Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

What great basketball coaches can teach us about doctoring

Melissa Stiles, MD
Physician
April 2, 2015
Share
Tweet
Share

Tournament time!

The time of year that brings friends, family, and colleagues together to cheer and commiserate over brackets and games. When it comes to the final two weekends, it is often the same teams year after year. What can the coaches of great teams teach us about doctoring?

Preparation and fundamentals (John Wooden, UCLA)

The first thing coach John Wooden taught his players was how to put on their shoes and socks.  If the socks had any wrinkles, the player was at risk for a blister that could result in loss of playing time. Similarly, if a shoe became untied, a player might need to leave the game. Preparation and attention to fundamentals have significant impacts on performance and outcomes.  Before physicians start a visit, we should prepare by reviewing the chart and huddling with others on the care team about issues that need to be addressed. Before starting an encounter, we need to always remember the fundamentals: Knock before entering, introduce ourselves, acknowledge everyone in the room, and converse at eye level with the patient.

Every encounter counts (Bo Ryan, University of Wisconsin)

The most important statistic for coach Bo Ryan is offensive efficiency: not points per game, number of rebounds, or three-point percentage, but what the team does with each offensive possession. Similarly, physicians need to make the most of each encounter with a patient.  To do this, physicians must employ two essential skills: 1) being present with each patient — leaving everything else (phone calls, in-basket, notes) at the door; and, 2) actively listening.

Caring (Pat Summit, University of Tennessee)

The single most important principle for coach Pat Summit is caring about the players: “They don’t care how much you know, unless they know how much you care.”  This equation applies to patient care as well as to working with learners and patient care team members.

Dedication (Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame University)

“They knew their weaknesses, and they worked on those weaknesses. We’ve had good players who came in and worked hard in practice. But after those two hours are over, they leave. The only way you can improve as a player is by what you do on your own. To that extent, I believe players are made over the summer if you put the time in over the summer, when the coaches aren’t allowed to be there, that’s when you really see the improvement.”

The wonderful and, at the same time, daunting aspect of medicine is that we cannot know everything, However, we can always improve by identifying our weaknesses, seeking out CME, and developing lifelong learning skills.

Teamwork (Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University)

“There are five fundamental qualities that make every team great: communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring, and pride.”

As health care moves more and more towards team-based care, we need to apply these same fundamentals.

ADVERTISEMENT

Passion (Jim Valvano, North Carolina State University)

“If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”

We are truly blessed to be in a profession where there are so many “full days.”

Melissa Stiles is a family physician.

Prev

Boarded to death: When will testing for doctors ever end?

April 2, 2015 Kevin 12
…
Next

From a hospice volunteer: Yes, you make a difference

April 2, 2015 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Boarded to death: When will testing for doctors ever end?
Next Post >
From a hospice volunteer: Yes, you make a difference

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More in Physician

  • Why wanting more from your medical career is a sign of strength

    Maureen Gibbons, MD
  • How a rainy walk helped an oncologist rediscover joy and bravery

    Dr. Damane Zehra
  • How inspiration and family stories shape our most meaningful moments

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • A day in the life of a WHO public health professional in Meghalaya, India

    Dr. Poulami Mazumder
  • Why women doctors are still mistaken for nurses

    Emma Fenske, DO
  • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

    Nicole M. King, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • First impressions happen online—not in your exam room

      Sara Meyer | Social media
    • How Gen Z is transforming mental health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Dedicated hypermobility clinics can transform patient care

      Katharina Schwan, MPH | Conditions
    • Why ADHD in adults is often missed—and why it matters [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • How Gen Z is transforming mental health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Nurses aren’t eating their young — we’re starving the profession

      Adam J. Wickett, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why wanting more from your medical career is a sign of strength

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • U.S. health care leadership must prepare for policy-driven change

      Lee Scheinbart, MD | Policy
    • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

      Jordan Williamson, MEd | Education
    • Why the fear of being forgotten is stronger than the fear of death [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 4 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • First impressions happen online—not in your exam room

      Sara Meyer | Social media
    • How Gen Z is transforming mental health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Dedicated hypermobility clinics can transform patient care

      Katharina Schwan, MPH | Conditions
    • Why ADHD in adults is often missed—and why it matters [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • How Gen Z is transforming mental health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Nurses aren’t eating their young — we’re starving the profession

      Adam J. Wickett, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why wanting more from your medical career is a sign of strength

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • U.S. health care leadership must prepare for policy-driven change

      Lee Scheinbart, MD | Policy
    • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

      Jordan Williamson, MEd | Education
    • Why the fear of being forgotten is stronger than the fear of death [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

What great basketball coaches can teach us about doctoring
4 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...