By Heidi Moawad, MD
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Over the years I have pivoted my medical career as a neurologist several times. Adapting to change is the key non-clinical skill that I had to develop to help me along the way. It wasn’t easy or instinctive for me to adapt to change, primarily because I leaned towards sticking to the skills I had learned early on, sometimes resisting unfamiliar processes and in denial that new ways would stand the test of time.
What I eventually learned was that it is worthwhile to take the time to learn different ways of doing things, even when many of the updated skills that took a while to learn would sooner or later also become outdated. The abilities I obtained became building blocks for the next generation of skills I would need to acquire, and I became accustomed to change.
Learning new systems in clinical practice
I started my career as a clinical neurologist and learned how to use an unfamiliar EMR system while I was in practice after residency, ultimately realizing that I valued the information that was available to me through the system. When I pivoted to a utilization review job, the initial on-site training week was essential, but I continued to ask questions months into the job, as I had to use a wide range of the VPN system to do the work.
Those experiences reminded me that learning doesn’t end after orientation. Sometimes the most important part of adapting is simply being willing to keep asking questions.
Transitioning into medical writing
Later, I worked up the courage to seek out the career path that I had always wished for—writing medical content for the public. And in that field, a baseline of writing and communication skills was expected. As an outsider in the media, I had to learn how to communicate medical information to the public, and there was no on the job training or courses available at the time. I learned how to communicate medical information by analyzing the content that was already online, outlining and taking notes on the features that made the content work well. I read over comments and feedback about my work carefully, over and over, until I gained enough experience to become the person providing feedback to new writers.
Adapting my medical knowledge to a different format than exams and direct patient care was eye opening. As physicians, we must learn from other professionals in different fields whenever we take on challenges that go beyond our training.
Adapting to ever changing expectations
As my medical writing projects continued, the assignments evolved over time to serve the shifting expectations of the readers. Sometimes readers flocked to long, comprehensive articles, and then readers began to favor articles featuring bullet points and action items.
When online medical content became more prevalent, accurate, and started to include citations, health professions students started using articles to study for exams and valued detailed explanations—and the articles that met that need were the articles that did well.
This process showed me that adaptability isn’t only about learning new skills. It’s also about recognizing when the needs of your audience have changed and adjusting your approach accordingly.
Adapting to new technology
I have also had to learn to adapt to technology, and since experimenting with different technology doesn’t come naturally to me, I looked for instructions. Some of the skills are widely considered simple or basic, but I just hadn’t learned them. So, I went to courses to learn how to improve my skills with PowerPoint and Excel at the local Cuyahoga County Public Library. And after I spent a few years using these tools, I had to learn to use Google Drive tools. While school-age kids and college students intuitively navigated the user-friendly apps, it was new to me.
With each type of tool or unfamiliar technology that I needed to adapt to, I searched for resources—turning to facility development courses at the university where I teach, LinkedIn, Masterclass, YouTube, and similar accessible programs to try to fill in the gaps so I could do my job when I had to adjust to technology that was unfamiliar to me.
I have learned to anticipate constant change in technology, and the more we learn, the easier it will be to pick up on the next phase.
Why adaptability matters for every physician
Physicians always need to adapt, and recognizing when you need to evolve, figuring out how to learn what you need to learn (even if it’s a “simple” skill), and accepting when it’s time to move on or upgrade the skill that was “new” at one point can be a key aspect of professional growth and satisfaction.
I would like to hear what non-clinical skills have helped you in your career—the more we share about our experiences, the more we can learn helpful habits from each other.
This article reflects the personal experiences and perspectives of the author. The views and opinions expressed are their own and do not necessarily represent the views, positions or policies of Sermo.
