Do you discount the value of your team? I’ve done it and maybe you have too.  But our ability to shift from surviving and striving in medicine to thriving in medicine comes with receiving the support, inspiration and brainstorming from the teams we have in our life and career. 

Maybe you’ve bought into the belief that if you want it done right the first time, you’ve got to do it. 

Maybe you’ve fallen into the medical hierarchy trap that says a physician has the final say so our team’s contribution is minimized. 

In medical school we had the structure of the curriculum, the teachers and the mentors who kept us focused on taking the next right action steps towards graduation.  

In the clinical setting the team composition still exists though less structured.  The focus of the clinical team is on the delivery of patient care while the role of learning and building your career shifts to the clinician.  

Moving forward in our lives and medical careers we leave behind the formal support structures of medical school and training that contributed to our success.  We become so self reliant that we no longer position ourselves to receive the help from others.    

No person achieves success alone.  A team is a critical element that provides guidance, support, and assistance. You have to be open to receive it. 

3 Ways Your Team Supports You:

  1. Although you are great at what you do, there is always something new to learn, another perspective to consider, or an obstacle to overcome.  The right people on your team will stimulate new ideas and ways to achieve your goals. Brainstorming ideas with your team allows you to awaken to new possibilities and insights.  Having people on the team from different disciplines brings their expertise to your vision. 
  1. Implementation.  We all have the same amount of hours in the day. It gets overwhelming to think about everything that needs to be done to achieve your goals.  Overwhelm stalls your progress and keeps you stuck in your comfort zone.  Consider the skill sets that others have that compliment what you want to achieve and invite them to join your team. Identify a mentor, preceptor, or coach to guide you and hold you accountable as you take the next right step. Lean on your team for assistance.  Knowing that others are in your corner cheering you on helps manage stress and keeps you moving forward. 
  1. You know exactly what the life and career of your dreams looks like.  The hectic pace of the clinical setting clouds that vision.  Your focus shifts to what you experience on a daily basis and soon you’re distracted by the challenges in medicine and lose sight of the vision you have for yourself. You fall into the rut of complaining and dissatisfaction.  The right people on your team keep you inspired and motivated.  A 15 minute inspiring conversation can make the difference between whether you are moving closer to your goals and living into your calling or leaving it all behind. 

One of the obstacles for physicians is the inability to be open to receive what we need to grow into the next level of their careers.  We have already achieved a certain level of success on our own so we should be able to get to the next level.  But we didn’t do it alone.  And we shouldn’t do it alone.  Success in life and medicine is a team project.  When you are open to receive, the right people, places, and opportunities are revealed.