Submission by: Neehar Gaddam – OMS III
When observing masters of any craft, you notice that they do not waste any motion. Every movement is quick and precise. They often spend years improving their techniques, down to perfecting the last detail.
They realize that the road from average to master is paved with details. Step here. Cut here. Carve here. Heat for 12 minutes, not 10.
What this reminds me as a medical student is that, details matter. Small improvements, matter.
Over time, they can even snowball into big changes. As such, they deserve to be celebrated. This holds true for us as well as for our patients. Progress is progress. Incidentally, a major source of burnout is a feeling of inefficacy.
You are just not making the difference you thought you would.
As Andy Warhol put it,
“You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.”
This quote reminds me that even minor changes deserve to be reveled in. Even small improvements are steps forward.
So stop, take a moment to celebrate the minor victories with your patients, appreciate what went into achieving that progress, and then keep moving forward, as a true master does.
Daily Dose of Humanities 