Ch. 2: The Problem with People

       So, here’s the thing. We all have huge aspirations in life. We study in school, college, mentorships (etc etc) and work ourselves inside-out to achieve these aspirations. At some times, our efforts turn fruitful, and at others, they don’t. But I feel like most of us overlook developing people skills for use in a professional environment. I mean, we aren’t ever really taught how to manage people in school, so how could we possibly do so? Let’s take the field of medicine, for example (totally not biased here). Several children and teenagers dream of becoming doctors. They work hard through grade school, undergrad, medical school, residencies, and sometimes even fellowships, just to be bestowed the title and power of a doctor. And this isn’t at all surprising or wrong - after all, medicine is, quite undoubtedly, crucial to the very existence of mankind. Without medical efforts, more and more people would continue to succumb to the same diseases and conditions daily. However, I believe that we often overlook the importance of interpersonal communications and relationships in the advancement of the field itself. In my opinion, in order to be an effective communicator and leader in the medical (or really any) field, one must be open-minded and charismatic.

Albert Einstein once said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” This highlights the necessity of being open-minded and adaptive in being socially intelligent. The medical field, as I previously stated, undergoes several positive and negative changes on a daily basis. If a medical professional cannot take all these changes in stride and continue with their duties, they will never be able to reach their full potential in caring for patients. Additionally, as problems constantly arise in the medical field, and ideas to solve these problems are always conferred, a medical professional, particularly one in power, must be willing to accept others’ ideas as reasonable. If a leader was closed-minded and did not accept even the best solutions offered, no advancement would occur, halting the progression of not only medicine, but mankind as well. Therefore, an open mind is necessary in order to thrive in medicine.

Charisma. It’s that quasi-magnetic force attracting others to oneself. In order to be a leader in medicine, it is imperative that one be charismatic. Medical professionals always interact with patients. If they are taciturn with their patients, and do not show concern or care for their mental wellness, this could take a toll on the patient’s physical wellness as well. If, however, they take the time to exchange pleasantries/small talk with patients while conducting routine checkups, this could release positive hormones and neurotransmitters that affect mood, learning, memory, and homeostasis, creating physical and emotional balance. Additionally, medical professionals are under constant pressure due to high patient volume and trauma cases; while some may claim that being serious and quiet is imperative to focus in such situations, a little positive energy can go a long way in increasing productivity, effectively getting the job done more quickly.

        Several important interactions occur in a hospital every day. Residents must educate their interns on the ins and outs of their specialty by being effective and fluid communicators of knowledge. Doctors may be collaborating on a particular case that requires extra attention, focus, and creativity, and they must be able to communicate effectively to resolve the issue. Doctors must be able to properly impart their instructions and desires on nurses; similarly, nurses expect to be treated with respect, the occasional lack of which is an ongoing issue. EMTs must coherently describe accident cases so that doctors can take the necessary precautions. Doctors always communicate with their patients to inform them of their status and any important decisions they may have to make. All of these cannot occur without effective communication. If even one of these interactions failed to occur due to poor communication, several other interactions in the hospital will be affected, creating a negative cascading effect. All in all, medical professionals must be open-minded and charismatic in order to be effective communicators. I hope that all professionals, both present and future, will be able to implement these tactics in their environs, as effective communication must occur for a hospital, or any professional environment, to properly function and flourish.