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When complaining delivers results

Posted on 5 November 2012 by Ben Molyneux  0 comments

Dave Barry the Pulitzer Prize-winning American author has an interesting take on meetings. He says, “If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be 'meetings.'”

Having recently become BMA junior doctors committee chair, I go to my fair share of meetings and at times I do sit there wondering if this is good use of my time.

I always take the time to prepare thoroughly and engage in the spirit of ‘the meeting’ but I do sometimes find my mind wandering to other things I have to do like, my e-portfolio. It’s a sad day when my e-portfolio gets above what I’m doing in the ‘to-do’ rankings! In my experience meetings are often frustrating and don’t seem like the most effective way of getting things done. But every now and again I am reminded that my attendance can actually make a difference.

Take revalidation for example. I have been to a number of meetings about this issue although not as many as the poor souls who have been battling with the thorny issue for the last decade. But for all the time spent in meetings I never got the feeling that junior doctors were getting the information they needed on the subject in a format that wasn’t unbearably dull.

I have mentioned this to the GMC on several occasions, and, fortunately, our meetings tend to be some of the most productive I have. To their credit they have written revalidation guidance tailored to the needs of junior doctors.

It’s worth a read – it could save you the trouble of going to a meeting to discuss it.

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Tags:  junior doctors

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