A Beautiful New Era of Empowering One Another…In Medicine and Beyond

My dearest readers,

When I tell people who I am meeting for the first time that I am in medical school, I sometimes am met with the response “I bet the environment is super competitive.” This got me thinking one day. Yes, on the one-hand, it is somewhat inevitable that any program that requires as much of its applicants as it does of its students harbors a certain amount of competition. However, on the other hand, my experience of medical school has been one which has been overwhelmingly characterized by support, encouragement, empathy and empowerment amongst classmates. Perhaps a change from years and generations past.

I truly believe this speaks to an evolving culture where empowering one another takes precedence over rivalry and unhealthy levels of competition.

A shift in culture that, in medical school, is mirrored in the approach to patient-centered care that we are taught; one that replaces paternalism of the past with a focus on a therapeutic alliance between patient and doctor. A relationship of trust that is dynamic in nature, involving active discussions, understanding patient needs, and counselling and empowering patients so as to allow them to play an active role in the attainment of their full health and wellbeing potential.

The prevalence of mentorship throughout my education also speaks to an era of empowering one another. As we approach the end of our own medical school journey, my classmates and I have been actively making ourselves available as mentors to students in the years below us. To be a mentor is to be a sharer of advice, knowledge and guidance, taking what one has learned through one’s own life experiences to contribute to the growth of others.

This era of empowering one another extends far beyond the world of medicine. I believe it is a culture that is being nurtured in many professions. It is a common theme explored by networking sites and motivational blogs. It is a dogma and mentality being adopted and nurtured by the young professionals of today.

To make it to the top of the ladder of success is one thing; to achieve one’s dreams and become successful while simultaneously empowering others to do the same is, in my opinion, the true definition of leadership, success and accomplishment. Support  others, inspire others, motivate others…be the epitome of this new era of empowering one another. This is where lies the magic of today and the future. 

3 Lessons that Med School taught me about achieving good communication

My dearest readers,

It is an unequivocal fact of life that our human interactions on a day-to-day basis add fulfillment, insight, meaning and interest to our existence as human beings. As social beings, much of what we draw from our experiences of life comes from our everyday exchanges with those around us, many of which involve some type of communication with others.

I feel beyond blessed by the degree to which my Medical School training has thus far put me in close proximity, all at once, with the beauty, resilience, vulnerability, vibrancy and complexity of human life; when you work with people who are battling sickness you are interacting with people in one of their most vulnerable states and are entrusted with their life stories. Communication is beyond key in this type of unique interaction; not only is it important to grasp the essence of a patient’s history of presenting illness but also it is beyond essential that one truly understands an individual’s fears, concerns and goals of care.

Good communication is an asset in many aspects of life, whether it be at work or in our personal relationships with friends, family and loved ones. Here are 3 lessons that Medical School has taught me about achieving good communication; lessons that extend far beyond the medical world!

1. Be comfortable with silence.

We often find ourselves entrapped in a hectic lifestyle where we are constantly on the go, filling each and every moment with a task and often filling every silence with words, even if these words may be in essence “empty” in meaning and value. Don’t get me wrong…one cannot properly enjoy a cocktail party without some small talk and discussing the weather can be the perfect ice breaker with a stranger at the bus stop. It is however important to also acknowledge the strength that can evolve from being comfortable with silence sometimes. Sometimes silence means being patient; it may be exactly what is required to allow the other person to gather their thoughts and express themselves. Sometimes during a difficult situation or when you are consoling someone, words may not be the best solution; a simple hand on the other persons shoulder and offering of a tissue may be the therapeutic type of communication that is needed. Sometimes silence allows you to reflect on your own place in a given conversation; silence can allow for being mindful of the body language and non-verbal cues that are characterizing a given exchange. Silence in and of itself has the capacity to carry great strength as a tool in achieving good communication.

2. Learn to really listen.

Listening, really and truly listening, can make all the difference when it comes to achieving good communication. Actively listening is very different from the act of passively “hearing” during a conversation. Actively listening involves allowing the other person to finish their thoughts and trying not to plan out a script in your mind of what you hope to say next in the meantime.  Really listening to someone entails being mindful of the nuances of what is being said; what is the person really trying to convey? Truly listening means taking what is being said not only at face value but attempting to read in between the lines to develop a deeper understanding of the matter at hand; what is the person’s body language trying to communicate and how is what is being said affected by the person’s past life experiences. When true listening takes place, the person who we are exchanging words and ideas with feels validated and valued, allowing them to open up to us not only in the present moment but also in the future.

3. Everyone has a story.

If there is one important thing about human interactions that I have come to truly appreciate and love through medicine is the fact that each and every person that you come across has a story. Each and every one of us is a compilation of our past life experiences, our present passions and our future aspirations. Next time you engage anyone in conversation, whether it be on the plan or in the board room, keep in mind that you are talking to a unique individual who has an equally unique story to tell. Realizing this simple fact adds special meaning to communication with others; it allows us to appreciate communication as a true gift that we have the privilege to engage in every single day. Seeing communication as beautiful allows one to treasure it and thus practice it in the best possible way.

I originally wrote this post for my biweekly column on Stilettos on the Glass Ceiling – see the original article at http://stilettosontheglassceiling.com/2014/09/3-lessons-med-school-taught-me-about-achieving-good-communication-by-maria-psihogios.html

Exploring the uncharted…where all the magic happens!

My dearest readers,

Sometimes we come to a point in our lives where the next step, the task ahead, the upcoming challenge can be quite intimidating, daunting and even down-right scary. It’s sometimes these exact points in life however that inspire us to step outside our comfort-zone, allowing us to accomplish things we never thought were possible! In other words, sometimes exploring the uncharted can lead us to a place where all the magic happens!

I spent the last month fulfilling my rural rotation in surgery as a member of the General Surgery team at a small community hospital; words cannot describe how truly amazing this experience was for me! In all honesty, at first, the entire experience seemed quite daunting and intimidating for me. As someone who had little exposure to surgery and the OR up to that point, and having heard that a rural surgery experience would involve being even more hands on and involved, I was slightly nervous to embark on this next phase of my training. Nevertheless, I was also excited to see what the experience had in store for me.

From my very first day, I knew that I was in for a thought-provoking and insightful experience…an experience that, in retrospect, allowed me to not only develop a true appreciation for the complexity and beauty of human anatomy through the practice of surgery, but also allowed me the opportunity to partake in a working environment that truly exemplified a team approach and patient-centered care. 

 

My experience was indeed very “hands-on” from the gecko, but in the very best way possible. Given the fact that I was working in a rural setting, I had the opportunity to work one-on-one with the surgeons; I found myself in the role of “first-assist” in the OR on a regular basis and was actively involved in conducting my own consults every day. As a main team-member I was at the forefront of patient care and had the opportunity to reason through symptoms, signs, investigations and diagnoses independently. I found myself re-connecting with that yearning to piece things together that had drawn me to medicine in the first place. I left the hospital every day feeling fulfilled in the fact that the work I was doing had meaning and was making a difference. I was part of a team that knew each other well, supported each-other and worked together towards serving their community to the best of their ability…a truly beautiful aspect of practicing medicine in a small community.

 

Walking away from this experience, I feel truly grateful for having partaken in it. It has definitely been a highlight of my medical school education and has re-affirmed in me much of what I love about medicine. 

 

This experience has reminded me that sometimes the things in life that scare us the most end up being the experiences that also allow us to grow the most….

 

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” What a beautiful notion 🙂