Leadership and Professional Development

“One of the essential qualities of the clinician is interest in humanity, for the secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.”

—Francis Peabody, 9 years after the pandemic of 1918

Two weeks after rounding on a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) unit at the start of the surge in Detroit, Michigan, I got infected. Simultaneously, my father was also fighting COVID-19, and we were mechanically ventilated at the same time. He was admitted a week before I was and, devastatingly, died about a week after I was discharged. I have three major takeaways from my experience that now inform how I practice.

I have always appreciated what a valuable member of the team nurses are, but to experience the caring reflected in their smiling eyes, magnified by a face shield, is an indelible image—compassion with passion. They risked their lives to save my life, but I am also grateful to the maintenance person who risked their life to fix the toilet in my room in the intensive care unit, the transportation aides and radiology techs who risked their lives so I could get a computed tomography scan, environmental services personnel, and too many to mention who put on personal protective equipment to care for my father and me. Lesson #1: Repeatedly thank everyone caring for patients. Now, when I am on rounds, I try to remember to say thank you to each member each day.

As my dyspnea worsened, a big concern (besides the “I might die” thing) was communicating with family. It turns out that my short cell phone cord could only stretch to just under my pillow, and reaching that far was exhausting when on high-flow oxygen. Nursing helped me to video chat with my family as we said potential goodbyes just prior to intubation and let me use their bagged personal cell phones when I woke up. Meanwhile, my siblings took over the calls from Dad’s team, and I was amazed at how much they had learned about ventilator settings while I was sleeping and how much the clinical team knew about my family. Although Dad’s delirium never allowed meaningful conversation or eye contact with us, every day the nurses would facilitate video chatting (again, with their phones) so we could give words of love and encouragement. Lesson #2: I have redoubled my efforts to keep families in the loop and carry a phone/tablet charger with a long cord to lend/give my patients, if needed.

While I was prone, paralyzed, and sedated, I had no awareness of my medical treatments, thanks to the skill of my caregivers. It is impossible to express my gratitude to those who sent good wishes that virtually always included the phrase, “We were praying for you”; I hope my prayers got through to Dad. In their call to more fully address religion and spirituality in medicine, Collier et al¹ remind us that approximately 90% of Americans have faith, and more than half state that religion is very important to them, yet I, like many, do not routinely incorporate this aspect into my discussions with patients or the care team. Lesson #3: Begin to more actively facilitate my patients’ spirituality into the team’s caring process.

“One of the essential qualities of the clinician is interest in humanity, for the secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.”

—Francis Peabody, 9 years after the pandemic of 1918

Two weeks after rounding on a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) unit at the start of the surge in Detroit, Michigan, I got infected. Simultaneously, my father was also fighting COVID-19, and we were mechanically ventilated at the same time. He was admitted a week before I was and, devastatingly, died about a week after I was discharged. I have three major takeaways from my experience that now inform how I practice.

I have always appreciated what a valuable member of the team nurses are, but to experience the caring reflected in their smiling eyes, magnified by a face shield, is an indelible image—compassion with passion. They risked their lives to save my life, but I am also grateful to the maintenance person who risked their life to fix the toilet in my room in the intensive care unit, the transportation aides and radiology techs who risked their lives so I could get a computed tomography scan, environmental services personnel, and too many to mention who put on personal protective equipment to care for my father and me. Lesson #1: Repeatedly thank everyone caring for patients. Now, when I am on rounds, I try to remember to say thank you to each member each day.

As my dyspnea worsened, a big concern (besides the “I might die” thing) was communicating with family. It turns out that my short cell phone cord could only stretch to just under my pillow, and reaching that far was exhausting when on high-flow oxygen. Nursing helped me to video chat with my family as we said potential goodbyes just prior to intubation and let me use their bagged personal cell phones when I woke up. Meanwhile, my siblings took over the calls from Dad’s team, and I was amazed at how much they had learned about ventilator settings while I was sleeping and how much the clinical team knew about my family. Although Dad’s delirium never allowed meaningful conversation or eye contact with us, every day the nurses would facilitate video chatting (again, with their phones) so we could give words of love and encouragement. Lesson #2: I have redoubled my efforts to keep families in the loop and carry a phone/tablet charger with a long cord to lend/give my patients, if needed.

While I was prone, paralyzed, and sedated, I had no awareness of my medical treatments, thanks to the skill of my caregivers. It is impossible to express my gratitude to those who sent good wishes that virtually always included the phrase, “We were praying for you”; I hope my prayers got through to Dad. In their call to more fully address religion and spirituality in medicine, Collier et al¹ remind us that approximately 90% of Americans have faith, and more than half state that religion is very important to them, yet I, like many, do not routinely incorporate this aspect into my discussions with patients or the care team. Lesson #3: Begin to more actively facilitate my patients’ spirituality into the team’s caring process.

