Page 5 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_April-2019

President’s Letter

CORE

By Elizabeth B. Moran, MD

W hen I applied to medical school my senior year as having the hardest to retain (MCP or PIP, or maybe it’s DIP? I
of college, I had a basic framework of what still have no idea).
I thought the training process to become a
physician would be like. After all, my parents Now that I have finished my training, mastered the acronyms
unique to my field, settled into a mature practice and gloriously
had completed medical school and residency (albeit a zillion emptied the pockets of my white coat, I’m sometimes amazed at
how much human interaction actually takes place in the middle
years prior). I myself had completed a few internships during my of the seemingly orderly quest for information and diagnosis
during practice. If you have followed my writings this year, a
undergraduate studies and, heck, I even had met a few real-life central theme is connection and why it is crucial for personal
satisfaction in our medical careers.
medical students and residents who were the older siblings of close
The more technology we encounter, the more clicks we make
friends. From my senior year perspective, everything about the on our mouse, the easier it is to become lonely. As humans, we
need connection to those around us. As doctors, this includes not
process of applying to, and attending, medical school seemed like only our colleagues, but all those who work with us, for us, and
the patients and families we serve. Our training is unique, and
So many acronyms what I was looking for to we are privileged to lead the team care for our patients. We learn
are associated with the medical knowledge necessary for this role through our many
medicine and medical feel comfortable in the orderly years of hierarchical education. Yet, we don’t learn the art
next phase of my life. of connection in formal training. That comes only from examples
Those next steps seemed offered by our mentors, our attendings, our residency classmates,
organized, methodical the members of the care team and, of course, our patients.
and ripe with the surety
As I was delving deeper into the concept of leadership and
training. To a trainee or and knowledge of what connection as it relates to medical practice, I found a decidedly
was supposed to come non-medical acronym, which makes a lot of sense (credit to
John Brandon @Inc.). So, with apologies upfront about adding
junior doctor, it seems next. I was comforted yet another acronym to the physician world, I want to introduce
at the thought of taking the importance of CORE as a key term. The four elements of
CORE are: Communication, Organization, Relationship and
like a code you must a systematic step into Expectation.
post-college life. By my
learn in order to keep In a team, communication is essential. John Brandon calls it
up and follow along ... estimation, the plans of the “connective tissue” of team work. Communication is essential
a secret language to my other college friends in health care, not just electronically, but human to human. I’m
to get jobs, move places sure I’m not the only one who thinks sometimes a two-minute
and figure things out phone call to another physician or care provider can clarify the
without such a concrete plan much more easily than reading electronic notes. This applies
to us as team leaders in patient care, and also to members of
be part of the club. blueprint for the future the healthcare environment, whether they are in direct contact
were mind-blowing. with the patient or not. Being clear with patients and receiving
communication from others in a kind and respectful way is a
In most ways, the skill that is crucial in satisfaction.

training lived up to my O is for organization. Good leaders have a plan and
communicate that plan. Disorganization promotes anxiety;
expectations. There everyone craves certainty. There are many things we cannot
control in medicine, but as physicians we usually make a
were gobs of things to diagnostic and therapeutic plan. We should be certain to
communicate that clearly to all members of our team. Also, those
learn in the classroom, including anatomy, physiology, pathology in management need to be continually aware of the importance
of organized communication in groups and systems.
and so much more. Then, on the wards, even more information

was presented rapid-fire in a dizzying fashion. The pockets of

my short white coat had handwritten lists, notes, lists of the lists,

miniature reference books, cheat sheets, highlighters and who

knows what else. There was always a next stop, a hierarchy to

follow, new terminology to learn and new skills to apply.

So many acronyms are associated with medicine and medical

training. To a trainee or junior doctor, it seems like a code

you must learn in order to keep up and follow along ... a secret

language to be part of the club. First, you master the easy ones,

such as CC, HPI, SOAP, DM, HTN. And then, of course, you

move on to the multitude of tedious specialty-specific terms and

abbreviations learned while on rotations (and, let’s be honest,

typically forgotten later in your career). Ortho, I’m looking at you

Mecklenburg Medicine • April 2019 | 5