Health Issues Around Aberdeen

[Tess_Tickles]

P.S. Becky....Becky....hmmmm...I might have a vague idea who you are actually.

I'm Cameron

[Frank E]

I think overstating the prevalence of heroin abuse in Aberdeen paints the city in a bad light. If negative comments were made in any of the other city-specific forums in this section about that city such a comment would not go unchallenged.
I've come across the attitude that everyone north of the border is a violent obese deep fried mars bar eating alcoholic smakhead a little too often.
I really don't think this forum, where people are trying to decide on a medical school is the place for such stereotyping.
Sure, there are pockets of heroin addiction in Aberdeen, mainly in areas of low socio-economic population but this is common in cities all over Britain and I don't think the heroin problem is disproportionately high for a city the size of Aberdeen.
There is nowhere in Britain without worrisome levels of drug abuse.

Problem drug misuse as a whole is probably about 4%, it was 3% in 2001 that includes Heroin, Cocaine, Amphetamines. Benzodiazepines, prescription drugs (e.g trycyclics) etc, not specifically Heroin.

http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.or...Prevalence.pdf

There's a growing problem of drugs of affluence though but Cocaine is a problem all over Britain and it's more prevalent in large metropolitan ares.

There isn't a significant Methamphetamine in Aberdeen, I'm not even aware of any seizures of Meth. I've never heard of GHB/GBL being used in clubs here - clubs here don't have to have paramedics in attendance and I've never seen ambulances taking away 'patients' on a stretcher with their faces covered (not for anonimity) like I've seen numerous times in London.

[iBlue]

Lovely to know. I've spent all my life living in and around Aberdeen. Presumptions can bite you in the arse sometimes.

I didn't presume anything. I wasn't referring to how long either of you had been in Aberdeen (the city), but rather the University and given that you are both 19 and I spent the last 4 years of my life there, that was the point I was making.

In any case, this wasn't me trying to show that this somehow strengthed my argument, but was more in reference to these posts:

Haha, mate, seriously. It's not a huge deal for god sake. If you're going to be coming to Aberdeen, for the good of everyone else, chill out.

&

Unfortunately, it's not the only newbie coming to Deen with that attitude - should have been in Polwarth when the interviewee's were hanging around. Not that it would be possible to recognise any, since their heads were quite some way inside their arseholes....

Both of which are filled with arrogance and a sense of ownership of Aberdeen and/or Aberdeen Medical School.

You, iBlue, seemed to immediately get the claws out, and Becca-Sarah was in the firing line. Personally, instead of immediately correcting every minutiae, I would ask 'When were those statistics released?'. Things can change. Never know.

No doubt this will also come across as arrogant, but if I can refer you to my first post on this subject:

Not quite. The opiate prevalence is around 2% in Aberdeen City.

I think you will see quite quickly that I was neither 'getting the claws out' or arrogant.

I don't think you can preach to us about what will make us good doctors without first experiencing 1. Medical School and 2. Some of the people who get in.

I have experienced both. Ironic when you mentioned being presumptuous earlier.

You can see who'll be like this when you spend time with your class, and, if i'm personally honest, from what you've sounded like, you could be one of these.

I'm sorry you feel that way. I don't believe my posts come across as particularly arrogant or omniscient. Certainly not like the post I'm quoting and some of those from Becca-Sarah too.

I may be wrong...totally wrong...but the little 'Thanks' you put at the end of some comments is waving the flag for 'I'm above you and anyone that's not like me surely will make an awful doctor'.

Yes, you're wrong. It's included in most of my posts as a 'sign-off'.

Give me the people skills doctor anyday.

I prefer not to highlight individual skills in a doctor as being more important than others. But, in this case, I believe a balance of people skills and attention to detail would be preferred.

I think overstating the prevalence of heroin abuse in Aberdeen paints the city in a bad light. If negative comments were made in any of the other city-specific forums in this section about that city such a comment would not go unchallenged.

I completely agree with you that it is important not to overestimate the drug problems facing Aberdeen City, which are largely associated with deprived areas.

Without going into the detail you did, and without responding further to the continual antagonising posts by Tess_Tickles and Becca-Sarah, I will just point out that there was an update to the report you referenced, published in 2005.

Link

This highlights the prevalence of Aberdeen City as 2.03% (page 15), and much work is undergoing in the City to reduce this further.

Thanks.

