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Dear friends,
How are you? I hope fall is bringing you joy, as it is for me! I am looking forward to festooning my house with Halloween decorations and thinking about how to bring spooky spirit to work. This month I have some random musings rather than a singular topic, and I hope these words are still useful to you. I am on the airplane, flying back from an energizing workshop on Diagnostic Excellence and Health Equity at the National Academy of Medicine.
My dear friend and longtime colleague, Kathy MacDonald, chaired the workshop planning committee, and she tasked me with giving opening remarks on the second day of the meeting. I was supposed to give a recap of the first day’s content, lessons learned, and guiding questions for the future of the field. To be honest, I was daunted. I felt apprehensive about whether I could even be that attentive over the course of an entire day. I was surprised and pleased to be completely drawn in by the interesting science and engaging speakers. What a relief to learn that I can absorb academic content all day long if it’s not over Zoom! I don’t know exactly how to get more substantive in-person scientific discussions into my life, but after this experience, I am inspired to try. Please send me any ideas you have!
I also had a lunchtime conversation with a brilliant colleague that I am still thinking about. This person is considering moving institutions for a leadership role, and I asked them how they know they want one of those 24/7 jobs. They replied that throughout the interview process, they found their brain going straight to thinking about the impact they could have. They acknowledged that there would be disruption and challenges, but they added that, quite subconsciously, they kept finding themselves thinking more about the possibilities.
They also told me that they are not experiencing burnout. I was both flabbergasted and delighted to hear their words. My first thought was, “Isn’t everyone in academic medicine burned out?” soon followed by, “what would excite me like my friend is excited about this new opportunity?” Right now, I am coming up empty- I can’t figure out what would get me jazzed for something new. Just like my amazing colleague, I have decided to pay attention to where my brain is going when I am not forcing it. My subconscious seems to want rest above future planning, and I am going to honor that. I am also going to take the reminder that burnout is neither ubiquitous nor inevitable. What a remarkable lesson from a spontaneous conversation!
As I was leaving the meeting, another attendee asked how we could continue our conversation. I had not been familiar with her work, but I was impressed with her presentation and want to learn more. When I think about setting up a Zoom with her, though, my heart sinks a little. I am already so packed with commitments and study-related administrative tasks that adding on an extra meeting, even to engage with innovative work, seems impossible. How do you follow up those hallway conversations at scientific meetings? How can we make space in our schedules and our mindspace for the fun intellectual work? I don’t have an answer, but I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.
As always, please share widely and, if you are so inclined, sign up for the blog here. Keep in touch and do share good news so I can amplify your successes!
Warmly,
Urmimala