Observe, Listen, then Decide with Dr. George Abraham
Dr George Abraham, President-elect of the American College of Physicians (ACP), currently serves as the Chief of Medicine and Emeritus President of the Medical Staff at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Abraham earned his medical degree from the Christian Medical College in India, completed his residency and chief residency at Saint Vincent Hospital, and received his master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has authored over 100 publications, abstracts and book chapters, and has received several awards including the Leadership Award of the MA chapter of the ACP, among others. Dr. George Abraham’s career is equal parts hard work, and deliberate decision-making. He built his successful career by figuring out what he was good at, looking for opportunities for growth, and planning his next steps. Dr. Abraham shares important wisdom on how to deal with a conflict. It is important that we take a step back, observe and listen, rather than react in haste in any such situation. He adds that in order to continue to grow, we must embrace change. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. Be comfortable with the decisions you make, but also stay flexible in case you need to change course. When one door closes, another one opens. 2. Be a good observer, an avid listener, and don’t be so quick to react. This helps to make better decisions. 3. When deciding what opportunities to take, consider: what you’re good at, where mutual professional growth can occur, and what can serve as a stepping stone in your career path. 4. When a mentor is deciding whether to invest their time in helping a mentee be successful, the best traits a mentee can have are initiative, being flexible, and being a team player.