True Tales of Medical School: Learning to Draw Blood
Filed under: Medicine
When I interviewed at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, one of the things that most impressed me was this enormous room filled with a variety of anatomical mannequins. I had been worried about learning how to draw blood and perform other procedures on frail old ladies, but clearly this room was the answer to my concern: we would learn on mannequins.
Of course, I was wrong. We only used that room once, and then just for the OB practical exam. On the other hand, we didn’t have to learn to draw blood on little old ladies; we learned on each other.
In the middle of our second year of medical school, it was time for us to learn to draw blood. A full six-hour Glucose Tolerance Test was to be run on every student, and we were going to draw the blood for the test ourselves. A glucose tolerance test is an older test used to diagnose diabetes or similar problems with sugar metabolism. It is used most commonly in pregnant women in their second trimester to test for gestational diabetes. A standard sugar load is ingested and then the blood sugar level determined at regular intervals afterwards.
The class was divided into thirds; the first third went Monday, the second, Tuesday, and the third on Wednesday. As usual, I ended up in the first group.
Early Monday morning we showed up at the second floor histology lab. We were given a glass of Glucola to drink based on our weight. Glucola is this sickly sweet syrupy beverage that gives a specific sugar load. Ours was this cloying root beer flavor and was one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever had to drink. It took all my effort not to gag, but I managed to get it down.
An hour later, and then every half-hour after that, we had a tube of blood drawn. We would take turns and draw blood from each other. Watching the other students, you quickly learned who you wanted, or more importantly did not want, to draw your blood.
The first draws were the hardest. My classmate would rest their arm on the table, and I’d wrap a rubber tourniquet around the upper arm. They’d pump their fist a few times to make the arm veins stand out. I’d poke around with my finger to make sure I found a good vein that wouldn’t move or roll on me. I’d swipe the skin with an alcohol swab to kill any germs. Taking a needle and a vial, I’d carefully slide the needle into the vein and pop the vial onto the back of the needle. Once the blood was flowing well, I removed the tourniquet so they wouldn’t get a large hematoma when the needle was withdrawn. After the tube of blood was full, I carefully pulled the needle out. The needle is razor sharp and can cut the skin fairly deeply if it’s pulled out at the wrong angle. A bandage was applied, the vial was labeled and turned in, and then it was my turn to grit my teeth and be the patient.
The blood draws at the end of the day were easier because I could follow the previous needle marks — just like runway lights — and find the vein easily.
Six hours and eleven blood draws later we were done. We had learned how to draw blood, and would learn the next day whether any of us were diabetic (nope). As I climbed in my car for the drive to my apartment I prayed that no cop would pull me over, because he’d never believe my story about the needle marks up and down both arms.
Drawing blood is not a skill I use frequently. There are trained medical technicians and phlebotomists who do the job much better and quicker. However, there have been situations when labs were needed immediately or when I was the only one available that have made me glad that it’s a skill I possess.
July 8th, 2004 at 7:01 am
This is something kind of makes my skin crawl when I think about me doing it. I want to be one of the “good” guys when doing it. ;)
March 31st, 2007 at 10:15 pm
I guess I should be glad that I was a phlebotomist while an undergrad before I came to med school, eh?
April 18th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
This story illustrates why I prefer the field of computer programming.
June 6th, 2007 at 8:50 am
I guess every med student has a horror story about drawing blood. In my case, when it was my turn to be the patient, my classmate forgot to remove the torniquet. :)
June 7th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Drawing blood has to be the weirdest thing. I can’t stand doing it but having it done is ok.
My father has to be the worst though. A doctor, he can’t stand needles (to get a shot, he has to lie on a bed and almost be held there). When he was going through school, he had a guy draw his blood – and as soon as Dad saw the vial of his own blood, fainted.
He still gets hassled for it now, at 53
July 21st, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Our med school also had us learn phlebotomy by practicing on each other. In a way, it wasn’t too bad because most of my class were young and relatively athletic, meaning that finding their rope-like veins with a 20G was like trying to place a penpoint onto the surface of a gardenhose (hyperbole, but you get the idea). I really learned how to be a deent (or at least mildly competent) phlebotomist at the VA, where the age and multiple hospitalizations of most of the patients mean their veins had collapsed and deflated until cannulating them was akin to playing blindman’s bluff. Thankfully, years of hardship and dealing with interns had instilled most of them with incredible knowledge of their own anatomy, saint-surpassing patience, and a pain threshold far beyond that of mere mortal men. “Yer almos’ thar…jus’ angle the needle a lil’ deeper and to the lef’”… amazing.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
dude, you had it easy, in my paramedic class we had to start IVs on each other, and we were told not be the most “pleasant” of patients. i wish we had it that easy!
