AITAH for telling a PA student I don’t want her to do my stitches?
A male friend in the Emergency Department was faced with an unexpected choice when a medical assistant student was assigned to do the first stitch. He politely asked an experienced medical assistant to take over, leaving both medical staff momentarily stunned. The incident highlighted the tension between patient autonomy and the practical demands of medical training.
What made the story more complicated was the lack of prior consent – no one asked if he was comfortable doing a practice shift. In a high-risk environment like the emergency room, where trust and accuracy are paramount, his decision sparked a debate about rights, respect, and real-world lessons for medical students.
‘AITAH for telling a PA student I don’t want her to do my stitches?’
The injury lands the boyfriend in the ER needing stitches on his slit knuckle.
A PA student shadows the experienced PA, who guides her through every step including numbing.
Suddenly the PA steps back and tells the student to handle the stitches alone.
Patients have the right to control who performs medical procedures on their bodies, especially in a teaching setting involving students. This basic principle of autonomy ensures that individuals are not inadvertently turned into training tools, regardless of how the process is supervised.
The core issue here revolves around informed consent—or its apparent absence in this emergency situation. Healthcare professionals have an ethical obligation to disclose when a student will initiate and explicitly seek permission. Failure to do so not only undermines trust, but can also increase anxiety for patients facing pain and uncertainty.
On the other side, advocates for medical education point out that real-world practice is indispensable for building competent providers. Students cannot graduate based on simulation exercises alone; Real-life cases under supervision are important. However, this does not take away from patient comfort—refusals occur frequently without derailing training programs.
From a broader societal perspective, these encounters reflect ongoing research in health care systems based in teaching hospitals. Patients are increasingly asserting their rights amid growing awareness of medical errors and staff burnout. According to the American Medical Association’s Code of Medical Ethics (Opinion 1.2.4, ama-assn.org), “A patient has the right to refuse care from a trainee at any time without fear of compromising the quality of care.” Maintaining this standard fosters mutual respect and prevents dissatisfaction on both sides of the needle.
These are the responses from Reddit users:
Many users back the boyfriend, stressing consent and his right to seasoned hands.
A few voices urge balance, noting students need reps while honoring patient choice.
Light-hearted replies ease the tension without piling on the staff.
The boyfriend exercised a clear patient right by requesting the qualified PA, and the staff complied without pushback. Social network users overwhelmingly label him not the asshole, citing the missing consent step as the real misfire. Training remains essential, yet no one owes their body as a classroom.
Would you speak up in the same situation, or let the student stitch to help their learning? Have you ever regretted staying quiet when a trainee stepped in?
