The Physician, The Profession:
Selecting Career Specialties through Self-Reflection
Baylor College of Medicine – Center for Professionalism
October 16, 2014
Student Portfolio
___________________________________
(Student Name)
Created by:
Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP
Associate Professor of Medical Education and Administration
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Educator Development Core/Educator Development Program
Co-Director, Center for Professional Health
Chair, Faculty and Physician Wellness Committee
All Rights Reserved © 2011
2
Medical Student Session - October 16, 2014
Participant Worksheets
“Self-awareness is not an attention that gets carried away by emotions, overriding and
amplifying what is perceived. Rather, it is a neutral mode that maintains self-reflectiveness
even amidst turbulent emotions.”
“Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ.” Daniel Goleman, page 47, 1994.
Instructions: Please complete each item in order according to the email you received and then complete the
survey needs assessment questions at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BCM_MS2014 . During the session,
you will make additions or changes as you reflect on your professional health and wellness with regards to your
future career. This is YOUR portfolio. Reflect on this yearly as you advance in your training and your career.
Pre-Session Activities
Personality Types: Please complete the following on-line assessments (also provided in the email) and
complete the following reflections. Personality assessments only describe tendencies and not absolutes. Jung
Typology Test™: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
What personality type do you have? (E.g., ISTJ, ESTJ, etc.) __________________
Do you agree with your assessment? (Circle one)
Yes
No
How is it similar and/or how does it differ from how you see yourself?
Professionalism and the Professional Health and Wellness of Medical Students – Portfolio.
Created by: Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP * Center for Professional Health* Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN. 2011
3
Family Job Description: Reflect on the family you grew up in. Everyone has a role in their family that
develops as a result of dynamics within the family. This exercise is designed to help you look at the patterns that
existed in your family that have influenced who you are in relationships at home or at work. Complete the
following items related to your family job description.
Think of all the people in your immediate family who knew you when you were growing up. If
we asked them to “describe you” when you were growing up, what would they say? How
would they describe you? List at least four of the characteristics representing their description
of you. (i.e., smart, good kid, cute, trouble maker, shy, mean, tomboy, athlete, stupid, helper,
independent, wild, etc.)
 List the four characteristics in the table below.
For every characteristic, there is a payoff and a cost. For each characteristic you listed, think
about the payoff and what it cost you to have it. For example, if someone said “cute” as a
characteristic, they might say the payoff for being cute was that they got a lot of attention;
teachers thought they were smarter because of their good looks and they had lots of dates.
However, the cost might be that they attracted lots of unhealthy or shallow people who only
wanted them for their looks or they never learned good social skills because it was so easy to
attract people. List the positives/payoffs and the negatives/costs for each characteristic.
Characteristic
Example: Helpful
Positive/Payoff
People appreciate my efforts to assist them
as able; I get a lot of positive feedback
Negative/Cost
People tend to take advantage of my
willingness to help; I sometimes feel
overwhelmed with other peoples issues
Which of these characteristics are still a part of you? Which have changed as you matured
into an adult?
Professionalism and the Professional Health and Wellness of Medical Students – Portfolio.
Created by: Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP * Center for Professional Health* Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN. 2011
4
Common Family Roles: Review Table 1 in the appendix describing common family roles.
Which family role(s) do you most identify with? (Check all that apply)
 Family Hero
 Caretaker/People Pleaser
 Scapegoat
 Lost Child
 Mascot/Clown
Everyone ends up with a “job” in the family. Think about life with your family and consider
these characteristics. What was your “job” or role in your family? Give yourself a “job title.”
(We don’t mean a job like a mowing the lawn or baby sitting. We are talking about a job like
“emotional caretaker of everyone,” “trouble maker,” “family clown,” etc.) Write out your job
description for that job, identifying all the things you had to do everyday to complete that job
with your family (or primary caregivers).
 Write your family “Job Title.”
 Job Description:
Reflect about your “job” and your personality characteristics and how they play a role in your
current or past primary relationships (marriage or with significant other) and how they
influence your role in work relationships (study groups or hospital teams).
 What about your “job” do you want to keep and/or change?
The rest will be completed during the October 16th session.
Professionalism and the Professional Health and Wellness of Medical Students – Portfolio.
Created by: Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP * Center for Professional Health* Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN. 2011
5
Session Activities
The following items are to be completed and discussed in the session on October 16th.
Presenter:
Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP – Center for Professional Health, Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN. Charlene.dewey@vanderbilt.edu
Session Goal:
The purpose of this session is to encourage medical students to reflect on several personal
factors that will influence their career choice and professional health and wellness.
Student Learning Objectives:
Medical students attending the session will:
1. Reflect on personal characteristics and family of origin and how these influence their
specialty selection.
2. Share their specialty choices and discuss how their personal characteristics may
influence their professional behaviors in their career.
