Doctors have become renowned for their illegible handwriting, something they perfect while having no time to write as a trainee on ward rounds! Fast forward to the present day and electronic records mean we don’t have to worry so much about our handwriting, though the spoken word has always been our most valued form of communication- with our patients and colleagues. This includes words of wisdom we share amongst our teams. These are often based around stories from everyday practice.
While preparing a teaching session, I recently asked GPs on a social media group to share their words of wisdom- I was pleasantly surprised by the number of responses! While some wise words reflected the current political landscape, others were of steadfast relevance.
For instance, on sharing some anecdotes with a senior colleague, they remarked how wise words, such as “trusting your spidey sense”, haven’t changed for 30 years.
Such skills, our gut instinct, can be hard to define. They strongly inform some of our most complex interactions with patients and are skills we build on over thousands of patient encounters. They enable us to solve complex problems as experts in whole-person centred care and are a core aspect of our skillset as expert generalists.
There is a common misconception of GPs managing some of the simplest medical problems and referring complex issues onto hospital specialists. At times, I suspect GPs are guilty of underselling their expertise, perhaps in part, as it’s hard to describe our most complex work, negotiating uncertainty and helping patients to navigate on the path between illness and disease. WiseGP defines these complex problem-solving skills as knowledge work. (You can read more about these distinct skills on our knowledge work page.)
One way we share the bounty of our knowledge work with colleagues is through wise words, so WiseGP now plans to showcase this plethora of wisdom within a new section being developed on our website.
These include tips on dealing with complexity, avoiding over-investigation, managing risk, including spotting patients who need extra focus and setting boundaries on our workload to avoid burnout. There are also some powerful insights into the practice and wider political changes needed to enable general practice to thrive in the future.
If you have any wise words to contribute, please get in touch via email: wisegpcouk@gmail.com
Dr Annabelle Machin
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