Premium
Tuesdays to Write … A Guide to Time Management in Academic Emergency Medicine
Author(s) -
Lowenstein Steven R.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
academic emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1553-2712
pISSN - 1069-6563
DOI - 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2008.00337.x
Subject(s) - scholarship , medicine , feeling , value (mathematics) , time management , medical education , public relations , psychology , management , law , social psychology , machine learning , political science , computer science , economics
A rnold Rice Rich, who served as professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine from 1919 to 1958, observed that, in his day, medical school faculty could enjoy ‘‘the element of repose, the quiet pursuit of knowledge, the friendship of books, the pleasures of conversations and the advantages of solitude.’’ There is a general consensus among medical school faculty that those times are gone. Today, faculty members face relentless pressures to generate revenues from patient care or grants. It is becoming more difficult to find time to teach, balance family and career, keep up with advances in medicine and science, gather with colleagues, and engage in meaningful scholarship. Feeling more like hamsters than professors, faculty members work hard to meet the demands of the laboratory, classroom, clinic, and health care system, but increasingly they are challenged by time, which is in short supply. Few can enjoy the quiet repose that Professor Rich described. This article is about time management. It includes six simple recommendations that can help faculty members protect a few extra hours each week—hours that can be used for writing, study, self-renewal, or the ‘‘quiet pursuit of knowledge.’’ As you consider these time management tips, keep in mind that it is not enough to simply ‘‘manage the clock.’’ You also need a personal mission statement that contains a clear statement about your priorities. What do you envision for your academic career? What do you value? What do you hope to accomplish (and when)? The priorities you list should address ‘‘all facets of your life, not simply work.’’ The key, according to one Howard Hughes investigator, ‘‘is to identify what matters to you in terms of interests and values, and then to apportion your activities throughout the week . . . to address them all.’’