Jennifer Okwerekwu, a first-year resident in the adult psychiatry training program at Cambridge (Mass.) Health Alliance, detailed her experience as a mentee and mentor for STAT. Dr. Okwerekwu aimed to communicate effectively with her medical students and not leave them behind like her mentor had left her. However, after mistakenly failing to tell her students about a schedule change, she said she realized how much her students rely on her for guidance.
“A lot of what [physicians] learn, we learn from more experienced doctors, and that includes everything from our physical examination skills to our bedside manner … When it was me being ditched [by my surgical resident], I was angry … So, when I saw my own medical student running toward me, frazzled, with her white coat flying behind her, I felt really bad. I had failed her in the way so many residents had failed me, and I had been determined from the onset not to let this happen … Seeing her frustration reminded me, as a rule, to think about the people a few steps behind me. That’s all it takes to be a better teacher, a better mentor and a better doctor … I wanted to teach her about efficient, effective and empathetic communication. Instead, she ended up teaching me.”
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If you would like to contribute a quote for this series, please email Alyssa Rege at arege@beckershealthcare.com to be featured in “Quotes from the Front Line,” a daily series that highlights the joys and the frustrations medical personnel face while on the job.
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