Getting Creative with Dr. Abby Spencer

Abby Spencer, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and the immediate past Vice Chair of Education and Internal Medicine Residency Program Director at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Spencer completed her medical school from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and her residency in Internal Medicine from Cornell University. She pursued a Fellowship in Women's Health from University of Pittsburgh in 2007. Dr. Spencer has recently been selected as a 2020 Fellow for the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program. She is active in various national organizations which focus on resident education including being a Councilor for Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine (APDIM). She initiated APDIM's national 1:1 mentoring program over a decade ago and was founding faculty for SGIM Teach Program. She has received numerous awards, including the 2019 recipient of the ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, and the Women’s Professional Staff Association (WPSA) Champion Award for advocating for and supporting women. Want to be more creative? Today, Dr. Abby Spencer talks about how she inspires her learners to innovate, leverage their creativity, and allow new solutions and ideas to emerge. The questions we need to constantly ask ourselves are: How can we improve? What could we do better? And how could we better serve our patients? In her students, Dr. Spencer values those who offer new ideas, even if they seem crazy at first. She reminds us that the goal isn’t to go with the first solution. The goal is to be able to talk freely about what could be accomplished, and how we might get there. As residents, we need to leverage our curiosity to create opportunities to explore new endeavors. Because when we have the courage to brainstorm, to collaborate, and to ask questions, we’ll eventually land on a solution that works--and now, we’re innovating! Pearls of Wisdom: In building innovation and creativity, ask the simple questions: What do we wish was different and better? And then pursue that. Know that your first solution may not be the right solution, but with the psychological safety and space to explore, you’ll find the right solution. If you’re having trouble finding your “why”, ask someone else. Ask them when they notice you getting excited as you talk about your interests, when does your voice get fast, or your hands go up? Sometimes other people can spot what lights you up before you can. In initiating mentorship, spot the person you admire, and ask a focus question rather than trying to “get married on day one.. Manage up with your mentors. Be prepared to ask the questions that nobody but them can answer. That is the key to building engagement and having the mentor invest in our life. There’s always time to read. Commit to reading for at least five minutes every day.