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Friday's Digest - The Newsletter for Doctors & Scientists
My unusual path allowed me to be trained by some of my former students, and I also trained some of my own teachers.
Friday's Digest - The Newsletter for Doctors & Scientists
For two decades, I've been developing tools that have improved my practice in medicine, dentistry, and scientific research.
Join me every Friday to discover a new tool you can integrate into your workflow as a doctor, a scientist, or both.
I believe in sharing knowledge, embracing automation, boosting productivity, and finding joy in the process.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Life Update
Tools and Tips
Readers’ Favorite
Stuff
Life Update
Life Update
Recently, I delivered a couple of lectures to dental students approaching the final stages of their studies.
My talks made me realize how lecture halls nowadays are designed to keep the teacher next to the screen and close to a microphone.
And I don't like it.
And I don't like it.
You see, when you give a talk (no matter the topic), you should always stick to the fundamentals of teaching.
You need to move around, change the tone of your voice, and maintain eye contact with your audience. By the way, if you'd like to read more about it— here I share what I learned after 20,000 hours of teaching.
But during one of my talks, I couldn't do it.
But during one of my talks, I couldn't do it.
Since some students couldn't attend the class, I had to stay close to the microphone so the lecture could be recorded.
And when you use a microphone this way, you can't change the tone of your voice. You can't move around the class to keep it vibrant. You can't make good eye contact with the students at the back. And it's difficult to keep the audience in the rear quiet and listening.
Lecture halls are meant for teaching. But the new ones are built with computers and Zoom calls in mind.
And I don't like it.
So to all my students, present and future:
If you find a way to record me while I'm moving around your class, I'll greatly appreciate it.
Number 117!
Let’s do this!
Tools and Tips
Tools and Tips
"Fake It Until You Make It"
"Fake It Until You Make It"
It's something you do when you don't have enough experience or confidence. You ACT like you have more experience.
Take the early years at university or residency as an example.
In a way, there's always a type of competition.
The competition may be who gets the higher grade, who gets the attention of the teacher, or who will get accepted to the program they want.
As a resident, I had to leave a good impression.
As a resident, I had to leave a good impression.
I had to demonstrate that I prepared myself for surgeries so I would have the opportunity to do more.
As a dental student and as a medical student, I had to gain the trust of my patients so they would agree to be treated by me.
But what do you do when you don't know enough?
What do you do when you don't have enough experience?
Some people will fake it.
What do I mean by "fake it"?
They will ACT like they have the knowledge and expertise.
And that's a very dangerous place to be.
Why dangerous?
Firstly, the obvious— when you don't have the knowledge and expertise, you may cause harm.
Second (and this is something you don't realize when you're a trainee)— people realize when you fake it. They can smell it a mile away.
I've been on both sides of the classroom for many years. I was a trainee and teacher.
But because of my unusual training course, I was also trained by people who were my students. And I got to train some of my teachers.
So, I got to know things you usually don't realize.
And these are the three I found most helpful:
🔵 Say "I Don't Know"
🔵 Say "I Don't Know"
That's a rare answer.
Think about it. When was the last time you heard someone say it?
But here's the really interesting part:
When you say, "I don't know," people will trust you more. Yes. More.
And if you're worried about the consequences, you can say, "I don't know, but let me use what I do know to try to answer that."
Let me tell you. When a student or a resident says it and then answers correctly…
Let me tell you. When a student or a resident says it and then answers correctly…
Wow.
Wow.
It means that they have something very rare:
It means they can use basic knowledge to realize something they don’t know.
It means that they will be able to use their "gut feeling" (or "clinical judgment") when something unexpected happens.
All you have to do is feel comfortable saying "I don't know".
🔵 Say "I Made a Mistake"
🔵 Say "I Made a Mistake"
Be open with your colleagues, teachers, and patients.
Once the mistake is made, there's no way to undo it.
But hiding it will never serve you well. NEVER.
Admit it when you've made a mistake.
And fix it yourself (or join a colleague who can fix it better than you).
Of course, it's NOT okay to make mistakes ALL THE TIME. And the worst thing you can do is to repeat the same mistake twice. But that doesn't mean you must "fake it until you make it".
Because if you fake it, you won't make it…
🔵 Work Hard and Focus on Your Craft
🔵 Work Hard and Focus on Your Craft
“Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.”
— Oscar Wilde
Remember this wonderful quote.
Remember it when things go sour.
Think about it when you realize you don't know something and consider hiding it.
Because the only people who don't make mistakes are the ones who don't do anything.
Readers’ Favorite
Readers’ Favorite
How Getting Up at 5:00 am Can Be Exactly What You Need.
Yes, you read that right.
5:00 in the morning.
Stuff
Stuff
💡Gear I use - baking soda.
💡Gear I use - baking soda.
We almost threw away a carpet we like recently because of a persistent bad smell. It must have gotten wet while we were abroad and wasn't dried properly.
We tried everything: airing it out, washing it, and letting it sit in the sun. Nothing worked.
Then, as a last resort, we tried baking soda.
I bought about 1 kilogram of baking soda and sprinkled it over the entire carpet. After letting it sit for a day, I removed the baking soda by shaking the carpet and vacuuming it.
And like magic, the smell vanished! 🪄
That's basic chemistry for you. 🧑🔬
Epilogue
Epilogue
That’s it for this issue.
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See you next week!
Shay
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