Journal Entry #3

Building Relationships

Since the beginning of my mentorship, I have aimed to build good relationships with my mentor, his co-workers, and the patients. Getting to know new people is one of the best gifts of life, and I was naturally inclined to do so. However, my anxiety at my mentorship, due to feeling unfit, was a blockade to interactions.

I decided to guarantee my nervousness was never an issue in socializing when I learned the importance of building good relationships upon hearing my mentor's residency story. He completed his residency in New York. There, he encountered people who were sometimes hard to communicate with. Due to the constant lack of communication, there were many problems he encountered: patients mistrusting him, co-workers having with work, etc.

His story revealed that building good relationships with the people around you is essential in healthcare. As a doctor, you want your patients to trust and respect you. Without either factor, it becomes difficult to carry through with daily duties. Reflecting on the lesson, I urged myself to communicate more with patients and co-workers. Now, a single day would not pass by without me making a joke or complimenting someone.