Allowing for Imperfection

David D. Vega, MD
YPS President

A friend of mine recently pointed out how frustrated he is by the frequency with which his work is viewed through the fine focus of the retrospectoscope. I have to admit that I can get a little discouraged by this from time to time, too. “Feedback” from consultants, insurance companies, nurses, residents and even our colleagues can be far less than constructive at times. The impact of these criticisms is compounded by the fact that many of us, by nature, are our own harshest critics and put a lot of pressure on ourselves to always be perfect -- despite the fact that this is an impossible goal.

In both our professional and personal lives, we are going to face failures and disappointments. As younger physicians, we need to realize that, as human beings, we are not perfect. When we come to this realization, we will be better set to develop more confidence in our abilities. Setbacks and failures are going to happen, but we must recover and learn from these experiences. Success will come, not as a result of perfection, but as a result of perseverance.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” (From “Citizenship in a Republic”, Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910, accessed online at <http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/quotes.htm>, October 5, 2006)

Who is in the arena more than the emergency physician? As we stand on the front lines of medicine, we struggle against critical illnesses and social nightmares in the setting of overcrowding, increasing regulation and a medical liability crisis. Critics abound and the small voices of praise can easily be lost in all of the background noise. Nonetheless, we can continue our fight with confidence, knowing that in the end, we are accomplishing good.

I hope that you will see this article as an encouragement and challenge to face adversity in your career and in your life with the knowledge that you are not alone in your struggles. Although the details may change a little, every trial in your life has been faced before by someone else. By seeking out those with similar experiences, we are often able to realize solutions that we might not be able to find on our own. Conversely, by sharing our experiences with our colleagues who are seeking help, we can enjoy greater satisfaction in our careers.

I would invite you to join the Young Physicians Section (YPS) as we tackle issues that will help you have a more satisfying career. If you already are a member, I would challenge you to become more involved in the Section’s activities. Your unique set of skills and experiences are needed to help the YPS realize its full potential. In a previous issue of Common Sense, Tom Scaletta described AAEM as “the go-to organization on emergency physician professional satisfaction.” Likewise, we want to develop the Young Physicians Section into the go-to section for the newer emergency physician.