Owning Our Experiences with Dr. Sanjay Desai

Sanjay Desai, MD, is a Myron Weisfeldt Professor of Medicine, Vice-Chair for Education and Director of the Osler Internal Medicine Residency Training Program at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Desai graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in bioengineering, and a Bachelor of Economics from the Wharton School of Business in healthcare management. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, completed his residency in Internal Medicine from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he stayed to pursue a Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. During his training, he spent two years as a consultant for McKinsey & Company working in a variety of industries both in the US, and in Southeast Asia. Dr. Desai holds appointments in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, General Internal Medicine and the Carey School of Business. He chaired the executive committee of the iCOMPARE study group and is a principal investigator of the AMA Reimagining Residency grant. Dr. Desai has been recognized for his skills as an educator with numerous teaching and leadership awards and has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He is active on national committees for the ACGME and Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine. We need to shift our mindset from being a consumer of our experiences to owning them. Today Dr. Sanjay Desai shares how what we learn, how we develop, and who we become is based on how many of our experiences we own. During our training, we’ll likely have access to the resources we need, with faculty and mentors available at our disposal. But it’s the ownership mindset which will determine how much we get out of the opportunities that present themselves. Central to this mindset is a willingness to be vulnerable, to be proactive in saying ‘I don't get it, or I didn’t hear that murmur’. Only when we are honest with our struggles and commit to learning that which is required to achieve excellence in our domain, is when we will achieve the purpose of our profession: serving our patients. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. As physicians, we are critical thinkers and problem-solvers. Being at the center of healthcare, we have a unique ability to solve challenges through the lens of a clinician—and it’s important for clinicians to be in the positions of leadership. 2. As healthcare is becoming more complex, there are many tracks for us to get involved with to make an impact. It’s important to find our passions in those avenues. A structured program, and the embracing of mentorship is the way to become successful in these paths. 3. As mentees, we need to be willing to be vulnerable. To admit if we don’t understand something, and then seek to grow from it. When we adopt that attitude, we’ll move in the right direction. Because when we get it wrong, the only person that is going to suffer is the patient. Please click here to read the inspiring life story of the late Dr. Fred Brancati (one of Dr. Desai’s mentors).