"You are welcome to talk about your issues with me." I am so glad our new chair of Medicine did not say that. I never have, nor will I ever believe in this euphemism for "I want to be a good leader, but I don't know how."
He said something much more remarkable. He said,
"We incur nearly 10,000 damages to our DNA each day. But worry not; there are repair enzymes at work. They take care of those damages."
I know! I needed clarification too. I did not expect a lesson in genetics from a nephrologist. He likes talking in full circles, so wait for it. He then talked about how we might bear a similar number of, if not more, psychological trauma each day. I wonder if our psyche is still in its primitive evolutionary form in that it does not seem to have come up with a self-repairing mechanism as DNA does.
"I am not making this up."
He tried to reassure us. Decades of working with residents and faculties have reinforced a conviction he deemed worthy of sharing on the first meeting with his PGY-1s.
"The only first aid I know that works is talking about the issue. Sucking it up is only going to do more damage."
Tangible examples work best when talking about the human psyche. So here is one:
A problematic patient or patient party, the death of a patient you were caring for, a condescending remark someone at work made, or merely a greeting someone did not reciprocate. Anything can hurt our fragile psyche. It may be a mistake you did not make, an underappreciated effort, a sigh you did not deserve, or an attending who is challenging to work with.
Trauma to your psyche can take many forms. Systems to deal with them are even more advanced and essential, but addressing these traumas’ very existence is equally crucial.
For the innocent skeptic, one reason why is: If you do nothing about these traumas, they accumulate and, when the opportunity arrives, turn you into the perpetrator from the victim.
"Do not let a bitter experience wield the paintbrush for you. Color your worldview with bright colors. Shades of grey are inevitable but also beautiful when surrounded by bright." "Medicine is a high-pressure, emotionally challenging, and physically demanding discipline. More so is a residency."
He validated a lot of unspoken thoughts for us.
"For whatever it is worth, my years of experience make me believe we can heal if we seek help. We can repair those 10,000 damages to the psyche if we try. Come to me when you need. Let us talk."
Later, I and a co-intern, shared a smile and agreed upon how pleasant meeting with the new chair of Medicine was. I am sure we both meant, "He seems to understand!"