Jimmy Turner, MD

Looking for medical professionals to follow? Here’s a number of lists of great people to follow

#medsky 🩺🧪
Round 1
go.bsky.app/Qg2TA9p
Round 2
go.bsky.app/9ziyYqt
Round 3
go.bsky.app/9WQtZh6
Round 4
go.bsky.app/HRaNhEt
Round 5
go.bsky.app/DvGjDh6
Round 6
go.bsky.app/TzRhec3

When I was an intern, I botched a central line on a patient with an INR >3

Then I generalized that moment into me being a terrible doctor

15 years later, one of the greatest skills I’ve learned is how to stop shaming myself, and to realize we are more than any single moment in our lives

#medsky

Whoever created the term “subclinical” hyperthyroidism has clearly not ever been hyperthyroid.

As a Grave’s disease patient myself, I can tell you that your TSH is a much better “lab” than a T3/T4

Turns out your pituitary knows what’s up.

#medsky

The next time someone does something that doesn’t measure up…

Ask more questions and make less assumptions when things aren’t going well.

Check on them. Make sure they are okay.

People don’t care what you think if they don’t first know you care.

#medsky

[PS details changed for anonymity]

When we ask questions first we show that we care, which is important. People don’t listen unless they know we care.

If something is going on, it’s time to practice compassion and offer help.

If nothing is going on, then it’s time for real talk (and still offering help).

5/

The Doctrine of Charity asks us to assume virtuous intent. To assume the best of others.

When someone says something, what is the best they could have meant (instead of assuming the worst)?

When someone is failing to deliver is there something else going on?

4/

When we assume that clinical struggles are caused by a lack of studying, effort, or discipline…

… we are forgetting that the physicians we teach are humans.

With real lives. Real concerns. And real problems.

This is where the Doctrine of Charity proves helpful.

3/

It turns out this resident had a recent scare from a prior leukemia diagnosis.

They were going back and forth to the cancer center to make appointments when their busy schedule would allow.

It turns out that the clinical problems were stemming from a non-clinical stressor.

2/

As I pulled my resident aside after a tough day doing regional anesthesia, I asked the same first question I always ask when I have clinical competency concerns,

“How are things at home?”

Most of the time the answer is “fine.”

This time they said, “I have cancer.”

#medsky

1/

If you use the word “gaslighting” a lot you need to read this book:

Can you add me? @kiswanson.bsky.social

Stop waiting to “get there” someday. Live the life you want right now.

You worked hard to get to where you are. You deserve to be happy right now.

Stop telling yourself that “Once I…” you’ll be happy.

And make changes until you are happy on the journey you’re already on.

So how do we get out of the Arrival Fallacy rat race?

By creating a life where you enjoy the journey & are no longer waiting to “arrive.”

This is where money comes in. The purpose of money is to help us create a life we enjoy living RIGHT NOW

Not at some distant arrival

When the short hit of dopamine from from your next “arrival” doesn’t last long…

That’s when we try to buy our happiness through purchases.

…despite having multiple six figures in debt.

Yet after each car/home/big purchase, you still aren’t happy in the long term.

An arrival fallacy is the idea that once I get “there” I’ll be happy.

It’s called a fallacy for a reason. It isn’t true.

As Gertrude Stein said “There is no ‘there’ there.”

Each time we get “there” there is no long term happiness. So we look for the next arrival.

The arrival fallacy exists in money, too

When people are asked, are you happy with your income?

Regardless of the amount of money they make, studies show that people will say, “If I earned about 15% to 20% more, I would be much happier.”

Doctors feel this way too

When I was burning out in medicine, I was full of “Once I…” statements

Once I…

… pay off my loans
… buy the doctor house
… get that leadership position
… create a successful side gig
… get promoted

THAT is when I’ll be happy

This is called an arrival fallacy

#medsky #medtwitter

You are amazing. Thanks so much!

Trying this thing out… how do I find my people?

#medsky ? #medtwitter ?