Pimping In Medicine

By: Kritika Goel

Toxic quizzing in the medical profession is more commonly called " Pimping”. It is

basically, asking medical trainees medical questions to stress them out, so that the intellectual hierarchy is established in their minds. This interaction is usually followed by sardonic comments like earlier residents would not be able to interact with patients unless they knew these medical terms. Some might perceive this as normal questioning, but it is not, since the aim is to induce shame, humiliation, or distress in the trainee. The doctor practicing pimping tries to put down the medical trainee by asking difficult questions in rapid succession about recalled facts

rather than clinical reasoning.

The reason Pimping started in the medical profession and has continued for so long is based on the Yerkes-Dodson law. This states that as stress increases, learning increases, but to a certain point. According to doctors and even some trainees, Pimping helps them perform better. Of course, there is also the reason that this has continued for centuries, so it should be carried on. But in reality, this practice is actually harmful, and the reliance on the Yerkes-Dodson is flawed. This law is based on a study that was done on Japanese dancing mice and not humans.

Although some doctors like pimping, no study or learning outcome has been established. On the contrary, modern studies show that being stressed hampers learning. Some authors argue that stress helps learning, as you push your brain to the limits, but not being humiliated. Pimping should not inhibit a trainee from asking a learner’s questions, as it would help evaluate their learning opportunities or where they can do better. It is important for the educators to create a warm and friendly environment where open-ended questions can be asked. They may even ask those questions from the group of which they themselves are not sure, leading to healthy

discussions.