How do Doctors Think?

In my quest of learning (can you say lifelong? ;D), I recently read this book to try and help understand why and how we all think.

It was enlightening and a bit scary at the same time. It helped inspire the creating of the Centre for Excellence in Family Medicine. Thank you Dr. Groopman!

I do not want to propagate an us versus them type of hierarchy or division, but with recent events from certain former Presidents and people around the globe, it begins to shed more light on what drives certain behaviours and collective beliefs: science and consideration/humility versus non-science and self-serving/arrogance.

This graph represents the Dunning-Kruger Effect. When a little bit of knowledge is dangerous and can give a person a false sense of confidence even arrogance like a certain (former) President T. Even experts don’t know it all and hence there still exists a degree of humility and limitation in what is known.

As a Family Doctor for over 25 years in practice (and still practicing!), I still don’t know what I don’t know, you know? 😉

One of the aims of a physician is Lifelong Learning and Reflective Competence each and every day. When helping and healing patients, asking key questions like: “What went well?,” “What was challenging?,” and “What is needed to help and heal better in the future (more knowledge or resources)?”

“It is still very much an art, a guild, where you are an apprentice and work with a master craftsman.”

How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman, MD

I have observed, our younger Family Physician residents and early career physicians struggling in practice because only after a short 2 year residency, they are launched into the Universe without the support and further “apprenticing” needed to learn the subtle art of Family Medicine.

The pandemic has been helpful because we have had the honour and privilege of having a number of our recent UBC Family Medicine graduates stay around town and continue to hone their skills as “master craftspeople.” As they learn and grow as clinicians, I have been inspired and have learned so much from them on what it takes to become a Family Doctor. Thank you, young Doctors… the future is bright!

These concepts and principles continue to help us shape the Centre of Excellence in Family Medicine in Nanaimo.

Peace!