How Doctors (in Training) Think

While it may be common to find medical students alone, lurking in the darkest corners of libraries, doctors do not practice medicine in this sort of isolation. They not only work closely with other physicians, but also rely on the expertise of other health care professionals like nurses, social workers, and pharmacists. As such, many medical schools are starting to emphasize teamwork as an important component of a physician’s education.

Last week during orientation, my classmates and I took the Myers-Briggs personality test in order to determine how we think. The test was meant to help us understand the ways in which different people perceive and respond to information. This sort of understanding can minimize failures in communication and maximize the success of any given team. In medicine, teamwork is essential for the effective delivery of care and for ensuring patient safety.

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