How many of you have had the experience of going to the doctor, having tons of medical questions about what is going on with your body, and then leaving the doctor appointment without asking any of them? Or leaving feeling more confused than when you went in? I know I have!… and I’m a physician myself! As a physician, let me give you advice on what you can do to more effectively ask a medical question. When you have questions to ask your doctor your goal is to ask in a way that gets your medical questions answered.
These days more and more doctors have a side hustle, whether it be a way to earn more money, recovering from a disability, disciplinary action, disqualification, disaster or divorce, or as a pathway to exiting clinical medicine altogether. There are many side gig possibilities.
Over the years we have heard of cognitive scientists talk about the distinction between deep and surface learning. Deep learning has been associated with understanding, meaning, and intrinsic motivation. Surface learning is identified by shallow memorization, the use of episodic memory to get through exams and generally, passive learning.
Sick care products and services, whether they are created by a for profit or non-profit, ultimately should be measured by the impact they have on patients or beneficiaries. Have you achieved your mission?
Dr. Chris E. Stout is a best-selling author, licensed clinical psychologist and accidental humanitarian. Chris completed his clinical education with a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School in neurodevelopmental and behavioral pediatrics. He is also a Fellow in three divisions of the American Psychological Association, a former President of the Illinois Psychological Association, and a member in the National Academies of Practice.
We all know how long it takes to create a practicing physician-in most instances, four years of college, four years of medical school, three to five years of residency and maybe two years of fellowship after that. Unfortunately, if disability, disease or some other life circumstance prevents trainees from getting over the finish line, they are, in most cases damaged goods, disposable and lost in the next career wilderness.
Sick care work has changed, along with the rest of the economy, so finding a job in the new sick care world will take a different strategy.