H E A L T H L A W What the Gray Haired Never Shared ■ JOHN SHUFELDT, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP F or some reason, it is likely that no one with gray hair ever sat you down and shared with you some secrets to longevity, productivity, and career success in medicine. Why we in medicine tend to “eat our young” remains a mystery to me. If you have seen the movie 300 or read the book Gates of Fire, you understand that we tend to act very “Spartan-like.” I am not advocating a certain manner of practice, nor am I suggesting you should sacrifice quality of life in return for career achievement. Rather, this column is meant as food for thought about whether or not your behavior and actions are limiting or enhancing your career aspirations. Over my 22 years of medical practice, I have been a stu- dent, a resident, an attending, an employee, an independ- ent contractor, an employer, and a practice owner. Some of the observations I will share here should be the things you digested at the dinner table along with your meatloaf while you were growing up. Others I learned early in my career by observing or through my own trials and errors. And a few of them are ones that I probably need to occasionally be reminded of. Unfortunately, over the years, I have witnessed more than a few perfectly competent providers derailed by not adher- ing to modes of behavior that have nothing to do with vio- lating the Hippocratic Oath or applicable laws and employ- ment practices. The following aphorisms are what I would tell someone who asked me how to be a team player, and practice conscientious, high-quality urgent care medicine while also advancing their career. They’re then broken down into examples of what I mean; when you read these statements, mark each statement with a “T” for true or “F” for false and see how you fare. John Shufeldt is the founder of the Shufeldt Law Firm, as well as the chief executive officer of NextCare, Inc., and sits on the Editorial Board of JUCM. He may be contacted at JJS@shufeldtlaw.com. w w w. j u c m . c o m Practices want hard-working, efficient, reliable pro- viders to care for their patients. Are you giving that impression? Ⅲ I show up for work before the start of my shift, I am never late, and never ask to lock the doors early. Ⅲ I don’t call in sick unless I am in the hospital as a patient. Medicine is a profession and professionals do not leave their patients, their team members, or the business exposed. Ⅲ If I am forced to rearrange my schedule, I take it upon my- self to secure coverage. Ⅲ I do not make patients wait for me. Ⅲ I do not take personal, non-emergency calls during the work day. Ⅲ I never answer a cell phone in the patient’s room. Ⅲ I apologize for the wait when I enter a patient’s room. Ⅲ Before leaving a room I ask the patient if there is anything else I can do for them and thank them for coming in. Ⅲ I take the initiative to follow up on patients who I am afraid may fall between the cracks. Ⅲ I do not stay late simply to get overtime pay. Ⅲ I embrace and comply with company policy, even if I don’t understand it or agree with it. If I have a concern with a pol- icy, I use the appropriate channels to address it. Ⅲ I understand that every patient should be valued and that his or her time is important. Ⅲ I seek out others and ask what I can do to perform better. Ⅲ I can treat more than one patient at a time. Ⅲ I am not technologically challenged. Ⅲ I ask the staff to initiate treatment while I am taking care of other patients. Ⅲ I complete the chart during the encounter, as opposed to af- ter the encounter or at the end of the shift. Ⅲ I use ancillary testing appropriately to support my actions and documentation. Ⅲ I can multitask with the best of them. Ⅲ I return patient or pharmacy phone calls promptly. Ⅲ I don’t use the Internet inappropriately at work. JUCM T h e J o u r n a l o f U r g e n t C a r e M e d i c i n e | M a r c h 2 0 0 8 31