I recently heard an interview on NPR about the author Yusef Salaam that wrote a book called Better, Not Bitter, and the title just blew my mind. I had to repeat it a few times in my head. Better — not bitter.
It made me think of everything that happens to us and how we all have a choice to turn any small interaction up to every major trauma into an …
Become an ambassador of joy and movement
What do you want in life?
I mean, really want in life. Not just a nice car, a house or kids — although those are important and genuinely gratifying things to have. But I am talking about what is the purpose of your life? Have you ever thought of that? It seems that many times we associate this question with having a midlife crisis. People then begin doing things differently because, …
What do you really want in life?
Do you ever wonder why some issues are global or universal? It does not matter if you are a surgeon, a mega soccer star or a world-class runner—we all have things in common. Whether you are at the top of your game or just climbing your way, we must always fight for equality, for basic rights, for humanity?
While driving home, I heard an NPR interview with Megan Rapinoe, the U.S. …
Don’t let anyone tell you to stay in your lane
Life is full of hierarchies — whether you are the older brother in the family, the supervisor in a company, a chief resident in medicine. There is always a hierarchy. It is a pecking order that keeps our society organized. You know where to look for guidance. Who is the person above your title that can help you with a challenge you are facing?
Even within surgical specialties, there is a …
Let’s talk about hierarchy and priorities in medicine
Own it.
People sometimes say, “Own it.” Own your mistake. We use it less frequently to say own reactions or actions instead of blaming others and external forces for our actions. Life coaches call it being in a state of “emotional childhood.” It means that instead of saying you are responsible for your thoughts, feelings, and actions, you blame others for these.
“The situation is bad.”
“I am angry because it is not …
Stop blaming others. You need to own your actions.
This is basically my job title and description. Not so much a urologist.
As urologists and surgeons, we are super-specialized to deal with the amazing and complex genito-urinary system. I am always amazed and blessed we have so many “organs” to take care of compared to other surgical specialties. When I finish taking care of a patient’s kidney stones, we then deal with the problems of urinary retention they got after …
How is your ego serving you?
Medicine is a hierarchical entity. More so in surgery.
There is a linear line of command from the chief to the junior to the intern to the med student to the aspiring med student.
“Shit rolls downhill,” we said as interns while we powered through the 29th-hour on-call or the seven pending discharge summaries we had to finish, while a nurse was yelling or paging us 12 …
“Consciousness.”
What is it?
Are we aware of it?
We deal with it every day as surgeons. We are on the other side of the drapes while our anesthesia colleagues put our patients out of “consciousness” and under anesthesia.
The other day, I had a young, nervous, 41-year-old patient call to ask me: “Will I be asleep or awake for surgery?”
I replied to my nurse that it would be general anesthesia and that he …
Are we anesthetized to our consciousness?
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