Redefining productivity in medical school

Written by David Chen - @DAVC.MED

 

"Ratatouille, that red lobster linguini was delicious but what is that beeping sound?" As soon as I asked that question I realised the repeated beeping was my alarm rudely reminding me that I am not in fact enjoying a culinary degustation within a Disney masterpiece but rather a medical student that needs to get out of bed and ready for the busy day ahead.

 

It is 6:00am on a Thursday morning. After 7 hours of lectures yesterday, my brain was inundated with information about pulmonary diseases such as asthma and COPD. When it got to the fourth hour, my brain was ready to wave the white flag and surrender any traces of attention left to scrolling mindlessly through social media instead.

 

Today I'm going to theatre. No, not going to see Hamilton or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child but rather going into surgery and seeing a few urological procedures. The list starts at 7:30am. Filled with anticipation, I quickly get myself ready for the day ahead:

 

Fast forward to 6:00pm, I've seen two radical prostatectomies and a whole bunch of quick cystoscopies. Time seems to move so much faster when you're in the theatre. I haven't really had much lunch. I'm hungry and getting tired but there's still a few more things to go. Finally at 8:30pm I get home and collapse onto my bed. An intrusive thought works its way into my mind...

 

"You haven't studied all day. Maybe go get some food and go do some questions."

 

Not the easiest thing in life when your mind has been conditioned to feel the need to study at every single moment of down time. Feeling a pang of guilt, I get some fried rice that my dad had already cooked for dinner and sit down in front of the computer to smash out a few respiratory multi-choice questions. Instead of finishing the 20 MCQs I wanted to get done, I ended up watching Netflix while eating ice cream right out of the tub.

 

Being productive - what does it really mean?

 

 

We need to redefine what productivity means in medical school. We typically think of productivity as the constant state of studying, building our resumes, focusing on what we need to do next. What does the word productivity even mean to begin with though? Perhaps, productivity can be seen as the summation of product and activity.

 

Productivity = product + activity

 

In our day and age, we are usually focused on "how much work can I get done today?" or more so zoning into what the product of our actions are. However, I argue that perhaps in medical school we need to further consider the activities that are needed to actually achieve the product we strive for.

 

To make this "product" a bit more tangible, I think this end result should be becoming a better doctor. In the journey of becoming a better doctor, undoubtedly there are grueling hours of clinical experience as well as hitting the books to get the academic content. However, it also means to be a doctor that is well-rounded. To be a better doctor is a constant process of improvement.

 

If you are to ask a patient what are some qualities that make a good doctor I'm sure they will say "competent and smart" but equally many will say "someone that is kind" too. Being a doctor is a holistic job that requires compassion and care for others while integrated into scientific practice. In turn, productivity to become a better doctor should involve studying hard but also doing things that help us become kinder. Productivity then does not just mean studying all day everyday without awareness of how we treat others and ourselves too. If we are to be kind to other people, we should also be kind to ourselves.

 

Go for a run, do the exercise that you suggested your patient do last week in the clinic. Be more conscious of what you eat when you go shopping for groceries. Do mindfulness. Ultimately, if the idea of being productive alone means to be studying all the time, it’s not realistic or effective. If our end goal is to be a better doctor and productivity is how we get there, then studying is only going to be a subset of what being productive means. Studying is an important part of being a good doctor, just don’t forget it isn’t the only thing alone! Work hard but also remember to look after yourself too.

 

Furthermore, the road to becoming a better doctor will look different for different people. Don't compare yourself to others, keep doing what you can to improve yourself. Often when we look on YouTube or social media, there are many study channels or productivity channels that champion long study routines. They may be effective for them, however consider if they are sustainable and effective for you.

 

As a cautionary reminder, what you see on social media is usually not a good indicator of what most people are actually going through. People put their best foot forward on YouTube or otherwise.

 

Remember! Everyone has off days where not much gets done. What is important is that you try and get yourself back up and keep going. As they say, it doesn't matter how many times you fall, it matters how many times you get back up. Keep studying hard and reach for your goals. You can’t keep running if you’ve broken your leg. Just like the Olympics are a good reminder to us, we need to prevent injury. We need to be on a rigorous but sustainable training schedule. Learn how to rest and not to give up.

 

Focus on what you can control

 

 

Instead of focusing on what grade we get on the end of year exam alone, focus on improving your study skills. Success will follow successful behaviour. Focus on your study techniques, your exercise routine or your diet. Where are some areas that can be improved? Just because you are someone who only writes notes and never does any questions doesn't mean you can't start doing questions too. Just because you are "not really a runner" doesn't mean you can't start doing some exercise regularly. Focus on what you can control and let yourself go into the feeling of being uncomfortable as you grow and improve yourself. Focus on what you are doing, the results will follow.

 

Looking forward, what are some things that you can do to become a better doctor? What does a better doctor mean for you? These are all questions that do not have a static answer. Rather, questions that will stay with us for our entire careers. Through these questions, we can slowly identify what is important to us, what our values are and how to truly become the most productive that we can be.

 

About the Author

David Chen is a medical student in Australia. He has a strong interest in the intersection of design and health. David uses his Instagram account to provide his following with daily medical focused questionnaires, tips and tricks.

 

Check out @davc.med on Instagram!

 

 

 

 

 

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