What’s a lesson from sports that you bring to your clinical practice?

Mariah Robertson, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Always forget your last shot. If you made it, don’t let it affect your play going forward. Overconfidence is a recipe for disaster. If you missed it, don’t dwell. For the sake of your team and yourself remain present every moment of the game. The same is true with patient interactions.

Kimberly Manning, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

I always tell my team that managing our patients is like a routine on the balance beam or uneven bars. No matter how perfect the technique, the ONLY way to get a 9 or 10 is to stick the landing. The discharge plan is that.

“Yo. But how will they stick the landing?” I ask.

David Kopacz, MD, Seattle VA & University of Washington

Learning meditation is like learning a sport—it’s a mind-body skill that gets better with practice.

If you don’t like a style you tried, there are plenty of other options.

Roy Ziegelstein, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Team sports teaches many lessons of relevance to clinical practice, among them the importance of dedication, focus, preparation, situational awareness, and teamwork. While clinicians, like elite athletes, can become over-confident, self-focused, and arrogant, when both groups find the right balance between confidence and humility, they are truly breathtaking to watch.