BO problem

Right so I'm sitting the practical exam for my med finals in a week. We get all sorts of stations such from the standard things you'd expect to communication skills with a gay priest who has HIV to a lesbian patient getting abuse on ward.

One of the stations is that one of your colleagues has a BO problem and you need to tell them about it nicely (no joke, such is what gets examined in some med schools these days).

The tip we get given is to treat every station as we would in real life, but in real life I wouldn't even bother confronting someone about it, and can't even imagine what to say if I had to.

So any suggestions as to the 'kind words' you would use to basically tell someone they stink and need to sort it out?

cheers

Oi smelly, you are severly insulting my nostrils with your stink, have a fecking wash you minga, can of deodorant wouldn't go amiss either.

That ok ?

[andrewsmith]

have a wash soap dodger!

Being serious, every persons different just approach it the way you see best

[timwilky]

A work friend was rather upset when he was told his feet stink in his appraisal. The thing was he knew they stunk his wife even made him put his dirty socks in a bucket in the garage before they got washed. So this made him go to see the quack.

The quack told him, things have changed over the past 20 years. You have accepted nothing could be done and got on with your life. However we now have a number of treatments that may help. In fact the first one he tried worked.

Unless it is an odour produce as a lack of basic hygiene where the sufferer need to be told get a shower you dirty minger. Accept they know they smell and talk sympathetically in how you can help them. They don't want to stink

Originally Posted by timwilky

Accept they know they smell and talk sympathetically in how you can help them.

who are you, and what have you done with the real Tim Wilky?

Actually, TW is spot on with the above advice.

A guy at my work stinks. Nobody ever say anything, but if he gets put with me he will know within the first day.

The thing is he stinks first thing in the morning. I'd tell him he has 15 mins to get washed otherwise he is getting a taxi to work. He will wash then because he is a tight ******* and won't like paying for a cab!

[Messie]

Given your circumstances, wouldn't it the best idea to start from a medical/biological perspective?

Gentle questions along the lines of 'do you do much exercise?' 'do you have a fast walk to the bus stop? ' do you sometimes feel very hot? 'feel sweaty'

Treat it as a medical problem, which it may be linked to anyway, and the answers may throw up clues to all sorts of other exercise/dietary/hormonal/stress/ something else type of problem.

Originally Posted by Messie

Given your circumstances, wouldn't it the best idea to start from a medical/biological perspective?

Gentle questions along the lines of 'do you do much exercise?' 'do you have a fast walk to the bus stop? ' do you sometimes feel very hot? 'feel sweaty'

Treat it as a medical problem, which it may be linked to anyway, and the answers may throw up clues to all sorts of other exercise/dietary/hormonal/stress/ something else type of problem.

Zactly, could be a glandular problem, and not that he can't afford to buy some soap

Originally Posted by Messie

Given your circumstances, wouldn't it the best idea to start from a medical/biological perspective?

Gentle questions along the lines of 'do you do much exercise?' 'do you have a fast walk to the bus stop? ' do you sometimes feel very hot? 'feel sweaty'

Treat it as a medical problem, which it may be linked to anyway, and the answers may throw up clues to all sorts of other exercise/dietary/hormonal/stress/ something else type of problem.

It would be far more straightforward if it was a patient who is complaining of malodour. The station is actually a fellow colleague (ie another doctor) who smells at the workplace and you have to tell them.

It could be a medproblem regardless, but the fact is still gotta tell 'em they smell and personally in real life if it was a mate i'd say 'you stink sort it out' or if not a mate I would avoid.

They bring in actors for these exams, I can see myself cracking up which would not be good for 'global professionalism' marks.

[Messie]

Ah I see. Different sort of problem there.

Secret Santa and make sure he gets the deodorant?