I stumbled into an article the other day and I cannot seem to locate it again. What I do remember is 4 characteristics of high level clinicians. I believe that the group of individuals studied was primarily physicians. While the article is escaping me, there were four principles I took away from it. This is an excellent blueprint for becoming a master clinical pharmacist. Let’s get to those characteristics that will help you become the best clinical pharmacist possible.
Humility
Being humble is one of the most important characteristics. Not very often, but I’ve encountered a few clinicians who believe they have the answer to everything. These clinicians can have a good knowledge base, but I’ve always been put off by this mentality. You must recognize that no matter what the topic, there is always more to learn. Having a healthy level of humility leaves the door open for continual learning.
Habits
Developing a step-by-step clinical reasoning process is an important aspect of improving your skills as a clinical pharmacist. Good habits of consistently consuming content can help you hone your skillset, stay up to date, and on top of your game.
Thirst for Knowledge
Great clinical pharmacists enjoy learning new things. Humility has a coexisting theme with a thirst for knowledge. You have to accept that you don’t know something (humility) to begin the process of learning. I do love learning, but being a busy parent, business owner, and pharmacist, reading is sometimes hard to fit into your schedule. I lean on technology and am listening to more podcasts. I try to share things I learn through my podcast Real Life Pharmacology and also really enjoy listening to Curbsiders. It can be really overwhelming with all the information available
Surrounding Yourself With Quality Learning Environments
As a student, this might be a little bit out of your control. I would strongly encourage you to ask other pharmacists/students which rotations they learned the most on and select those rotations. When selecting a job, ideally you’d like to surround yourself with colleagues who ask hard questions and are going to challenge your skills. When you find an environment that asks a lot of questions, enjoy it and embrace it. A quality learning environment will benefit you greatly.
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