Concepts of a Learning Society
EAD 860
Michael Clinton
“Better is possible. It does not take genius. It takes diligence. It
takes moral clarity.
It takes ingenuity. And above all, it takes a willingness to try.”[1]
So go the words of Atul Gawande, an individual in a profession where one’s performance could be a matter of life or death. Perhaps more so than any other field, medical doctors understand the significance in the steps leading up to success – making a hundred small steps go right.[2] Throughout his book and the other resources in the unit one can begin to see the “perpetual labor” that doctors and those in the medical field practice in order to become better. Where the risks are high and the experiences are very human, Gawande views on performance offer a profound insight for anyone trying to become better at what they are doing.
In his speech at Google, Gawande talks about what went right and what went wrong at Walter Reed medical hospital. The successes could be found in seeking out failures that led up to the admittance of the soldiers; and the failures could be found in not following up with the soldiers’ well being afterwards. It was a commitment to and a lack there of “diligence” and “surveillance” that made the difference in why Walter Reed was heralded for its achievements and later criticized for its inadequacies.[3] On a similar note, the improvements seen in surgical rooms and ICUs across the nation can be contributed to a checklist that had been implemented. Although quite basic, correct procedures had become far too numerous for any one person to carry out and slight errors had occurred.[4] The checklist is an example of improvement by examination of past missteps.
Years and years of schooling are required to become a doctor. In order to gain the understanding and knowledge to get through school and residency and become competent, doctors must be professionals at learning. In medicine, this can be risky with peoples’ lives in jeopardy. Gawande states, “Conscious learning becomes unconscious knowledge.”[5] On a similar note, he says about improving: “on the fly, but always paying attention to the results and trying to better them.”[6] Essentially, in school and during their “apprenticeship”, doctors are given a set of tools to work with in their profession. It is their responsibility to learn how to use those tools the best way they know how.
Medicine is not an exact science. And sometimes it’s the empathetic doctor that is able to make the correct diagnosis. They must be able to “move more easily amidst the uncertainty, ambiguity, and sadness they encounter. In the end, they have a larger capacity to reflect and react.”[7] It is in this narrative type medicine that doctors are able to gain a deeper understanding of their patients’ needs.Gawande is dedicated to examining the way doctors and others in the medical field perform. Where one might think doctors have all the answers, Gawande provides the insight to show that this is not totally true. The best doctors are the ones who keep on learning through diligence, surveillance, and a commitment to always to right despite the obstacles.
[1] A. Gawande, Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance, Picador (2007)
[2] Gawande.
[3] Gawande@Google YouTube Video
[4] A. Gawande.The New Yorker “The Checklist”
[5] Gawande from Education of a Knife Chapter p.21 “Complications”
[6] Gawande. “Better” p.189
[7] “Stories in Medicine” NPR interview
It takes ingenuity. And above all, it takes a willingness to try.”[1]
So go the words of Atul Gawande, an individual in a profession where one’s performance could be a matter of life or death. Perhaps more so than any other field, medical doctors understand the significance in the steps leading up to success – making a hundred small steps go right.[2] Throughout his book and the other resources in the unit one can begin to see the “perpetual labor” that doctors and those in the medical field practice in order to become better. Where the risks are high and the experiences are very human, Gawande views on performance offer a profound insight for anyone trying to become better at what they are doing.
In his speech at Google, Gawande talks about what went right and what went wrong at Walter Reed medical hospital. The successes could be found in seeking out failures that led up to the admittance of the soldiers; and the failures could be found in not following up with the soldiers’ well being afterwards. It was a commitment to and a lack there of “diligence” and “surveillance” that made the difference in why Walter Reed was heralded for its achievements and later criticized for its inadequacies.[3] On a similar note, the improvements seen in surgical rooms and ICUs across the nation can be contributed to a checklist that had been implemented. Although quite basic, correct procedures had become far too numerous for any one person to carry out and slight errors had occurred.[4] The checklist is an example of improvement by examination of past missteps.
Years and years of schooling are required to become a doctor. In order to gain the understanding and knowledge to get through school and residency and become competent, doctors must be professionals at learning. In medicine, this can be risky with peoples’ lives in jeopardy. Gawande states, “Conscious learning becomes unconscious knowledge.”[5] On a similar note, he says about improving: “on the fly, but always paying attention to the results and trying to better them.”[6] Essentially, in school and during their “apprenticeship”, doctors are given a set of tools to work with in their profession. It is their responsibility to learn how to use those tools the best way they know how.
Medicine is not an exact science. And sometimes it’s the empathetic doctor that is able to make the correct diagnosis. They must be able to “move more easily amidst the uncertainty, ambiguity, and sadness they encounter. In the end, they have a larger capacity to reflect and react.”[7] It is in this narrative type medicine that doctors are able to gain a deeper understanding of their patients’ needs.Gawande is dedicated to examining the way doctors and others in the medical field perform. Where one might think doctors have all the answers, Gawande provides the insight to show that this is not totally true. The best doctors are the ones who keep on learning through diligence, surveillance, and a commitment to always to right despite the obstacles.
[1] A. Gawande, Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance, Picador (2007)
[2] Gawande.
[3] Gawande@Google YouTube Video
[4] A. Gawande.The New Yorker “The Checklist”
[5] Gawande from Education of a Knife Chapter p.21 “Complications”
[6] Gawande. “Better” p.189
[7] “Stories in Medicine” NPR interview
