Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast pediatric orthopaedic surgeon and physician leadership advocate, Dr. Alvin Jones.
As surgeons, we’re trained to perform procedures with the utmost technical precision. But we’re often not well trained at being leaders in the operating room. Leading people is an essential skill to have in the OR. So how can we learn to be better surgeon leaders?
Debriefing is a technique that’s been used in aviation for many years. It involves immediately discussing what went well and what could be improved after a procedure. It’s important to remember that debriefing is not about penalizing people. Rather, it’s a method for identifying areas of improvement so you can be the best possible surgical team.
What suggestions does Alvin offer us to lead better?
- Step 1 – Debrief with your surgical team after each procedure. Talk about what went well and what you can do better next time.
- Step 2 – State your intentions with this process and make sure everyone on your team understands that the ultimate goal with this process is to improve, not to pass around blame.
- Step 3 – Develop a systematic debriefing approach that works for you and your team.
Most importantly, practice better leadership in the OR!
Alvin Jones MD, MS
Alvin Jones is a fellowship trained pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. He went to college at the University of Pittsburgh where he earned his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and competed on the track and field team. He later entered the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where he obtained a medical degree and a master’s degree in clinical research. As a former collegiate athlete, he has always appreciated the value of an effective team. Later he went to West Virginia University to complete a combined clinical and research orthopaedic surgery residency program. Afterwards he completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedic surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He stayed in Ohio and began his career at Dayton Children’s Hospital and throughout the start of his career he continues to gravitate towards opportunities that enhance his leadership skills in the operating room and clinic. He loves finding ways to get the best out of his team. In this podcast he will share a technique called, “The Debrief,” that enhances team communication, reinforces positive behaviors, and improves efficiency.