Studying medicine is one thing. Practicing it is another. And the path to becoming an excellent physician happens not just from reading about it, but from internalizing the unique craft and insight of colleagues.

In How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker and Dr. Jared Dashevsky discuss how some of the most powerful lessons they learned in their practice were not from their textbooks. Rather, they were from mentors.

Jared is the founder of Healthcare Huddle, a newsletter that reaches over 30,000 healthcare professionals with its clear explanations of complex healthcare trends as well as original commentary and analysis. He is a resident at Mt. Sinai and plans to specialize in pulmonary critical care.

While early in his medical career, he channels the advice and approach of his mentor, who happens to be his father-in-law.

“Go through the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, see what the top articles are. Find an interesting case you saw in the hospital, read Harrison's. And he said, if you do an hour per week, that's 52 hours per year. And that's 52 hours per year more than someone else who wasn't doing that,” Jared shared, reflecting on what his father-in-law told him.

Jared has taken this advice to heart and prioritizes the importance of continuous learning and practicing empathy as he engages in patient care. And of course, Jared’s patients aren’t the only ones benefitting. So are readers of Healthcare Huddle, who get to learn from Jared’s continuous learning about medicine, policy and everything in between.

Join the discussion:

What's a lesson from an attending or a mentor in medicine that you think of frequently? And if you are training residents or medical students yourself, what’s a lesson that you offer? Join the discussion and us know in the comments below!