[Tess_Tickles]

I didn't presume anything. I wasn't referring to how long either of you had been in Aberdeen (the city), but rather the University and given that you are both 19 and I spent the last 4 years of my life there, that was the point I was making.

In any case, this wasn't me trying to show that this somehow strengthed my argument

I apologise for reading your previous comment wrong, you did say the Uni, yes. Nevertheless, you still say 'as a graduate, I've been at Aberdeen Uni longer than either of you, so lets put aside the immature insults' (or something similar). The key word being immature. It just looks like you're trying to say we're both silly 19 year olds and you're the wise and superior graduate...I don't see any immature insults kicking about. That's how I feel.

Both of which are filled with arrogance and a sense of ownership of Aberdeen and/or Aberdeen Medical School.

I disagree. All I said was to chill out before you came up, unaware you were already a graduate of Aberdeen, and ownership? Where are you pulling that from? That's an interesting one.

I don't believe my posts come across as particularly arrogant or omniscient.

Of course you wouldn't. They're coming from yourself, nobody would admit to always being arrogant, otherwise you'd change the tone of your posts.

I have experienced both. Ironic when you mentioned being presumptuous earlier

From my powers of deduction, I'm presuming you did a Biochem degree or something similar, therefore, yes you'd see med students and be around the medical school. I fail to grasp how you could have experienced medical school without doing Medicine. Yes, you'd be IN the school...but you wouldn't be DOING medicine, what I was getting at was you need to DO medicine to really set in stone what the best qualities are to have.

Yes, you're wrong. It's included in most of my posts as a 'sign-off'

Nice touch...

But, in this case, I believe a balance of people skills and attention to detail would be preferred.

Naturally. Sometimes there can be a little bit TOO much attention to detail though.

Antagonising comments? I wouldn't say that. I would call this an enjoyable argument. Antagonising would seem a bit harsh, I'm only replying in the manner you come across.

Thanks.

Good luck with Glasgow.

[Keeno]

This thread made me lol. Chill out people! It's not like we are on some important meeting discussing health provision based on deprivation etc.

Seriously though I don't know much about the drug problem but from speaking to a pharmacist the numbers of morphine users she has been getting going to her pharmacy has rocketed in the last few years. So at least they are getting opiate users on the road to rehabilitation which is a good step

[Tess_Tickles]

It does make me smile a bit reading through from page 1

[tikitiboo]

I don't know how to use the freaky quote thing here so it's all from memory, here we go:

Firstly, as I have lived in Aberdeen my entire life and I'm related to/know a a great deal of GPs and hospital doctors in the city who have to deal with the drug problem on a daily basis, I think I have more right to "high and mighty" than you, iBlue, about the issue so you can stop getting all arrogant with your facts because its not becoming. By the way, I'm using this tone with you because you ARE coming across as arrogant and if you fail to see that then I'm seriously worried about you potentially becoming a doctor when such a fundamental thing is going to go unchanged; what about when other character faults arise, are you just going to ignore them aswel?

Although the actual figure quoted by Sarah-becca or whatever her name is may not be 100% accurate, the point she was trying to make was that the drug problem in Aberdeen is higher than one would expect, despite the glossy view you get of the city on an open day, and that is correct: dare I say, but if she were to be writing a project on the problem (as I'm sure you must have done in your last degree) she would quote and reference all such facts and spend time on it, but judging that she is currently studying medicine with me and doesn't really have much time to be coming onto this website anyway, she won't go researching the exact statistics and wasting time on it.
If you had noticed, people like Tess-tickles, becca-sarah and myself come onto this website to help people like yourself with their application to medical school so I would advise you to recognise such kindness, and in the future, please don't indult my friends and please take note of people going out of their way to help you...you know, the odd sorry wouldn't go amiss!

Anyway, (you may want to take of this)
1. Don't be arrogant, this will not go down well next year as the vast majority of people in the class are pretty sound and chilled out and wont apreciate someone like you being the way you have been.
2. Take note when someone points out a character fault (such as your arrogance) because if you aren't willing to change your ways to become a better doctor in the end then there will be problems ahead.
3. Stop trying to lord it over people (in this case by telling them how long you've been in the city) because there will always be someone who knows more than you come along and set you straight, and thats never fun.

