Over the last few years, I have become an armchair fan of the Tour De France, the world-famous bicycle race that has featured the talents of Lance Armstrong and his “Livestrong” message. The most successful professional bicycle riders are said to be able to “take pain” better than the average rider. A recent stage of the Tour found the riders struggling over cobblestone streets, and you could see the pain in the riders’ faces. Some riders, though, seemed to fare better on this rare surface than others. I later found out that the difference between the successful riders and the losers was simply about training (and some luck). The most successful cobblestone riders had previously trained on cobblestone roads, better preparing them for the actual event. I was surprised to hear many riders don’t train on this surface, until I realized a simple fact. The successful riders were willing to pursue an uncomfortable and difficult training regimen while the others weren’t. They were willing to live outside their comfort zone.

Tonight's Premier Lecture is Skin Incision Planning by Brian Novack, DPM

As with many sports, the Tour De France is an apt metaphor for the professional lives of physicians. We start out our careers in medical school and residency living outside of our comfort zones.  We’re bombarded and overwhelmed by more information and more skill-building requirements than ever before.  We’re exposed to unfamiliar surroundings, coworkers, and attending physicians.  We rotate through various medical and surgical services, only to change to a new one the moment we become comfortable. Also during this time, many of us advance our personal lives, sometimes marrying, sometimes starting or expanding a family. Nothing is more outside of a person’s comfort zone than this.  The most successful residents are the ones with a singular ability: the ability to admit ignorance. It’s not possible to be an open vessel if the lid is still on.  These individuals realize this, accept it, and use it to their advantage.

We then graduate from training and start practice, the beginning of which is often far outside one’s normal level of comfort.  Whether it’s opening a practice, forming a relationship with a partner or boss, meeting new referring physicians, or performing that first solo surgery, beginning practice is often uncomfortable. 

Then time goes by….

And we become comfortable.  And complacent.  Life becomes easier.  We fall into a rhythm and begin living within our comfort zone.  We see patients and do our rounds.  We do our surgeries.  Occasionally, a surprising event occurs, but life continues along at its set pace.

For some of us….

Like Lance Armstrong and his compatriots, some people continually live outside of their comfort zone, whether by chance or design.  In podiatry, we see these people often as the ones that push the envelope, inventing a new procedure, performing a new research study, or organizing our profession politically.  These are the people who not only understand but embrace the idea of “change.” 

This was one of the factors I looked for when deciding to pursue a new position with the College of Podiatric Medicine at Western University.  I knew this position would push me to experience things I hadn’t yet experienced, whether teaching students (as a professor this time), or involving myself in the academic world, or creating a new practice situation.    I would be forced to learn new skills and absorb new ideas.  I would be interacting with new people.  And in the short time I’ve been at the University, that’s exactly what’s happened.

When I was younger, I was quite adverse to change and always tried to live within my comfort zone.  My experience with training to be a podiatrist and my time so far as a practicing physician has completely demolished any comfort zone I might have had.  And I’ve benefited immensely from it.  I now actively seek new experiences and opportunities.  I continue to learn and improve myself both professionally and personally.  I’m looking for those areas where I’m ignorant and leaving the lid off my open vessel, and I’m richer for it.  Inside the comfort zone or out of it?  Personally, I’ve found life to be much more exciting outside the comfort zone.  I’ll look for you there. 

What do you think?

Keep writing in with your thoughts and comments. Better yet, post them in our eTalk forum on podiatry.com — where you can get in on the discussion or start one of your own. Best wishes.

Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT Practice Perfect Editor
[email protected]

Sign up today and receive up to $60 Credit for CME

Major Sponsors