This article brings back memories of my old days as a pediatric resident at one of our nation's finest medical schools. We had "Dead Baby BBQs" (involving a sacrificial doll) and the theme of our annual residents' retreat - no faculty allowed - was "Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll" (of which we had all three in abundance.) It was a time of extreme stress, when you finally confronted the bloody reality of life and death and what it meant to be a physician. These private transgressive events helped us cope and work out our fears, anger and anxieties.

These shows are merely a coping mechanism similar to but better written than other professions.

Plumbers tell stories about the stuff they find in their customers' pipes, firefighters have stories, cops surely do, and I am sure that undertakers do as well--or they will surely explode.

Only difference now is the cell phone video feature.

Grownups realize that these folks are merely lettingoff a little steam, and that's a good thing.

northwoods:

These shows are merely a coping mechanism similar to but better written than other professions.

Humor is a mature defense. The U. of Michigan Medical Library files the videos under the Library of Congress classification "Musical Pathology."

Oh, I've got a hunch I'm out to lunch and getting catatonic. The thoughts I've heard are so absurd my mind is philharmonic. With Thorazine and Haldol, I'll get my psyche tuned. With alpha block and electric shock, I'll be back soon.

From "Oh Liver"

Yes,reading this article sure brings back old memories. The senior class play was a highlight of med school, and it was great fun. Occasionally, the skits were of questionable taste, but remember that it was reflective of a very intense educational experience. And we all knew that a brutal few years of residency lay ahead. I think it allowed us to laugh at the grueling nature of the entire training process. I don't think the public knows just how tough it is to become a physician. So, no regrets if the humor was a bit dark-if it was intended to be seen by the general public, it would not have been nearly as fun. Lighten up!

And hey let's not forget - some of these cats have moves!

I agree. Medical school is an incredibly stressful time. We take our most gifted and empathetic young people and push them to the limit and beyond. For most of us medical school is our first experience with death and we encounter it over and over again. And not just death itself but the realization of our responsibility for death. When a patient dies, we torment ourselves with doubts. If only I had done this instead of that. If I were only smarter or more knowledgeable or faster. We would be unable to continue without developing a variety of coping mechanisms. The only alternative would be to develop a hard shell and lose our ability to empathize. Is this really what you want in a physician? I estimate that I have cared for at least 10,000 patients who died. And each loss hurt. If I had not developed some way to deal with this, I could not continue without killing the part of me that cares.