“One of the essential qualities of the clinician is interest in humanity, for the secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.”

—Francis Peabody, 9 years after the pandemic of 1918

Two weeks after rounding on a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) unit at the start of the surge in Detroit, Michigan, I got infected. Simultaneously, my father was also fighting COVID-19, and we were mechanically ventilated at the same time. He was admitted a week before I was and, devastatingly, died about a week after I was discharged. I have three major takeaways from my experience that now inform how I practice.

I have always appreciated what a valuable member of the team nurses are, but to experience the caring reflected in their smiling eyes, magnified by a face shield, is an indelible image—compassion with passion. They risked their lives to save my life, but I am also grateful to the maintenance person who risked their life to fix the toilet in my room in the intensive care unit, the transportation aides and radiology techs who risked their lives so I could get a computed tomography scan, environmental services personnel, and too many to mention who put on personal protective equipment to care for my father and me. Lesson #1: Repeatedly thank everyone caring for patients. Now, when I am on rounds, I try to remember to say thank you to each member each day.

As my dyspnea worsened, a big concern (besides the “I might die” thing) was communicating with family. It turns out that my short cell phone cord could only stretch to just under my pillow, and reaching that far was exhausting when on high-flow oxygen. Nursing helped me to video chat with my family as we said potential goodbyes just prior to intubation and let me use their bagged personal cell phones when I woke up. Meanwhile, my siblings took over the calls from Dad’s team, and I was amazed at how much they had learned about ventilator settings while I was sleeping and how much the clinical team knew about my family. Although Dad’s delirium never allowed meaningful conversation or eye contact with us, every day the nurses would facilitate video chatting (again, with their phones) so we could give words of love and encouragement. Lesson #2: I have redoubled my efforts to keep families in the loop and carry a phone/tablet charger with a long cord to lend/give my patients, if needed.

While I was prone, paralyzed, and sedated, I had no awareness of my medical treatments, thanks to the skill of my caregivers. It is impossible to express my gratitude to those who sent good wishes that virtually always included the phrase, “We were praying for you”; I hope my prayers got through to Dad. In their call to more fully address religion and spirituality in medicine, Collier et al¹ remind us that approximately 90% of Americans have faith, and more than half state that religion is very important to them, yet I, like many, do not routinely incorporate this aspect into my discussions with patients or the care team. Lesson #3: Begin to more actively facilitate my patients’ spirituality into the team’s caring process.

“Success starts with saying yes. Saying no maintains it.”

—Anonymous

You have just received an opportunity that seems worthwhile. However, you already have a lot on your plate. What do you do? The balance of when to say “yes” and when to say “no” to opportunities, projects, and collaborations is often challenging, especially for busy clinicians. There is a trend, with good basis, to encourage individuals to say “no” more often. While there is much to be said for that, many good opportunities can be missed that way. As Amy Poehler put it, “Saying ‘yes’ doesn’t mean I don’t know how to say no.”

So how does one arrive at a good balance?

Most importantly, figure out who you are, what you want your “brand” to be and where you envision your career going. This is likely the most difficult step. Start with a roadmap and recalibrate as your career unfolds. Early in your career, seek breadth rather than depth.

As your career progresses, the “yes-no” balance may shift. We recommend you say “yes” frequently early on. Be open to opportunities that come up, even if they do not perfectly align with your goals. Explore opportunities beyond the limits of your job description. After all, opportunities beget more opportunities. Consider “stretch opportunities.” If you are offered an opportunity that you may not have 100% of the skills for—and is, therefore, a “stretch”—but which aligns with your career goals, do not turn it down. Consider saying “yes” and learn on the job. A mentor or coach can help you navigate these decisions.

Sometimes, it is important to say “yes” as part of being a “good citizen” in your department. Examples include mentoring learners, serving on a safety committee, teaching student lectures, or coaching a colleague. Often it is possible to align service with career goals.

Another consideration is the benefit of networking: developing alliances and building bridges. In addition to the service or productivity that come with projects or collaborations, these can be powerful networking opportunities. Networking broadly, both within and beyond your field of practice and within and outside your institution, is an important way to create “bonding capital” and “bridging capital,” ie, relationships based on your commonalities and relationships built across differences, respectively.¹

Remember, when you say “yes,” you must deliver: every time, on time, and with excellence. When saying “yes” to more opportunities starts to impact your ability to deliver for what you have already committed to, it is time to say “no.” This will help you maintain balance, avoid burnout, and stay focused.

