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.
positively profession-elle 