Moving from a Fixed to a Growth Mindset with Dr. Eric Warm

Eric Warm, MD, holds the endowed Richard Vilter Chair of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. He is the Vice-Chair for Graduate Medical Education, the Medical Director of the Resident Ambulatory Practice and the Internal Medicine Program Director. Dr. Warm served as the first chair of the ACGME Educational Innovations Project Council and was the principal architect of the University of Cincinnati’s comprehensive redesign of resident education in internal medicine. In recognition for the work that Dr. Warm and his team have done, he has received multiple awards including the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada International Residency Educator of the Year Award, the ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, the APDIM Spotlight Innovator Award and Distinguished Medical Educator Award. Dr. Warm is currently editor-in-chief of the International Clinician Educator’s Blog. As an educator, Dr. Eric Warm believes in moving away from the fixed mindset, and toward a growth mindset. Today, he explains that historically, we have encouraged students to be ‘fixed’; focusing on high grades, test scores, and trying to ‘know’ as much as possible. But the key to finding joy in learning is in embracing what we do not know. When we believe that we are a work in progress, that we have not reached our potential, that is when we seek feedback, internalize it, use deliberate practice, and get better. This helps us reframe our goal entirely: Growth over performance. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. Move away from a fixed mindset, and toward a growth mindset. In order to do that, we need to embrace what we don’t know. That requires vulnerability. 2. Practice makes permanent, and perfect practice makes perfect. And deliberate practice helps us achieve perfection in that practice. 3. Find the joy in learning. Make a commitment to yourself that any concept you don’t understand at first, delve into the subject until you know it. Your goal should be growth over performance. Click here to view a video on growth mindset by the Internal Medicine Residents and Faculty at the University of Cincinnati.