When juggling a busy schedule, consider effort vs impact. There are many low-effort opportunities that have relatively high impact. For instance, as a junior faculty member interested in medical education, participating in a grading committee is low effort but can help you understand the process, connect you with educational leaders, and open doors to future opportunities. An effective strategy may be to incorporate a combination of low-effort and high-effort activities at any one time, while considering the impact of each, to help maintain balance. The effort-vs-impact balance may shift as you grow in your career.

Know where you are going, explore the opportunities that may get you there, and recalibrate often. The path to success is typically a circuitous one, so enjoy the journey and give it your all every step of the way.

“Success starts with saying yes. Saying no maintains it.”

—Anonymous

You have just received an opportunity that seems worthwhile. However, you already have a lot on your plate. What do you do? The balance of when to say “yes” and when to say “no” to opportunities, projects, and collaborations is often challenging, especially for busy clinicians. There is a trend, with good basis, to encourage individuals to say “no” more often. While there is much to be said for that, many good opportunities can be missed that way. As Amy Poehler put it, “Saying ‘yes’ doesn’t mean I don’t know how to say no.”

So how does one arrive at a good balance?

Most importantly, figure out who you are, what you want your “brand” to be and where you envision your career going. This is likely the most difficult step. Start with a roadmap and recalibrate as your career unfolds. Early in your career, seek breadth rather than depth.

As your career progresses, the “yes-no” balance may shift. We recommend you say “yes” frequently early on. Be open to opportunities that come up, even if they do not perfectly align with your goals. Explore opportunities beyond the limits of your job description. After all, opportunities beget more opportunities. Consider “stretch opportunities.” If you are offered an opportunity that you may not have 100% of the skills for—and is, therefore, a “stretch”—but which aligns with your career goals, do not turn it down. Consider saying “yes” and learn on the job. A mentor or coach can help you navigate these decisions.

Sometimes, it is important to say “yes” as part of being a “good citizen” in your department. Examples include mentoring learners, serving on a safety committee, teaching student lectures, or coaching a colleague. Often it is possible to align service with career goals.

Another consideration is the benefit of networking: developing alliances and building bridges. In addition to the service or productivity that come with projects or collaborations, these can be powerful networking opportunities. Networking broadly, both within and beyond your field of practice and within and outside your institution, is an important way to create “bonding capital” and “bridging capital,” ie, relationships based on your commonalities and relationships built across differences, respectively.¹

Remember, when you say “yes,” you must deliver: every time, on time, and with excellence. When saying “yes” to more opportunities starts to impact your ability to deliver for what you have already committed to, it is time to say “no.” This will help you maintain balance, avoid burnout, and stay focused.

When juggling a busy schedule, consider effort vs impact. There are many low-effort opportunities that have relatively high impact. For instance, as a junior faculty member interested in medical education, participating in a grading committee is low effort but can help you understand the process, connect you with educational leaders, and open doors to future opportunities. An effective strategy may be to incorporate a combination of low-effort and high-effort activities at any one time, while considering the impact of each, to help maintain balance. The effort-vs-impact balance may shift as you grow in your career.

Know where you are going, explore the opportunities that may get you there, and recalibrate often. The path to success is typically a circuitous one, so enjoy the journey and give it your all every step of the way.

“Success starts with saying yes. Saying no maintains it.”

—Anonymous

You have just received an opportunity that seems worthwhile. However, you already have a lot on your plate. What do you do? The balance of when to say “yes” and when to say “no” to opportunities, projects, and collaborations is often challenging, especially for busy clinicians. There is a trend, with good basis, to encourage individuals to say “no” more often. While there is much to be said for that, many good opportunities can be missed that way. As Amy Poehler put it, “Saying ‘yes’ doesn’t mean I don’t know how to say no.”

So how does one arrive at a good balance?

Most importantly, figure out who you are, what you want your “brand” to be and where you envision your career going. This is likely the most difficult step. Start with a roadmap and recalibrate as your career unfolds. Early in your career, seek breadth rather than depth.

As your career progresses, the “yes-no” balance may shift. We recommend you say “yes” frequently early on. Be open to opportunities that come up, even if they do not perfectly align with your goals. Explore opportunities beyond the limits of your job description. After all, opportunities beget more opportunities. Consider “stretch opportunities.” If you are offered an opportunity that you may not have 100% of the skills for—and is, therefore, a “stretch”—but which aligns with your career goals, do not turn it down. Consider saying “yes” and learn on the job. A mentor or coach can help you navigate these decisions.

