Medical students often find themselves on the front lines of the hospital wards, privy to the raw and unfiltered experiences of surgical patients. In recent years, attention has turned toward understanding and improving the patient journey through surgery, particularly regarding the management of pain. A study published in the “Journal of Surgical Education” paints a vivid and concerning picture of the surgical patient experience through the lens of medical student narratives.
The research paper titled “Surgery Hurts: Characterizing the Experience of Pain in Surgical Patients as Witnessed by Medical Students” reveals distressing accounts of pain and emotional suffering among individuals undergoing surgical procedures. The study was conducted by Tiffany J. Zens, Kimberly E. Kopecky, Margaret L. Schwarze, and Pasithorn A. Suwanabol, noted specialists in surgical education and ethics.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2019.04.008
The Study
Over a four-year period, third-year medical students at the conclusion of an 8-week surgical clerkship were asked to write reflective essays on their observations of a surgical patient in pain. The collection of 341 essays allowed researchers to dive deep into the qualitative experiences shared by the students. This wealth of narrative data gave rise to a powerful resource that underscored the complexity of patients’ pain following surgery.
Students wrote with stark honesty and detail, describing the sights and sounds of agony that permeated postoperative rooms. One essay describes, “Throughout the procedure our patient cried out and writhed in agony from the searing pain in his chest.” Another shares a disturbing account, “The patient was practically shedding tears, complaining of pain, as [we] changed her dressing.”
The researchers, through content analysis of these testimonials, concluded that patients faced not only physical torment but also emotional distress, self-image issues, and vulnerability. These negative experiences were magnified when patients felt a loss of control, faced uncertain prognoses, or encountered unexpected outcomes.
What This Means for Surgical Care
In their analysis, Zens and colleagues suggest that these powerful descriptions of pain and suffering highlight significant gaps in symptom management and emotional support. They propose that addressing these areas could substantially enhance the patient experience.
The study raises important questions about the training and preparedness of medical staff to manage postoperative pain effectively. It also suggests a need for increased empathy and communication skills among medical professionals to better support patients during these vulnerable times.
Implications for Medical Education
For medical educators, this study underscores the importance of including robust pain management and communication training in the surgical curriculum. Encouraging students to write reflective essays, such as those used in the study, could serve as a critical learning process, offering future doctors a deeper understanding of their patients’ experiences.
Moving Forward
As a field, surgery is continuously evolving, not only technologically but also in how it conceptualizes and prioritizes the patient experience. This research encourages a holistic approach to surgical care—one that integrates effective pain management and psychological support.
Medical communities and hospitals can take actionable steps, such as implementing multidisciplinary pain management teams and ensuring adequate patient counseling and support systems. These measures could, over time, alter the narrative of pain described by so many of the medical students who contributed to this study.
References:
Zens, T. J., Kopecky, K. E., Schwarze, M. L., & Suwanabol, P. A. (2019). Surgery Hurts: Characterizing the Experience of Pain in Surgical Patients as Witnessed by Medical Students. Journal of Surgical Education, 76(6), 1506–1515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2019.04.008
Other references for this news article are listed below:
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3. Bruce, J., Quinlan, J. (2017). Chronic post-surgical pain. Reviews in Pain, 5(3), 12-17. DOI: 10.1177/204946371100500304
4. Oldenmenger, W. H., Sillevis Smitt, P. A. E., & van Dooren, S. (201