MEET DR. POOL
... and I got hundreds of complex calculations correct.
Meanwhile, I never got less than a 100 on any exam in Calculus II and Calculus III and Differential Equations in college. These are not exactly gimme courses.
How did I do it? By understanding the concepts, proceeding carefully, and double-checking my work.
But why would you care that I did so well at math and in school in general?
I know my patients don't care how smart I may be.
Patients care about whether I can get them thru the operation and back home again in one piece!
I proceed carefully. I do not rush, I take my time. I'm not a slow surgeon but some operations go fast and some go slow and I'm willing to go at whatever speed I need to go to make no mistakes.
And I double-check my work. All humans make mistakes, and I am certainly no exception. But I check my work, I look twice for bleeding, or three times, four times - whatever it takes. And I listen to my team members when they have concerns.
My past success is important to my patients, though, because this relentless approach to excellence is the same approach I take with operating.
Like math in school, I know what I'm doing when I operate - I've had great training and I continue to learn new operations and techniques.
In college, I took tests every once in a while. But I learned to be ready for tests by working hard every day. I spent hours day and night working on difficult problems until I had the correct answers. I did not play video games and I did not goof around. Suffice it to say, I was more focused than most college students.
My final exams are every day now.
Every day I am asked to apply what I have learned and to perform flawlessly. Fortunately for my patients, I am an expert test-taker.
Basically, I don't want to get an A on your test ---> on the test of your operation. I don't even want to get a score of 100. I want to do it the best way it can possibly be done. This relentless approach to excellence is a lifetime in the making.
Cardiac & thoracic fellowship at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
General surgery residency at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas
Internship in general surgery at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas
MD degree from
UT Southwestern in Dallas
BS in Chemical Engineering from University of Alabama
Valedictorian at Grimsley High School in Greensboro, NC
"I have been a student my entire life. I would characterize my approach to learning as a relentless pursuit of perfection. God blessed me with considerable academic success. When I was in grade school, my father suggested to me that it was possible - by being careful and double-checking my work - to not miss any questions on my math tests.
I took him up on that.
Probably the best example is my Statics class in college. Statics - not statistics - is a notoriously difficult course in engineering. But I never missed anything. On any test. On any assignment. On anything. My friend Glenn - who is not dumb - failed the class...
Student
I learn from books and I read a lot.
Here are a few of my favorite books:
Thinking Fast and Slow
Outstanding book that provides insight into how the brain works, how we make mistakes, and how prone to influence from even random information our thinking can be.
My take-home point from this book:
I treat all of life like it's a trick question.
Mindset
Outstanding book that distinguishes between a fixed mindset such as "You are just not good at math" and a growth mindset such as "Anyone can be good at math."
My take-home point from this book:
I could see that I had a fixed mindset and I changed to a growth mindset.
My take-home point from this book:
Great speaking is always done in context - know your audience.
The Epidemic
Outstanding book that compares and contrasts the Columbine school shootings, the 9-11 terrorist attacks and the Enron scandal. It is a book on social commentary but I took it as a parenting book.
Stand like Churchill, Stand like Lincoln
An excellent book that provides tips on how to speak in public. Nothing ground-breaking but has many effective tips all in one source.
My take-home point from this book:
Hard work and success are not as important as empathy & compassion.
Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television
Outstanding book that argues not that you should watch LESS television, but that its influence on humans is so detrimental that the technology should be destroyed.
My take-home point from this book:
I got rid of television service at our house!
Books I have recently read:
The Art of Medical Leadership
Outstanding book that provides tips on how to effectively lead. The content is applicable to all types of leadership roles, not just in medicine.
My take-home point from this book:
I learned to stop allowing my ego to make me miserable.
Open
A good book that provides a look into the life of Andre Agassi. I was particularly interested to read about his father, who was some sort of sociopath, yet able to push Agassi to tennis stardom.
My take-home point from this book:
Great success often comes at a great cost.
The Image
An excellent book that explains how "news" is often not news at all but simply pseudo-events, things that happen which are reported as news but carry no real social weight.
My take-home point from this book:
I can better distinguish between valuable news and the reporting of pseudo-events.
For me, school is not over. I still like to learn.
I learn from the Bible. It is the best-selling book of all time for a reason. It is the source of wisdom, guidance, and truth that I need in order to be less like me and more like a perfect God.
I like to study and teach the Bible. I have had the privilege to speak at several churches. If you would be interested to have me speak at your church, please contact me by email.