Etymology of the word "PIMPING"
Jared Roach
"pimping"
"to pimp"
"I've been pimped"
etc.
What do people know about this word? The OED seems clueless as to
its use in medical education circles.
How long has this word been used in medical education circles?
Where does it come from?
What does it mean?
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Jared C. Roach
Department of Molecular Biotechnology
Health Sciences Building, Room K354
University of Washington
Box 357730
Seattle, WA 98195
phone (206) 616-4536
FAX (206) 685-7301
ro...@u.washington.edu
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~roach/
NBelle3189
In article <5v6vpa$1d...@nntp6.u.washington.edu>, ro...@u.washington.edu
(Jared Roach) writes:
>"pimping"
>"to pimp"
>"I've been pimped"
>etc.
>
>What do people know about this word? The OED seems clueless as to
>its use in medical education circles.
>
>How long has this word been used in medical education circles?
>Where does it come from?
>What does it mean?
>
>
>
I can't say how long the term " pimping" has been used in medical circles
but I first heard the term six years ago when I began working at a teaching
hospital. The term comes from the fact that the clinical instructors would
"pimp" the medical students as a way of updating their(the clinical
professor's) basic science and epidemology knowledge base. Instead of
heading to a library or surfing the net, a clinical professor such as a
surgical attending would pick the brain of a third-year medical student who
was fresh from the basic science classes. This is analagous to the pimp who
makes a living by the prostitution labors of the men and women in his or
her stable on the street. Thus the term "to pimp".
Natalie J. Belle
MA-1
Howard University
College of Medicine
David Walsh
> Date: 12 Sep 1997 02:46:46 GMT
> From: NBelle3189 <nbell...@aol.com>
> Newsgroups: misc.education.medical
> Subject: Re: Etymology of the word "PIMPING"
>
> >
> >What do people know about this word? The OED seems clueless as to
> >its use in medical education circles.
> >
>
You might find out something about the use of the term "pimping" in
medical clinical training in the following: THE ART OF PINPING.
Brancati, F.L., Journal of the American Medical Association. 262
(1989):89-90. I believe the refererce is correct but it's from a
secondary source.
David Walsh, M.D. dwa...@post.its.mcw.edu
David Sacco
On pimping-
I think it'd be quite generous to the med student to say that the
clinician was pimping for their own personal knowledge. Pimping is often
much more like a medical version of trivial pursuit. "What are the 3
presenting signs of coronary artery disease?" "What microbes can cause
meningitis?" etc.
Dave
ms-ii at pitt
L. Cheek@postoffice.worldnet.att.net Jon L. Cheek
The term "pimping" has been around a long time. I have friends who
graduated in the late 70's and it was an old term then.
You actually have the process "bass akwards". The clinical instructors do
"pimp" medical students (and residents and fellows) to update the students
knowledge. While some instructors make it a harsh criticism, it does teach
one to think on their feet and under pressure. Something that does come in
handy during a crisis.
JLC, MD
NBelle3189 <nbell...@aol.com> wrote in article
> I can't say how long the term " pimping" has been used in medical circles
> but I first heard the term six years ago when I began working at a
teaching
> hospital. The term comes from the fact that the clinical instructors
would
> "pimp" the medical students as a way of updating their(the clinical
> professor's) basic science and epidemology knowledge base.
Greg Nee
Couldn't you just tell us what it said and save us the trouble? Not
everybody here has a decade's worth of JAMA on their shelves or easy access
to them.
David Walsh wrote in article ...
L. Cheek@postoffice.worldnet.att.net Jon L. Cheek
Craig Singer
Jon L. Cheek <Jon L. Ch...@postoffice.worldnet.att.net> wrote in article
<5vccfa$c...@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
> You actually have the process "bass akwards". The clinical instructors
do
> "pimp" medical students (and residents and fellows) to update the
students
> knowledge. While some instructors make it a harsh criticism, it does
teach
> one to think on their feet and under pressure. Something that does come
in
> handy during a crisis.
Thinking on one's feet and under pressure may both be useful skills, but
acquiring them does not justify "harsh criticism" or any other kind of
verbal abuse in a professional setting. Students and residents should
never tolerate abuse. I certainly don't.
L. Cheek@postoffice.worldnet.att.net Jon L. Cheek
The term "pimping" has been around a long time. I have friends who
graduated in the late 70's and it was an old term then.
You actually have the process "bass akwards". The clinical instructors do
"pimp" medical students (and residents and fellows) to update the students
knowledge. While some instructors make it a harsh criticism, it does teach
one to think on their feet and under pressure. Something that does come in
handy during a crisis.
JLC, MD
David Walsh
> Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 20:03:40 -0500
> From: Greg Nee <gn...@marlin.utmb.edu>
>
> Couldn't you just tell us what it said and save us the trouble? Not
>
> David Walsh wrote in article ...
> >You might find out something about the use of the term "pimping" in
> >medical clinical training in the following: THE ART OF PINPING.
> >Brancati, F.L., Journal of the American Medical Association. 262
> >(1989):89-90. I believe the refererce is correct but it's from a
> >secondary source.
Well, no I couldn't because I don't know what exactly the article says. I
saw the original question and the early answers and, by coincidence, was
reading something that made a comment about clinical medical education and
referenced the article I put in my post. It was the journal source and
the word "pimping" in the title that made me think it might be of use.
Incidentally, while you're on the subject of educational methods in
medical school and beyond. how about "spoon feeding?"
David Walsh, M.D. dwa...@post.its.mcw.edu