This POTD is from a talk Dr. Chung gave at a grand rounds last year at Kings County.
Common Fears Physicians Face:
o Hurting Someone
o Killing Someone
o Not knowing what to do
o Doing the wrong thing
o Being Sued
o Losing Credibility
o Getting stuck
o Hating my Job
o Not Being Liked
o Having no Friends
Fear is complicated (psychologists look at fear in multiple ways):
o Basic Emotion
In conjunction with happiness and sadness
o Social Construct
The way we experience fear, the things we are afraid of and our response to fear are socially driven depending on the countries we grew up in
o Survival Response
o Adaptive response
o Personality
Types of Fear:
o Physical Fear
o Identity Fear
How we conceptualize ourselves
How we identify ourselves
o Social Fear
Fear is normal we all feel and experience fear. Fear comes from 3 different things:
o Having a fixed vs growth mindset
Fixed: We are born with all the skills and abilities we will have for our entire life
Growth: Potential for growth is unlimited. We are not born with any skills and/or abilities, we acquire them through life.
Failure is perceived as an opportunity to learn from and change
o Hidden Curriculum
Formal Curriculum: conference, assigned homework
Informal Curriculum: on shift learning
Hidden Curriculum: Things that are not said but implied
o Imposter syndrome
You feel you are not qualified to be in the position you are in
Instead of Dealing with Our Fears we try to put on “Armory”:
o Perfectionism
o Numbing
o Being Right
o Crush or be crushed
o Cynicism/Sarcasm
By putting on this “Armory” we prevent ourselves from feeling joy, feeling fulfilled and realizing the good we are doing. This ultimately can lead to burn out and satisfaction with your job.
We need to Embrace our Fears. It takes a lot of courage and bravery to acknowledge when you don’t know something. Bravery allows you to gain the strength to face your fears. People that can realize and acknowledge their fears are able to be more successful. It’s important to remember to approach your seniors, attendings, and mentors when you feel fear. They may have similar stories to share and have ideas to overcome these fears so you can be more successful.
How to be more comfortable with fear:
o Be prepared (prepare yourself to experience fear throughout your career)
o Be human (its ok to have emotions weather you feel sad, joy, need to cry this is all normal)
o Be vulnerable (share your stories with others)
o Be empathic (support your coworkers and find the support systems that help you)
Embracing your fear can help you prevent yourself from burning out and having a life-long career that you will love and enjoy.
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