Every time, when I see a sight of lots of blood, I feel like I am about to faint. So is that considered blood phobia? Is there a way to treat or overcome this condition?
My long-term goal is to become a family physician, but does medical students experience anything with blood? I am unsure if I can still become a doctor because if my condition; even though it’s my dream to be one. It has always been my passion to help others, and I wanted to know how the human body functions. As of right now I do have a high GPA, and my favorite subjects are anything science related. I really hope I can still consider going to medical school with blood phobia.
You’re experiencing a vasovagal response to blood.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_response
It’s not uncommon. About 15% of all individuals experience wooziness/fainting/nausea at the sight of blood.
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/swoon-at-the-sight-of-blood
During med school (or ideally before), you need to work on conditioning yourself to get over your you blood injury phobia.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-get-over-being-squeamish-at-the-sight-of-blood-1434389502
True story: D1’s roommate (MD/PhD student) had been a successful EMT, did wonderful during dissection in human anatomy lab as a MS1, but used to faint not just the sight of blood, but also whenever she had to give an injection. She even used to faint when she had to give injections to the mice in her research lab. (And boy-oh-boy! Let me tell you that her fellow researchers have never let her forget that!)
D1 and all the other friends of roomie worked with her for year to help her learn to overcome this by repeatedly having her practice giving them injections and doing needle sticks/blood draws/IV line insertions of them.
D. mentioned that med. students who are uncomfortable around bodily fluids and cadavers overcome this while in med. school. I do not know how though, by constant exposure?
This is definitely something you should address before medical school. Your surgery and OB rotations involve seeing a lot of blood.
I think it should be addressed before deciding on a career in medicine. There are other helping professions (therapists, psychologists, chiropractors, physical therapists) that don’t ever deal with blood.
This should not be a reason for not applying to med. school. I disagree with couple of posts above. It will go away.
Pretty much. In high school I did an independent study in forensic pathology. The textbooks made me really queezy at first but by the end of the project I would read them while eating.
I do agree though that it would be best to address this as early as possible. You will be exposed to blood during your medical training, and it would be a shame to hurt your grades because you have issues being in the OR or watching certain procedures.
There are even people who don’t think they have any sort of blood phobia who faint during the first surgery too.
While most blood phobias can be overcome thru therapy and conditioning/repeated exposure, not all of them can. The OP should address this issue before applying to med school to see if he’s one of the small percentage whose phobia is resistant to therapy.
Having a vasovagal response to blood can disqualify an individual for med school admission due to a failure to meet the technical standards required. (You simply can’t have a doctor who faints whenever he sees blood, even if that physician is in a non-surgical specialty.)
@miamiDAP There is a HUGE difference between feeling uncomfortable around cadavers and bodily fluids and having a vasovagal response (fainting/loss of consciousness). The former is a pretty normal emotional response to a situation; the latter is a hardwired, involuntary reflex, involving the brainstem, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and the heart.
Well, I do not know a single case ever mentioned to me that somebody quit a Med. School because of this condition. Granted I did NOT have a chance in my life to speak about it with ALL MD’s, but I know lots of MD’s. Everybody that I know mentioned that people get used to it. I guess, there is a good number out there who did not get used to it and that is why it is a concern. One information session to the bs/md program came to mind. They actually took kids (HS’ers) to the gross anatomy lab. That could be a good test. D. mentioned that some did not feel comfortable, she was not one of them. Maybe some of them decided not to apply after that? Maybe seeking this type of experience would answer the question if a person could apply or not? D. had only one such experience as a HS student.
Cadaver lab is bloodless; the bodies have been embalmed. The OP issue isn’t with cadavers–it’s with blood.
“Cadaver lab is bloodless; the bodies have been embalmed. The OP issue isn’t with cadavers–it’s with blood.”
Yes there is a difference. Older D spent a week at a summer program at a medical school working with cadavers when she was in high school - no problem. Spent many hours at her dad’s veterinary practice watching surgery on animals - no problem. But even reading an article about a person bleeding out, and she turns white. Also can’t tolerate seeing blood being drawn. Needless to say, she did not go to med school!
I don’t know where the "pharmacy"comes from in OP’s user name, but my pharmacist told me many of his peers are having issue with needing to give flu shots.
Agree, it doesn’t help to tell a queasy kid you that don’t now anyone who quit med school over this. The issue is getting into med school when you can’t manage the activities, have never experienced the realities.
I can’t read the wsj link, but this is often treated as an anxiety disorder, with a rec to work with a cognitive behavioral specialist. Some think this is a lowered blood pressure reaction and that you can learn to avoid (prevent?) the bp drop. Might be worth it to call a local med school and ask for a counselor rec.
@lookingforward I did wanted to do something in pharmacy, but then I just decided to go onto a different path, which is “medical school”.
I once went to the ER for hemorrhaging blood. And It was a lot of blood. I actually got admitted and was very close to getting a transfusion because I lost so much. Anyways the nurse that admitted me shared that when she started nursing she couldn’t handle the sight of blood. I remember telling her you obviously got over it. So if you are willing to work at it, I’m sure you can overcome it.
My first job was working around blood and i actually attempted to quit my job. Doctor i worked for wouldnt have that. He forced me to watch. I passed out. After that i was fine.