in places where you just told that hurt and so!!!David Hair