Weve made a lot of progress in medical education since then. In 2015, teaching blood drawing, which is going to eventually be taken over by robots anyway, is passé.
Students are suing a Florida sonography school because they were forced to perform transvaginal ultrasounds on each other almost every week. Those who complained were allegedly told to “find another school if they did not wish to be probed” said an article in the Washington Post.
While that seems out of line, it pales in comparison to allegations lodged against a former US Army doctor who ran a company that taught battlefield medicine to soldiers and made more than $10.5 million in the process.
According to Reuters, he gave students alcohol and drugs, including ketamine, a powerful hypnotic used as an anesthetic. Sometimes alcohol and ketamine were given at the same time.
Trainees were told to insert urinary catheters into each other, and two students underwent penile nerve blocks. On another occasion, when students balked at receiving penile blocks, the doctor had the students perform a penile nerve block on him. Its not clear what a penile nerve block has to do with treating wartime casualties.
If thats not troubling enough, he supposedly ran what he called "shock labs," during which he drew blood from trainees, observed them, and gave their blood back to them.
But wait, theres more. The doctor is alleged to have had a few beers with a student and examined, manipulated, and photographed the students uncircumcised penis.
The doctors claim that his methods are standard in Virginia medical schools was refuted by experts quoted in the Reuters piece.
The Virginia Medical Board has suspended the doctors license and will hold a hearing on June 19.
And we thought sticking each other with needles was traumatic.
