Editor’s Note: This gift of clinical sense and career destiny was priceless.
I was lucky enough to be included in a residency class of brilliant thinkers, future department chairmen and leaders in orthopaedic surgery. They were good men and had my respect. They did not diminish me. After understanding this in my fourth or fifth year of residency, I told our department chairman and my most influential mentor, “I may not be as bright as these guys, but I am tougher, and I will make it.” He took me at my word and became someone I could call during my practice years to discuss current logic in approaching challenging cases.
As I observed his own clinical work it became clear to me that he would look at a patient and after listening to their history, he would touch them, and know what their diagnosis was. He would spend his physical examination proving his original clinical impression. I questioned him about this “sixth sense” and he confirmed it.
In my post-residency clinical practice, I worked hard to develop the same clinical sensibility. I took thorough histories and did comprehensive physical examinations. I obtained tests to confirm my clinical impressions. I had these tests read by specialists in other fields. I needed proof that I was correct and later, too, came to possess that same “sixth sense.” This is what my mentor gave me, an invaluable gift.
Looking back at residency, toward the middle of my PGY 3 year, I did not feel confident in my orthopaedic skills. I considered quitting and told my department chairman/mentor the same. He told me that “All the great people say that. They all gain confidence. Stay the course. Don’t give up and don’t lose sight.” I told him that I would give it until the end of my third year and then reassess. He was right. By that time, I felt capable and was ready to finish my training with confidence.