First LEARN then remove the L

Many people ask me about my career journey. Partly out of interest and partly to see if my journey can help them on their own career path.  A major part of my success has been my focus on learning before earning. 

The diversity of my experience and the opportunities I have had to learn from other clinicians has directly contributed to my clinical progress and my earnings. 

My primary focus has always been learning and I have allowed the earning to materialise organically.  By following this philosophy, I have seen progressive increasing financial reward.  

For example, following the completion of dental school I was keen to increase my exposure to varied disciplines in dentistry. I therefore entered the general professional training programme which exposed me to hospital and community dentistry.  This broad experience was invaluable to broaden my knowledge and helped me identify an area within dentistry that I wanted to laser focus in.  After being influenced by my maxillofacial colleagues I went back to university to study medicine.  Although it was a financial strain at the time, I knew in the long term I would see the benefits of my investment in a medical degree. 

Focus on learning and take up opportunities to watch colleagues, read literature and textbooks, discuss clinical cases in a group and surround yourself with like minded people.  

Finally, I came across something linked to learning from a recent blog post by Leon Purton.

There’s a magic ratio in learning which refers to the 3 E’s.

Experience. Exposure. Education.

The magic ratio splits the time that should be spent on the 3 areas as 70% experience, 20% exposure and 10% education.  So the next time an opportunity arises to go and do a week long course or take a week working with an expert clinician, choose the week of experience and exposure.  In the long run this will provide the better return.