Hi everyone:
The crash unfolded on a spring day, over 50 years ago. Dad removed our training wheels and took us to the alley behind our house to learn to ride. My twin brother Ed went first, pumping hard and careening wildly out of control until he hit the pavement. He wasn’t badly hurt, but I had seen enough; I would learn to bike another day.
Within a year, we were playing bicycle tag with the neighborhood kids and, as teenagers, pedaling through Flushing Meadows to Shea Stadium and into Manhattan over the 59th Street Bridge for a slice of pizza at Ray’s. I’m still riding almost every day.
I’ve had my own crashes too. Last fall, I hit some metal on the Farmington Canal trail and bruised my leg, ribs, and ego. But I’m back in the saddle, daydreaming less and focusing more.
Like biking, medicine requires balanced confidence. Too little and you fall; too much and you crash. This is especially true when the training wheels come off as you move from intern to senior or from senior to attending. As Program Director, my goal is to help you keep moving forward and stay on your feet.
In medicine, we pick up speed and confidence with years of study and practice. We learn important lessons from the bumps and bruises that eventually find all of us. Over time, we learn to balance self-assurance with healthy humility, which ultimately entitles us to enjoy the ride as we pedal to our destination.
As we near the end of the academic year, I encourage you to ask how you will nurture your confidence. What procedures do you need to practice? Which subjects need more study? Which responsibilities do you need to take on? Where do you need to stretch? As with biking, I encourage you to move steadily forward, balancing a healthy respect for hazards with the courage to act as you pedal down the road.
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone, and happy Easter to all who celebrate. We will be spending the next two weeks in Poland, Germany, and Bulgaria. Photos to come.
Mark
P.S. What I’m reading:
- Bear Island Clam Co. readies for first harvest in Branford after laying 675,000 baby clams By Cassandra Day
- Hamden mom wins first in international adaptive skiing competition 8 weeks after learning to ski By Cassandra Day
- Your Emotions Are Information, Not Instructions By Amanda E. White
- The Power of Being Present at the Bedside: A Resident-Attending Call for Action By our own alumna Lara K. Rotter and Naseema Merchant (attached)