Anyways, I hope you actually do change before next year because I don't want you to be a crap doctor and I don't want to run the risk of having my academic son think they know more about medicine at aberdeen than me. And I do hope that you realise that I have (not very subtly - although it does seem like you need to be told things VERY blatantly before you'll take a hint) been very arrogant, high and mighty, rude, etc. because of your, frankly appalling, attitude towards two of my friends and sometimes people need to be told!

I ate a big red candle

[iBlue]

...snip...

This will be my last post on the subject, as I'm not prepared to continue debating this with people that:

1. Know little to nothing about the drug problem across Grampian (and I'm not referring to everyone who has posted in this thread).
2. Are extremely arrogant/immature for being so inexperienced with the above (check out Becca-Sarah's last message on your profile for an example).

As has been done to death already, the length of time any of us has been in Aberdeen has nothing to do with this. So please stop going on about it. I work with GPs/Consultants on a daily basis in Grampian (and across Scotland) with relation to individuals with problem drug use, so whilst you (like your friends) have every right to be more 'high and mighty' than me, you are not more qualified to discuss the subject in any great detail.

In any case, I can say from first hand experience that GPs are not the most qualified with regard to the drug problem, with many of them knowing little about the subject. This is very generally speaking however, and I know there are some GPs across Scotland who are specialists in this area. Also, I'd like to point out that I am not insulting these GPs, just pointing out a fact.

As an aside, I wouldn't concern yourself with those who, in your opinion, are not worthy of studying Medicine, but rather just concentrate on your own performance/progress as a potential Doctor.

You are correct in that the figure previously quoted by Becca-Sarah, is not 100% accurate. It actually misses the mark by +200%. As I said, for someone working in this field, that is a massive overstatement.

Again, you, and your friends presumptions are wide of the mark. I did not do any project on Substance Misuse in my last degree. Rather, I do it on a day to day basis as it is my job.

Whilst I think highly of this site, I am not in need of any assistance with my application for Medicine. Rather I come on here to communicate with others applying to Medical School and to keep up to date with how people are getting on with their application. It is also an excellent information resource.

I presume you were accusing me of insulting your friends in the 4th paragraph of your post. Again, please understand I have did no such thing unless your friends egos are insulted by me coming on here and posting the figures I believe to be correct.

I also think it is particularly incredible that you chose to register on this site to post a response in this thread. Have I hurt your friends/colleagues egos that much by posting my own take on the subject.

It was mentioned earlier by one of your friends that my vocabulary made me come across as arrogant. If this is the case, I apologise. I write using the language that I know and that is not meant to offend anyone. Whilst I don't put massive effort into it, neither do I purposefully dumb down the words that I use for the Internet. My background is far from even middle class, so I do not think I am better than anyone. I do however know the field that I work in very well and it is important to anyone who works in substance misuse to prevent the flow of misinformation. This is especially the case on a public forum. I'll say it again, that my first post on this subject (which got a harsh, antagonising response), was not arrogant in any way. In fact, everyone who knows me (including many members of clinical staff from Nurses to Consultants) would say the opposite of me.

As for the rest of your post, it is neither my style or in my nature to tell people I think they will become 'crap doctors'. I also don't think you can pick out character flaws in an Internet post. I will say though, that what you might consider to be a 'crap doctor', others will think of as a great doctor. We're all different.

Therefore, please do not even presume to tell me that I need to change my ways. As much as I have tried to come across politely and honestly it is clear that neither you or your friends know anything about me.

[Becca-Sarah]

Are extremely arrogant/immature for being so inexperienced with the above (check out Becca-Sarah's last message on your profile for an example).

You have no idea how I know tikitiboo, so please don't assume that everything I write on his profile is related to the one conversation you've seen us have.

I do LOVE the current 1st years As shown, we stick together. There is a massive sense of community in our class.

Kindly quit referring to me as arrogant and immature. I sincerely wish you the best of luck with your application to Glasgow.

[iBlue]

You have no idea how I know tikitiboo, so please don't assume that everything I write on his profile is related to the one conversation you've seen us have.

Given that it was tikitiboo's first and only post on the site, there is not many assumptions being made. That's obvious.

I do LOVE the current 1st years As shown, we stick together. There is a massive sense of community in our class.

Kindly quit referring to me as arrogant and immature. I sincerely wish you the best of luck with your application to Glasgow.

Unlike the false sincerity I am getting from your post regarding my application to Glasgow, I genuinely think it is great that there is a sense of community in your year. It is good to defend your peers, but I'm disappointed that you only chose to respond in an attempt to further criticise and extend the your argument.