Do the work

In some fields of medicine, it's all about skillz. Surgeons are all about skill. Radiologists are atuned to visual skill. Anesthesiologists have skills. Other fields of medicine, like internal medicine, don't have much in the way of procedural skill.

Medicine attracts detail-oriented perfectionists. It's all lists and tables and planning and proper medication selection. For lack of a better way to describe it, medicine attracts nerds. And it's because internal medicine is ultimately a specialty that demands planning.

And part of that is what attracts me to outpatient medicine. People think of planning when they think of placement, but the planning that intrigues me is stuff like what a patient needs over the next 3 years. This lady will need a pap and pelvic in 1 yr. This guy needs a colonoscopy in 10 years. This kid needs his cholesterol checked. This lady needs a glycohemoglobin every 3 months.

And it's funny to me that I still get a lot of pats on the back for doing nothing more than my job. It says so quite clearly in my contract what my job requirements are, and I've done them, and people think me a competent resident for it.

I have a very hard time taking a compliment from anyone, and part of it is because I don't feel that I've done anything worthy of praise. Y'know, all the time people are praised for doing their jobs. I don't get that. It's your job. It's what you're paid to do. Why should I take praise for doing my work? The way I grew up, I've always thought that praise is for exceptional work. When I do exceptional work, then I know enough to reward myself.