Objective: Identify one’s own strengths, weaknesses, and limits
A)seek and respond appropriately to performance feedback; b)maintain an appropriate balance of personal and professional commitments; c)seek help and advice when needed
I’ve reflected continuously back on the first two years of medical school. I am a Nigerian American male, from an immigrant family, who was once without a clue on how to navigate the complexities of academic medicine. It is astonishing to me how, my fellow classmates and I, have been able to begin to approximate the vast array of knowledge required to acquire a patient’s history, gather pertinent data, and synthesize a plan for treatment. My PWP ring has allowed me the space for perspective.
At my first rotation, Family Medicine at Healthy New Albany, I met the most thorough and helpful teacher I have had to date. This physician helped me to drill the skills necessary to better relate my basic science knowledge to clinical reasoning and decision making. The saying goes that if you teach a man to fish you have fed him for a lifetime. The first two years and even through the first two rotations, I had felt like I was being given many different rods to catch different fish without a constant emphasis on casting a proper line or preparing an acceptable meal.
Furthermore, during this rotation, I also learned the importance of humility in teaching. I gained an appreciation for my responsibility as a role model and potential guide. I remembered the arduous personal conflict experienced when studying for hours on end only to arrive in clinic with clinicians, masters of their field, flying through teaching points without taking sufficient time to check for understanding. See one, do one, teach one, but when you teach slow down and be patient.
I saw a patient with a first-year medical student and tried to teach him components of the physical exam. Similar to previous teachers, I took for granted the painstaking work required to memorize all of these components. I, mistakenly, did not first ask or ascertain what level of knowledge he had yet acquired. A first-year medical student, having barely just learned a pulmonary exam, needs a more measured approach.
Finally, it is encouraging to feel the progress I have made with my presentations. Effective communication requires intentionality that is both clear and organized. But one of the most important aspects is to be confident in what you are saying. On my heme/onc rotation fluid and pain management were hammered into me. The repetition allowed me to focus more on the structure of my presentations and I now can orate without using wandering language or being indecisive about my decisions. By the end of the rotation my attending lauded my progress and commended me for taking the initiative.
A safe place to learn and practice, unfortunately I’ve seen, can be hard to come by in our current curriculum. It’s especially difficult when you see other learners being harshly scorned for their mistakes. Transparency and support are important alternatives. I was able to have a good conversation with a resident about effectively addressing the needs of learners, which shed light on the importance of healthy interpersonal dynamics on teaching. I’ve learned many important points for being a better medical student, resident, and I have become a more conscious instructor.
In the future, I will continue to seek opportunities to better myself and become a better instructor. I will hold myself accountable by creating 2-3 new goals per new rotation to achieve during residency and by asking instructors and students for feedback weekly.