This was a hard one!
I had my first posters at the Central European Meeting of Urologists this year and all kinds of emotions were popping in a room full of professionals! I learned a lot about teamwork, quality results, deadlines, organizing and priorities. But most of all… about the uncomfortability of a beginner!
It was great to better understand some aspects of practicing Urology, so I will write below some of my lessons:
Being an Urologist is complex– you need to develop all kinds of abilities like people skills, dexterity, teaching, editing, writing skills and many more… Your work is complete only when sharing the results of your experience with others and staying up to date with the heartbeat of Urology worldwide! You need to be patient, work hard, prioritize and invest time to know the people you work with so that all your teamwork is efficient. Only if your team members care about each other, they can work for a common goal, as they feel included and proud to be part of an upgrade. Remember the team’s results upgrade only along with each other’s upgrade. And this is the leader’s role who knows that none of us is smarter than all of us!
Everybody needs a mentor, find yours! Like in sports, we all need a trainer. Find someone who knows how to mold you. Part of being an Urologist is the academic environment where paying it forward it’s actually part of our legacy. Our impact as Urologists doesn’t resume to the doctor-patient interaction. Our impact it’s the effect of every interaction we have, as our work is part of who we are, a big amount of our life and a deciding part of other’s life quality and length. It is extremely important to find someone who knows how to distribute your energy and enthusiasm so that you maximize your professional investment.
Be careful to invest your time following a well thought plan, as you can build a warm safe home only with a great arhitect! “Who you learn from is as important as what you learn!”
