T E AC H Chapter 7
Building Community for Connectedness
M
y experience over the past forty years has been a gradual shift away from activities that build and value community. Let me share again what it used to be like to have community. As discussed in chapter 2, when I was a cardiology fellow in the early 1980s, our section would meet every weekday at 7:00 a.m. for an all-inclusive conference. It was attended by the staff physicians, fellows, residents, and often our nurses or technicians. Each day was devoted to an interesting topic in one of five general areas. One day it might be ECG, another cardiac catheterization, etc. The fellows would often present a case study with a literature review. It was a wonderful time of learning together and a lively discussion between the mentors and the mentees. Over two years, we really got to know each other and understand our community values. Believe it or not, there were no doughnuts, no industry support, and no free breakfast! Yet everyone came and participated.
Building Daily Connections When I was interviewing for a job in the 1980s, I traveled to a prominent physician-led clinic. The group had about twenty providers, including cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons. The group met daily at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast and discussed the day’s activities. They 97
