Being a senior

Part of the funny thing about the end of the year is that in a few weeks, I'll be a senior resident. That's strange. It doesn't seem like I'm all that much more in charge of things. But I've been spending the last few months thinking about what I like about the seniors I've worked with, and what kind of a senior I want to be.

And it's funny to be at this stage in my training, because I've worked with residents I'd trust with my life, and I've worked with seniors that I wouldn't consent to treat me if they were the only person who knew CPR in the middle of the Australian outback.

And my biggest problem with seniors, and the thing that I hope I don't do, is that some of the seniors I've worked with are more concerned about inconveniencing themselves than they are of helping me out. I've had seniors who've left for the weekend or left the hospital after rounds, and a list of other things that are pretty much a laundry list of shitty things to do to your juniors. And some have even dared to say, "Oh, it's because I trust you." That doesn't fly.

My biggest complaint, and a big piece of advice to anyone in any supervisory position, is that when you're in charge of others, you have to take care of your people first. If you take care of yourself first, then you don't really deserve to be in charge, eh? Part of being a leader is leading.

The only useful thing I learned from the one business course I took (other than the fact that Powerpoint is meant only to accompany your report, not replace) is that there is a difference between leading and managing. And one can only hope that if your superior cannot lead, he can at least manage.