scut?
worst job in a group, like a cabin boy or dishwasher.
Scut Monkey is a term often used to describe a new medical student as they begin their clinical rotations (often after the first two years of a four year medical school). The origin of how the word scut entered the medical jargon over 40 years ago is obscure. While a "scut" is defined in the dictionary as the short erect tail of a hare, many consider it an acronym for “some common unfinished task” or “some clinically useful training.” "Scut" in the medical training vernacular is considered to be a somewhat menial task performed by physicians critical to the proper care of patients (i.e., looking up laboratory data, calling to schedule tests, gathering supplies before a bedside procedure). These tasks often fall to the medical student assigned to work with attending physicians or interns and residents in training. At different medical centers the slang for a new clinical medical student, who may be the most junior member of a team caring for hospitalized patients, may be “
scut boy,” “scut dog,” "toads" or “torpedoes”. It is not considered a derogatory comment but an insiders term acknowledging that a medical student has entered the world of clinical hands-on training under the guidance of more senior physicians.The "Scut Monkey Book" is the unofficial title of a book published by McGraw-Hill known as the "Clinician's Pocket Reference".
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