Our first event of the year was held and, ‘How We Do What We Do’ was enjoyed by all who attended.
Our four guest speakers included Professor Catherine Crock AM, A/Prof Vick Kotsirilos AM, Dr Neela Janakiramanan and myself. Each presenter described their unique medical journey and the unexpected paths that have brought them to this current point in life. At the end of the session, some asked me, ‘What do I do if I don’t have a clear ‘mission’ other than getting through and specialising?’ My response to that question is that most of us didn’t start out with a ‘mission’ that drove us, other than to be of service to our patients. For the majority of medical trainees just getting through our undergraduate years, then meandering through the hospital pathways and specialty options is plenty. And it is. We must not forget that day to day life, and our relationships with loved ones, still need to continue and we need to make sure we flourish as individuals. Alongside this, whilst becoming fine doctors, opportunities will arise and doors open when we talk to others about what we do and what matters to us.
Others commented that they were feeling somewhat inadequate upon learning of the many successful professional leaps that were made and the amount of extra work we all seem to do on the side of our day to day working life. Evolving an advocacy role isn’t something that is added on though, it is usually right in front of us and there is no other representative for that cause, at that time, in that place. It does mean taking on a few extra challenges, such as writing many more emails and extending or learning skill sets which you apply to different areas, and most importantly, involving more people. It all requires team effort as no one achieves good things without massive support from those who help them and this can include loving partners who support you and colleagues or even organisations who care about similar issues. I firmly believe that each of us lives a fuller life, if we just give ourselves to those things and people where we are involved with day to day. Taking leadership then is an extension of that same thread. Overall, if we each focus on being terrific doctors, we are making a huge difference to people’s lives, by virtue of this wonderful profession. It’s so important that our members enjoy deep, personal satisfaction in realising this about themselves.
Our next event will be hosted on Saturday, May 18th and we’ve called it, ‘How to Write a Stellar CV and Ace your Interview’. We’ll have a panel of presenters and will include a workshop component which will allow you to experience some interviewing techniques. Save the date and share this opportunity with your colleagues. I’ll look forward to chatting with more of you then. In the meantime, please take the time to look at our new website and remember to fill in our unique skills matrix so that your professional networking opportunities can be expanded through VMWS and beyond.
