Dealing with the Hand You’re Dealt with Dr. Fred Buckhold

Fred Buckhold, MD, is the Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Saint. Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Buckhold completed his training from Saint Louis University and has pursued his interest in hospital medicine and medical education. His research interests include reducing unnecessary care interventions and costs while maintaining quality patient outcomes, as well as enhancing residents and physicians use of the electronic medical record. It’s not the hand you are dealt. It is what you do with that hand that matters. Today, Dr. Fred Buckhold teaches us that every setback is an opportunity to find a new solution, to overcome a new challenge, and to learn more about yourself. He believes that virtues like humility, hard work, and honesty are not gifts, rather can be developed if we deliberately work towards them. When it comes to mentorship, Dr. Buckhold believes the best mentees are the ones who meet a mentor halfway: They don’t ask a mentor to solve a problem, they ask what they can do to help a mentor solve that problem. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. Hard work, humility, and honesty can be developed if we work toward it. They are not gifts, rather 'muscles' we can work on and build. 2. We should give the benefit of doubt to those who are ahead of us, even when they seem unreasonable at times with what we are capable of achieving. The truth is, we really don't 'realize' our potential until we 'realize' it. 3. Come with the solution to your mentor rather than the problem. A critical question is: What can I do to help you solve this problem?