Tag Archives: Family Medicine

A Dynamic Equilibrium

Posted on July 29, 2013 by | 6 comments
Sarina Schrager, MD, MS

Sarina Schrager, MD, MS

The debate about work-life balance seemingly has a life of its own. Every few months there is a new book or blog with the answers. I have two issues with the concept of work-life balance and its meaning in my life. First, most discussion of work-life balance implies that the life part is good, and the work part is bad. We all work too much, so don’t have enough time for “life.” Our conversation revolves around how to do more in less time, how to hire out chores that we don’t enjoy, how to not feel guilty about being away from home. My issue is that this black and white, good and bad, is just not reality. I spent a lot of time training to be a physician. It is a big part of who I am. There are lots of parts of my job that I love to do. It is not inherently bad. In fact, when I am happy at work, I am happier at home and in my life.

Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in Family Medicine Stories, Women in Family Medicine Collaborative

Tagged , , , , , ,

Teaching in the Hospital: How Can We Do a Better Job?

Posted on July 8, 2013 by | 2 comments
Lenny Salzberg, MD

Lenny Salzberg, MD

At the STFM Annual Spring Conference this past May, there were no sessions specifically dedicated to attending in the hospital, despite the fact that our residents spend a significant portion of their training on the wards. In my program, residents spend 30% of their required rotational experiences doing inpatient medicine and night float. As faculty members we need to maximize this third of their residency, and STFM is an important place to capture and coordinate ways to achieve this.

How can we maximize the hospital experience? One strategy is to start with one of Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Begin With the End in Mind. What do we want our residents to be able to do after they’ve completed their inpatient rotations?

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Education, Faculty Development, Faculty Development Collaborative

Tagged , , , ,

A Message to Incoming Residents: Build Your Cathedral

Posted on June 25, 2013 by | Leave a comment

This blog post is taken from my comments to the incoming class of residents of the St Mary’s Family Medicine Residency in Grand Junction, CO. The setting was the Devil’s Kitchen trail in the Colorado National Monument during our annual orientation hike.

Randall Reitz , PhD, LMFT

Randall Reitz
PhD, LMFT

Long ago, there was a traveler who came upon three men working with stone. Curious as to their labors, the traveler approached the first worker and asked, “What are you doing with these stones?” Without halting, the worker responded, “I am a stonecutter and I am cutting stones.”

Not satisfied with this answer, the traveler approached the second and asked, “What are you doing with these stones?” The worker paused for a moment, wiped his brow, met the traveler’s eyes, and stated “I am a stonecutter and I am making money to support my family.”

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in Education, Family Medicine Stories, Leadership

Tagged , , , ,