A surgical resident asked me in writing "what should I do so that my contributions do not go unnoticed by my company?" What new skills do I need to keep going?
What good questions! They are one of those questions that many of us should ask ourselves frequently, especially when we are still forming our character and we are defining how we want to form the path to wisdom. I decided to reply with a letter that could be addressed by a son, to a young colleague like you or a student.
Respected colleague ...
Living being authentic, not seeking recognition because originality is lost and there is a risk of losing passion.
Acting with passion with my patients always achieved recognition without looking for it and today I have plaques and letters from patients that are worth more to me than the hundreds of certificates, diplomas and fellows accumulated in my life. Living with passion has allowed me to commit to their problems and ask me what they want from me, because sadly many times we give them what we think they should receive because a book says so.
I have seen many times patients who are injured or who are going to have a major surgery, as they "ask" us with our eyes, that we put a hand on their foreheads and tell them that everything will be fine. This increases the paternal feeling of protection, lowers his heart rate, and even cries of tranquility and gratitude at being able to remove accumulated tension. Covering a patient in a breast exam will always get a thank you from her and my students have been able to verify it. For me this is the first part ... You and what it's worth ...
As a human being, have a sense of belonging to your institution, that is impregnated on the skin and if you are sincere, it will make you feel proud ... Without being "over acting", if you are identified with your company, you will notice it, no you will need to have a grown ego. Be critical with respect, because you love your company. That will happen without you intending to. His membership will make him "TEACH TO TEACH", a teacher will make him not only with those who have a relationship with medicine (nurses, bosses, interns, residents, among others) but also with those simple people like those in the toilet, who Serve the reds, without them you can never be the best professional, since without a clean office and a good cup of coffee ... not to mention ... I once wrote a few words of thanks to Carmen, the girl who cleaned the offices and served coffee, in a time when they still belonged to the payroll of the institution, because today they are all OUTSOURSING ... One day he invited me to his house and he had framed and hung my words in the room ... they waited for me eyes, it would be the "only diploma" in his life.
But you will also have the thanks of the colleagues who come after you ... they will "pay" you with an acknowledgment. I say this from experience ... I once taught my students to keep photographic records of patients with clinical cases that they used to teach others. Over the years all the photos they had collected would be part of their wisdom, they would not need photos, sometimes disrespectful, published on non-scientific sites on the Internet. I taught them the importance of not uploading them to this medium, asking permission with respect, indicating to the patient that they would serve for their story and to teach in their talks. Soon after, these young colleagues began to send me photos of their adventures in other hospitals. I then taught them to put Watermarks with their name on them as authors and asked permission to use them, proudly telling them at the time that it would be an honor for me. Phew!! That response with respect, treating them as colleagues returned a few words of thanks that a salary would never compensate.
A second pillar after membership is that you put a purpose to your career, to your life itself ... just think that the best purpose is one that seeks to give more than to receive. Today the social, family and economic pressure sometimes shows that a good purpose is the other way around ... "Mijito, we need more money, the house, it was too small for so much son, the Club, the new office, mijito the school. .. "But do not fall into the trap ... several times I have had a lot of money and after a short time due to various circumstances of violence, illness and more I have had to start again and it is hard to believe me. But it grows again and everything comes when our purposes are about that ... what did I do today for the woman I love? For my faithful dog that always waits for me? For a patient who asked me for help? For a student who wants to know more? Affectionately appreciated the help of a colleague?
I once learned in Africa and in our jungles that all the money in the world does not serve to fill both the soul and the love of others.For a good purpose just act as Halil the Wise, a 1st-century rabbi, told a student who asked him how he could summarize the Torah and he replied, "Get out the door, don't do anything to anyone who doesn't I would like them to do it to you, the rest are side notes. " Always put yourself in the position of your patient ... Understand what he feels, beyond what he says. In women who consult for their breasts it is vital. They may consult for a blow but perhaps their unspoken fear is whether the blow will cause Cancer. Putting yourself in each other's shoes for everything ... lower your ego and lead by example.
Imagine how much good to peace our leaders would do if they applied this? Nelson Mandela, without going to conflict resolution courses learned it in prison, we must respect and put ourselves in the shoes of our enemies to understand them and we will be ready to embrace them ... Ahem ... let's continue is another matter.
As a third pillar, look for transcendence every day for a while, looking at the rain in the window for 5 minutes in silence is enough to lower the ego and lowering it leads us to think more about "us". Now that it is fashionable to "humanize" many do not know what it means, because it is also a paradox, how do we humanize if we are already human? Simple, it is when we lower the Ego and talk about ourselves ...
There is no alternative text for this imageFinally, tell stories from your life. I once amputated both legs of a military man due to trauma from a mine. He got depressed, he threw his life away where those who have no help and advice throw it, the M ... A couple of months later in a control, he caught me inspired, I don't remember what I said exactly and he was more animated. A year later he appeared and came to thank me for having "removed his legs" (I had to remind him just in case it had been a necessity ... we laughed ...)
He had set up a company and employed disabled military and guerrilla fighters. He learned to edit his life and what seemed less good in his life opened his heart and made him see a life with wisdom, based on service to others, under his mistreated Ego ... We all have different stories, JP Sartre said that we should live with what they did to us, it is true, but he forgot to say that we could edit our lives and turn them into stories of wisdom. It is my last advice, when I explain to patients what they have, do it with stories about yourself, your other patients, how they were cured or how they fared, they understand much more than if I told them what the book of Medicine says.
How you will see it is only about love and passion and whatever you do if you have these elements, anyone in your company will notice it and if it still does not happen, which I doubt, I am sure you would be living every day; Snoopy said to Carlitos, when he said that he only lived once ... he said, "no sir, you die once, you live every day ..." And I love it because it's true ... when death has He has been so close, as I have personally seen her so many times, I know it is true ... she will live calmly and those around her will end up noticing it and generating a change ... it all comes down to living with passion.
Says the Latin poet: "Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero memento mori" (seize the day, do not trust tomorrow, remember that you will die).
With all my respect and admiration for wondering things like that ...
Dr Ignacio Castilla