Sometimes, it is important to say “yes” as part of being a “good citizen” in your department. Examples include mentoring learners, serving on a safety committee, teaching student lectures, or coaching a colleague. Often it is possible to align service with career goals.

Another consideration is the benefit of networking: developing alliances and building bridges. In addition to the service or productivity that come with projects or collaborations, these can be powerful networking opportunities. Networking broadly, both within and beyond your field of practice and within and outside your institution, is an important way to create “bonding capital” and “bridging capital,” ie, relationships based on your commonalities and relationships built across differences, respectively.¹

Remember, when you say “yes,” you must deliver: every time, on time, and with excellence. When saying “yes” to more opportunities starts to impact your ability to deliver for what you have already committed to, it is time to say “no.” This will help you maintain balance, avoid burnout, and stay focused.

When juggling a busy schedule, consider effort vs impact. There are many low-effort opportunities that have relatively high impact. For instance, as a junior faculty member interested in medical education, participating in a grading committee is low effort but can help you understand the process, connect you with educational leaders, and open doors to future opportunities. An effective strategy may be to incorporate a combination of low-effort and high-effort activities at any one time, while considering the impact of each, to help maintain balance. The effort-vs-impact balance may shift as you grow in your career.

Know where you are going, explore the opportunities that may get you there, and recalibrate often. The path to success is typically a circuitous one, so enjoy the journey and give it your all every step of the way.

“Our goals can only be reached through the vehicle of a plan. There is no other route to success.”

—Pablo Picasso

Whether it be a research manuscript, quality improvement (QI) initiative, or educational curriculum, busy clinicians often struggle getting projects past the idea stage. Barriers to completion, such as a busy clinical schedule or lack of experience and mentorship, are well known. Importantly, these projects serve as “academic currency” used for promotion and advancement and also create generalizable knowledge, which can help others improve clinical practice or operational processes. Those who are successful in completing their academic project frequently follow a well-structured path. Consider the following principles to get your idea across the finish line:

Find a blueprint. Among most academic projects, whether a research paper, QI project or new curriculum, an underlying formula is commonly applied. Before starting, do your background research. Is there a paper or method that resembles your desired approach? Is there a question or concept that caught your eye? Using a blueprint from existing evidence allows you to identify important structures, phrases, and terms to inform your manuscript. Once you have identified the blueprint, define your project and approach.

Find a mentor. While career mentorship is important for professional growth, you first need a project mentor. Being a project mentor is a smaller ask for a more senior colleague than being a career mentor, and it’s a great way to test-drive a potential long-term working relationship. Moreover, the successful completion of one project can potentially lead to further opportunities, and perhaps even a long-term career mentor.

Take initiative. In business, there is a common adage: “Never bring a problem to your boss without a proposed solution in hand.”¹ In academics, consider: “Never show up with an idea without bringing a proposal.” By bringing a defined proposal to the conversation, your inquiry is more likely to get a response because (a) it is not a blind-ask and (b) it creates a foundation to build on. This is analogous to an early learner presenting their assessment and plan in the clinical setting; you don’t stop at the diagnosis (your idea) without having a plan for how you want to manage it.

Get an accountability partner. Publicly committing to a goal increases the probability of accomplishing your task by 65%, while having an accountability partner increases that by 95%.² An accountability partner serves as a coach to help you accomplish a task. This individual can be a colleague, spouse, or friend and is typically not a part of the project. By leveraging peer pressure, you increase the odds of successfully completing your project.

Carve out dedicated time. The entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn once said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.”³ To complete a project, you have to make the time to do the work. While many believe that successful writers sit and write for hours on end, many famous writers only wrote for a few hours at a time—but they did so consistently.⁴ Create your routine by setting aside consistent, defined time to work on your project. To extract the most value, select a time of the day in which you work best (eg, early morning). Then, set a timer for 30 minutes and write—or work.

Because you are a busy clinician with constant demands on your time, having the skillset to reliably turn an idea into “academic currency” is a necessity. Having a plan and following these principles will help you earn that academic coin.

“Our goals can only be reached through the vehicle of a plan. There is no other route to success.”

—Pablo Picasso

Whether it be a research manuscript, quality improvement (QI) initiative, or educational curriculum, busy clinicians often struggle getting projects past the idea stage. Barriers to completion, such as a busy clinical schedule or lack of experience and mentorship, are well known. Importantly, these projects serve as “academic currency” used for promotion and advancement and also create generalizable knowledge, which can help others improve clinical practice or operational processes. Those who are successful in completing their academic project frequently follow a well-structured path. Consider the following principles to get your idea across the finish line:

Find a blueprint. Among most academic projects, whether a research paper, QI project or new curriculum, an underlying formula is commonly applied. Before starting, do your background research. Is there a paper or method that resembles your desired approach? Is there a question or concept that caught your eye? Using a blueprint from existing evidence allows you to identify important structures, phrases, and terms to inform your manuscript. Once you have identified the blueprint, define your project and approach.

