In the early years of practice, many doctors face a steep learning curve. You’re adjusting to new responsibilities, building confidence, and possibly exploring new ways to supplement your clinical work. At Lucens, we believe that the right mentors can make this journey clearer and more rewarding.
This week, Lucens mentor and founder Eric Mann MD answers a question from our community on building confidence in those crucial first years post-residency.
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Question:
I’ve been feeling a bit lost starting out in practice. It’s such a huge transition, and I’m trying to figure out how to build my confidence. What worked for you when you were in this position?
E.W., Pennsylvania
When I first came out into practice, I was the young doc, and I worked with an older doctor. There’s a lot to learn, especially in private practice, about both the art of medicine and the art of running a private practice. So I paid attention to the older doctor in the practice.
I saw the good, I saw the bad… and I saw the ugly.
I noticed what seemed to work well, what were some mistakes that he was making, and I learned to cherry-pick the good things and ignore the old things that clearly weren't working. For example, my older doctor was a micromanager, and he would constantly be writing notes and nitpicking the staff, almost not trusting them to do the job he hired them to do. I saw their reactions. I saw they were disgruntled and unhappy with the way they were being treated.
It would have been easy to ignore it, but I said to myself, “You know what? There must be a different way. There’s another approach.” So my approach was to talk to them, listen to them. And that way, when I gave them constructive criticism or explained the rationale for my thoughts, I brought them into the tent—that this was a problem that we had to solve together and not just me nitpicking little things that they did.
I was also very aware that I should share with them when I wasn’t perfect, or when I made a mistake. That sign of humanness, showing that side of me, allowed me to relate with them better. You have to be careful—you don’t want to cross too many boundaries with personal conversations and matters—but to show them the human side and that you’re part of the team, really, in my opinion, went a long way. And this was something that I learned by observing the older doctor and the way that he handled things.
Another thing is to go for dinner with people, to use industry and pharmaceutical talks and continuing medical education events, and places where there are forums where you can talk to other doctors. Tell them, share with them your experiences, and hear about their experiences. Inevitably, you will learn something from them, and you'll notice your confidence start to ramp up. I was very fortunate, at these dinners and events, to make friends that became mentors—people that were five or ten years down the road that I was about to journey. And they were able to give me advice on the things they had come across, the things I would come across, which pitfalls to avoid, and which opportunities to seize.
I hope that helps.
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