Why Teaching Someone Else Is One of the Best Tests of What You Know
There is a difference between knowing something and being able to explain why you know it. I have become much more aware of that difference through teaching. Throughout my career, I have taught pathology to medical students and worked with resident physicians. Earlier in my career, I probably thought about medical education mostly from the […]
What an Unusual Case Can Teach You About Assumptions
One of the strange things about gaining experience in medicine is that you become better at recognizing what you have seen before. That is useful. But you also have to be careful. In pathology, pattern recognition is part of the work. You examine enough cases and certain findings become familiar. You know what to expect. […]
Why Experience Should Make a Physician More Curious, Not Less
At some point in any medical career, certain things begin to feel familiar. You have seen enough cases that patterns appear more quickly. You know what you are looking for. You become more efficient, and you develop confidence in your judgment. That is how experience is supposed to work. I would be concerned if I […]