1/ #UncleBob has thoughts on planning your career for young clinician-educators. Read for #5goodminutes, then consider for longer.
Do not plan your career, rather strive to be the best you. Excellence gets recognized. Opportunities will appear.
Do not plan your career, rather strive to be the best you. Excellence gets recognized. Opportunities will appear.
2/ Have a trusted mentor who will listen to you explain the opportunity and help you decide if it works with your goals.
I just finished listening to an episode of Broken Record - an interview with Huey Lewis. He become a very successful singer and band.
I just finished listening to an episode of Broken Record - an interview with Huey Lewis. He become a very successful singer and band.
3/ As he told his story, it was clear that early in his career his goal was to make good music. Eventually, opportunity shone on him. Because he had worked on his craft he was able to both succeed and not get sucked into the fame trap.
4/ Read books, I can suggest Range by David Epstein, Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Steven Covey, but these are just some of my favorites. Many books will help you, especially if they are tangential to your job.
5/ Become a great role model, your learners learn how to be a physician by how you talk about patients, interact with patients, and show respect for everyone on the health care team.
6/ Consider great clinician-educators - see what they do and try to learn from their actions and style, but create your own style that fits your personality. Accept feedback, find a peer friend and work together to improve. Discuss your roles and learn from each other.
7/ Bring joy every day to your learners. Get to know them, and let them get to know you. Work on your craft. Prepare short "chalk talks" on the common problems you see. Never assume that your learners know something obvious, ask them - you may be surprised.
8/ Understand that you have the most important job in medicine - helping learners grow into great physicians. You may not get acclaim, but the respect and admiration of your learners means everything. It is the greatest job in the world. Enjoy it.