Find a mentor. While career mentorship is important for professional growth, you first need a project mentor. Being a project mentor is a smaller ask for a more senior colleague than being a career mentor, and it’s a great way to test-drive a potential long-term working relationship. Moreover, the successful completion of one project can potentially lead to further opportunities, and perhaps even a long-term career mentor.

Take initiative. In business, there is a common adage: “Never bring a problem to your boss without a proposed solution in hand.”¹ In academics, consider: “Never show up with an idea without bringing a proposal.” By bringing a defined proposal to the conversation, your inquiry is more likely to get a response because (a) it is not a blind-ask and (b) it creates a foundation to build on. This is analogous to an early learner presenting their assessment and plan in the clinical setting; you don’t stop at the diagnosis (your idea) without having a plan for how you want to manage it.

Get an accountability partner. Publicly committing to a goal increases the probability of accomplishing your task by 65%, while having an accountability partner increases that by 95%.² An accountability partner serves as a coach to help you accomplish a task. This individual can be a colleague, spouse, or friend and is typically not a part of the project. By leveraging peer pressure, you increase the odds of successfully completing your project.

Carve out dedicated time. The entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn once said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.”³ To complete a project, you have to make the time to do the work. While many believe that successful writers sit and write for hours on end, many famous writers only wrote for a few hours at a time—but they did so consistently.⁴ Create your routine by setting aside consistent, defined time to work on your project. To extract the most value, select a time of the day in which you work best (eg, early morning). Then, set a timer for 30 minutes and write—or work.

Because you are a busy clinician with constant demands on your time, having the skillset to reliably turn an idea into “academic currency” is a necessity. Having a plan and following these principles will help you earn that academic coin.

“Our goals can only be reached through the vehicle of a plan. There is no other route to success.”

—Pablo Picasso

Whether it be a research manuscript, quality improvement (QI) initiative, or educational curriculum, busy clinicians often struggle getting projects past the idea stage. Barriers to completion, such as a busy clinical schedule or lack of experience and mentorship, are well known. Importantly, these projects serve as “academic currency” used for promotion and advancement and also create generalizable knowledge, which can help others improve clinical practice or operational processes. Those who are successful in completing their academic project frequently follow a well-structured path. Consider the following principles to get your idea across the finish line:

Find a blueprint. Among most academic projects, whether a research paper, QI project or new curriculum, an underlying formula is commonly applied. Before starting, do your background research. Is there a paper or method that resembles your desired approach? Is there a question or concept that caught your eye? Using a blueprint from existing evidence allows you to identify important structures, phrases, and terms to inform your manuscript. Once you have identified the blueprint, define your project and approach.

Find a mentor. While career mentorship is important for professional growth, you first need a project mentor. Being a project mentor is a smaller ask for a more senior colleague than being a career mentor, and it’s a great way to test-drive a potential long-term working relationship. Moreover, the successful completion of one project can potentially lead to further opportunities, and perhaps even a long-term career mentor.

Take initiative. In business, there is a common adage: “Never bring a problem to your boss without a proposed solution in hand.”¹ In academics, consider: “Never show up with an idea without bringing a proposal.” By bringing a defined proposal to the conversation, your inquiry is more likely to get a response because (a) it is not a blind-ask and (b) it creates a foundation to build on. This is analogous to an early learner presenting their assessment and plan in the clinical setting; you don’t stop at the diagnosis (your idea) without having a plan for how you want to manage it.

Get an accountability partner. Publicly committing to a goal increases the probability of accomplishing your task by 65%, while having an accountability partner increases that by 95%.² An accountability partner serves as a coach to help you accomplish a task. This individual can be a colleague, spouse, or friend and is typically not a part of the project. By leveraging peer pressure, you increase the odds of successfully completing your project.

Carve out dedicated time. The entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn once said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.”³ To complete a project, you have to make the time to do the work. While many believe that successful writers sit and write for hours on end, many famous writers only wrote for a few hours at a time—but they did so consistently.⁴ Create your routine by setting aside consistent, defined time to work on your project. To extract the most value, select a time of the day in which you work best (eg, early morning). Then, set a timer for 30 minutes and write—or work.

Because you are a busy clinician with constant demands on your time, having the skillset to reliably turn an idea into “academic currency” is a necessity. Having a plan and following these principles will help you earn that academic coin.