Already outlined in the previous pages are practices that I can employ in order to reach my ideal physician hood. In this section I aim to analyze a few different practices not expressed in the other pages, namely the last two pillars. Underneath I have also listed resources and practices as a collection that can be used to obtain peak physician hood.
The penultimate pillar that can aid in becoming a successful life long learner is communication. Communication is key not only in personal life, but within small working communities. Whether it be in small group environments or as a team in the professional field, communication is necessary regardless. This pillar relates to all aspects of life, as proper communication in all aspects of life lend to an overall improvement in quality of life. Those who have proper communication at home and with friends and family tend to have less stressful environments, and as a result has a better time focusing on life outside of home. This I learned from personal experiences, as oftentimes when members of my family inside of my house argue, my overall performance in school decreases. However, a much more impactful take on communication is through patient-physician communication. It is obvious that communication is extremely impactful on patients. A study between quality of care and communication between patients recovering from breast cancer and physicians detailed 60% of patients requesting more care and more discussions between the patient and the medical staff (Kerr et al., 2003). In conclusion, communication is necessary not only to have a clear head space, but also necessary to be the best physician possible.
The other pillar that is necessary in order to become the best physician is interpersonal functioning. This pillar leans much onto communication as this pillar discusses ways you react with others, that expand above communication. In a professional setting, this includes social cognition, connectedness and social skills. However, through all of the terminology involved with interpersonal function, the ability to resolve conflicts is the greatest source of teamwork. I have been apart of many teams from extracurriculars to research teams, and for all these teams there has been a common theme of conflict resolution. Teamwork when communication and goals align is no where near as important as being able to resolve conflicts timely. When conflicts arise this is where having a strong team bond is important as navigating these problems are a necessity in order to becoming successful. Oftentimes, this involves giving up something in order for the betterment of the overall team. This may not be as important in life long learning where that is more individualized, however, in a professional setting, this idea becomes extremely important. North College Center in an article expresses the many benefits to conflict resolution as they highlight that conflict resolution can help with building relationships, achieving goals and generating new insight (Imm, 2022). This can help drastically with communication with others, and can even open up avenues for learning through insight as mentioned above. As a result, both communication and conflict resolution are important for life long learning but also to maximize potential to be the best physician.
References
Fourth Pillar – Communication: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0923753419478277
Fifth Pillar – Interpersonal Functioning: https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/news/2022/09/13/why-conflict-resolution-important
Literature Cited:
Imm, J. (2022, September 13). Why is Conflict Resolution Important? | North Central College. Www.northcentralcollege.edu. https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/news/2022/09/13/why-conflict-resolution-important
Kerr, J., Engel, J., Schlesinger-Raab, A., Sauer, H., & Hölzel, D. (2003). Communication, quality of life and age: results of a 5-year prospective study in breast cancer patients. Annals of Oncology, 14(3), 421-427.
Proverbs 12:18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