Session Agenda:
1. Introductions
2. Reflections:
a. Emotional Intelligence
b. Personality
c. Family Job Description
3. Summary & Evaluations
Professionalism and the Professional Health and Wellness of Medical Students – Portfolio.
Created by: Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP * Center for Professional Health* Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN. 2011
6
Specialty Choice/Career Path: Reflect on the area or field of health care/medicine/research
you are most interested in pursuing. Complete the following reflection activities related to
your specialty choices and your personality and family job descriptions.
List your specialty choice(s) that you selected or are strongly considering for a career choice.
Describe why you are interested in that particular field. Share it with your paired partner.
Why do you think you are suited for that particular specialty?
Has anyone ever helped you identify your specialty by your preferences and personal
characteristics?
Reflect on the unspoken or spoken stereotypes (hidden curriculum) around your selected
specialty. Describe what you have noticed or experienced in your current environment. Will
you be part of the solution?
Professionalism and the Professional Health and Wellness of Medical Students – Portfolio.
Created by: Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP * Center for Professional Health* Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN. 2011
7
Emotional Intelligence: “…emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership. Selfawareness is the first component of emotional intelligence. Biological impulses drive our
emotions. We cannot do away with them but we can do much to manage them.”
~ Daniel Goleman, 2004 Harvard Business Review.
•
Emotion influences behavior such that an individual is “reasonable” in one instance and
“irrational” and emotional the next moment.
•
Five components of EI:
1. Self-awareness
2. Self-regulation/management
3. Motivation
4. Empathy
5. Social skills
Based on the article on emotional intelligence for leaders, reflect on which you have already
achieved and which, if any, you need to improve or strengthen.
Components I do well
Components I can strengthen
Personality Preferences:
Select one component of your personality preference that you feel strongly supports who you
are. Introduce yourself based on your personality preference.
Based on your personality preference, share with your partner how your strengths and
weaknesses can influence your role as a professional specialist in _________. [i.e., family
medicine physician, cardiologist, neurosurgeon, etc.]
Professionalism and the Professional Health and Wellness of Medical Students – Portfolio.
Created by: Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP * Center for Professional Health* Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN. 2011
8
Family Job Description:
How does your family job relate to your interest in a specialty and/or career choice?
Describe any links you can find between understanding your family job to your specialty and
your future career.
Reflection Activity:
Based on your profile and specialty selection - What are the payoffs for selecting that
specialty?
What are the costs?
Professionalism and the Professional Health and Wellness of Medical Students – Portfolio.
Created by: Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP * Center for Professional Health* Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN. 2011
9
Later Reflections: Complete after the session when you have time to reflect on this activity
and your career choice.
Reflect on this process of reflection, self-awareness and self-discovery. List at least two
things you discovered from the session that struck a chord with you.
1.
2.
When you have more time, write a story about who you are. Describe what type of physician
you want to be. Include key points around your professional health and wellness,
professional conduct, and goals and aspirations for work, family and personal achievements.
Perhaps this is what someone would say at your retirement ceremony when reflecting on
your career.
Professionalism and the Professional Health and Wellness of Medical Students – Portfolio.
Created by: Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP * Center for Professional Health* Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN. 2011
10
Appendix
Table 1: Common Family Roles (Adapted from the original work of Virginia Satir and Claudia
Black)
Family Hero
Strengths
Successful
Organized
Leader
Decision maker
Initiator
Self-disciplined
Goal oriented
Challenges
Perfectionist/Fear of making mistakes
Difficulty listening
Inability to follow
Inability to play or relax
Lack of spontaneity
Inflexible/High need to control
Unwilling to ask for help
Fear of making mistakes
Caretaker/People Pleaser
Strengths
Caring/compassionate
Empathetic
Good listener
Sensitive to others
Gives to others
Always smiling
Challenges
Inability to receive
Denies own personal needs
High tolerance for poor boundaries in others
Fear/avoidance of anger or conflict
Martyr resentment
Anxious/Hypervigilant
Scapegoat
Strengths
Creative
Less denial, greater honesty
Sense of humor
Shows feelings
Ability to lead
Challenges
Inappropriate expressions of anger
Inability to follow directions/rules
Self-destructive
Intrusive
Irresponsible
Underachiever
Rebel
Lost Child
Strengths
Independent
Flexible
Ability to follow
Easy going attitude
Quiet
Challenges
Confused/lack of direction
Inability to initiate
Isolates/withdraws
Difficulty seeing choices
Ignored
Mascot/Clown
Strengths
Sense of humor
Flexible
Ability to relieve stress and pain
Family pet
Challenges
Attention seeker
Distracting/hyperactive
Annoying
Immature/overprotected
Poor decision maker
Adopted from: Distressed MD\commonfamilyroles
Professionalism and the Professional Health and Wellness of Medical Students – Portfolio.
Created by: Charlene M. Dewey, M.D., M.Ed., FACP * Center for Professional Health* Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN. 2011