November 30th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
My M.A. class has been in the lab drawing blood this past week. Myself and some others got it on the first try, but some seem to be clueless to the procedure. I really envy the three pregnant women in the class because they are not allowed to get there blood drawn but they get to poke as many people as the want. Oh the joy of not having someone wipe you with alcohol then poke you with a butterfly in the front of your hand without wiping the alcohol off or letting it dry first.
December 8th, 2007 at 7:44 am
rolling veins are a myth made up by medical students ;)
January 18th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I’m a Medical Assistant myself and i assure you that doing blood draws was not my favorite, especially when it came down to letting someone draw blood from me. However,i foundd that i loved drawing blood,and the more i watch other peoples technique the better i got myself.I am now a phlebotomist doing what i feel i was born to do.
mah
February 4th, 2008 at 2:48 am
You forgot to including useful details like students fainting, which happened in my class, also the incompetent ones that pokes and pokes and until you decide that you don’t want to be the human dart board anymore.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:22 am
As a first year med student I’ve already had that pleasant experience of sitting there infront of a colleague and thinking ‘hurt me and I’ll make it hurt back tenfold when it comes to my chance.’ I honestly don’t mind taking blood from a patient so far, and hopefully that won’t change. In practice though, there really isn’t any attempt whatsoever to let the alcohol dry before the butterfly is inserted.
The most dramatic story I probably have is of a girl fainting in a physiology practical before any blood was even sighted and barely mentioned.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Hey, good story;) We’re doing venipuncture now (I’m a first year med student.) I’m lucky I have someone outside school to practice on. But either way, I got a vein on a pretty hard patient (my fellow classmate) rather fast. I actually enjoy this the most. My male classmates don’t agree.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:59 am
Ick. Some people need to take that class again – the last time I was hospitalized, they woke me every morning to draw blood, and one particular morning, the nurse I had was entirely incompetant. I’d had my blood drawn every morning for the past four days to check if the new meds were at a correct dosage (or something), so I know it shouldn’t have been so difficult, but she had to stick me about four times before she gave up trying to find the vein and got another nurse.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Being a medical assistant i also had to learn phlebotomy, and we also learned on each other. The scariest thought was the first day of class and knowing that the person with the butterfly needle set in their hand knows exactly as much as you did, which was not much fun luckily i have a very high pain threshold….and although i love drawing blood now, my current job we don’t draw in the office…
January 10th, 2009 at 4:51 am
It appears that you are all learning valuable experiences with your blood draws and understanding the patients feelings. I believe you will be more informed, professional and compassionate towards their (patients and others) needs.
The funs only starting..next arterial blood gases!!
Good luck to all of you!!
Dave RRT-NPS
January 21st, 2009 at 5:07 pm
The nimble can cautiously try self-phlebotomy to perfect their technique. I occasionally practice on myself to internalize the pain sensations associated with my technique. I find it easiest to use a syringe instead of the BD tubes when working single-handed, and a nearby non-queasy friend to pop the tourniquet off after entering the vein to avoid much bruising or hematoma.
June 11th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Fancy things. We do it the good ol’ fashioned way, needle and syringe. No vacuum to help us out.
I’m good at it though.
July 27th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I am scared to draw blood but I am trying to overcome this fear so I can accomplish my goals.
September 18th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Try drawing blood on a cat or dog.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:35 am
After reading this I can’t wait for medical school!!
December 1st, 2009 at 11:22 am
I am about to start phleobotomy classes next week and in reading these comments…..I can’t wait to start. I have ALWAYS wanted to learn how! I am 50 and it’s NEVER to LATE to learn!!
December 4th, 2009 at 12:11 am
I have an interview tomorrow for a phlebotomy position. It has been my goal for three years to do this…I have been a CNA waiting for my opportunity. Drawing blood is a skill that takes patience, CONCERN for the patient, and a continued desire to learn (because everybody’s body and veins are different). Wish me luck!
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