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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast hip and knee arthroplasty surgeon, patient and peer advocate, Dr. Peter Gold.

Physicians can gain valuable insights by seeing things from the patient's perspective. Dr. Gold tragically gained this perspective in 2015 when he was shot in the stomach while trying to stop a robbery. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and is now thriving as a practicing surgeon. Experiencing trauma surgery as a patient was an eye-opening experience for him.

Physicians have a lot to manage in patient care, but there are times when we should slow down to recognize that patients might be scared, worried, or nervous, and often don't know what's going on. Knowing that probability can help us become better physicians and connect more easily with patients.

Slow down. Pause.

If you ensure your patient understands what you're saying, you will likely assuage their fears. That’s when we should display confidence and impart knowledge as physicians.

What steps does Peter suggest we take to see things from a patient’s perspective?

• Step 1 - Remember that patients are likely scared, stressed, or experiencing other negative emotions. This might be just another Tuesday for you, but for your patient, this is a new or difficult experience.
• Step 2 - Slow down. Taking a moment to slow yourself down when talking to a patient can make a huge difference. It shows that you care about their situation.
• Step 3 - Convey and boost confidence by imparting knowledge. Tell your patient what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re going to do about their situation. Knowledge breeds confidence in both the patient and the physician.

Most importantly, practice having a patient’s perspective!

Guest BIO

Peter Gold, MD is a hip and knee arthroplasty surgeon at Panorama Orthopedic & Spine Center in Denver Colorado. He completed his residency at Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Medical Center and a joints fellowship at The Rothman Orthopedic Institute. He is active in AAHKS as the secretary of the Young Arthroplasty Group and a previous health policy fellow. He also runs a nonprofit organization in New Orleans, Strong City, which aims to support the future of underserved youth.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopedic surgeon and educator, Dr. Alan Reznik.

In essence, there are two types of employees. Employee A is happy in their work, puts their nose to the grindstone, and does their job to the best of their abilities. They’re also very loyal, enjoy socializing with their colleagues, and content with where they are in their careers. Employee B is also qualified and does a good job, but maybe isn’t as sociable with their colleagues and isn’t as “settled in their chair.” This employee is more likely to revise their resume and search for new jobs or promotions regularly.

As a person who manages employees, which employee would you rather have on your team? Of course, you’re always going to have a mix of both types of employees (and not every employee will fall perfectly into each category), but it’s a productive thought experiment. Many managers assume that having all Employee As on their team is the best-case scenario, there’s value in considering why Employee B might be preferred.

Because they’re so entrenched in their job, Employee A may be more cautious in their work and reticent to take risks and bring new ideas to the table that might cost them their job. Employee B, on the other hand, challenges the employer to make the workplace continually better.

What steps does Alan suggest we do to incorporate this information into our professional lives?

• Step 1 - Take a look at your colleagues and try to recognize those who fall into the Employee A and Employee B categories.
• Step 2 - Now look inward and try to identify these traits in yourself. Are you more of an Employee A or an Employee B? Recognizing where you fall on this spectrum can help you make better decisions about your career.

Most importantly, practice supporting employee satisfaction!

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

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• Jeffrey M. Smith, MD, FACS, PCC, orthopaedic trauma surgeon and SurgeonMasters CEO.
• Dr. Jim Naples, a Harvard ENT at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Jim Doorley, PhD, CMPC, Clinical and Sports Psychologist for the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Research Fellow in Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School

In this episode of the SurgeonMasters Podcast, Jeffrey M. Smith, MD, FACS, PCC interviews a Harvard ENT specialist James Naples, MD, and clinical sports psychologist, Jim Doorley. They discuss integrating psychological strategies from sports performance into surgical training, emphasizing the importance of mental fitness, emotional regulation, and resilience in enhancing surgical performance and how it relates to addressing physician burnout.

The discussion underscored the importance of mental resilience and psychological skills for surgical success, paralleling their significance in sports. James Naples, MD, and Jim Doorley highlighted techniques for immediate recovery from intraoperative mistakes and long-term well-being strategies. Efforts are underway to develop a customized curriculum for surgical trainees to address their specific performance mindset needs and challenges. The conversation also addressed balancing emotional detachment and empathy in medicine and how the process relates to physician burnout. Additionally, there was a light-hearted debate on the pros and cons of listening to music in the OR, reflecting diverse preferences among surgeons. Finally, the team addressed the need for institutional support in providing resources and training to enhance surgeons' mental fitness and overall performance.

Here are 10 highlights from the podcast:

1. Surgical Mindset vs. Performance Mindset:
2. Challenges in Surgical Training
3. Initial Collaboration and Goals
4. Curriculum Development
5. Key Skills and Topics
6. Experiential Learning
7. Broader Mental Fitness Concepts
8. Performance and Resilience
9. Burnout and Emotional Management
10. Institutional Support

Overall, the podcast underscores the critical role of psychological training in enhancing surgical performance and the need for a comprehensive approach to integrating these skills into surgical education.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!