Takeaway
My experiences with both dancing and patient care have taught me that connection and passion are key. In medicine, like in dance, I focus on building strong relationships and finding joy.
Passion in the Medical Profession | June 25, 2024 | 2 min read
By Neha Santucci, MD, Cincinnati Childrens
I started Latin dance lessons during pediatric residency in Buffalo, New York, and I met my husband through salsa. Hence, it holds a very special place in my heart. During residency, I started drawing parallels between medicine and Latin dancing and was amazed that there were many shared concepts and principles.
Back to the basics
In all Latin dances (salsa, bachata, merengue, cha cha, rumba), a solid foundation and knowing basic footwork is crucial to build on for fancier performances. It all comes down to the basics. A thorough history, a good physical examination, and optimizing the work up leads to the best treatment plans and outcomes.
Connection
In partner work, connection is key. Similarly, forming a connection with your patients and their families helps patients be at ease and share their experiences. A simple smile can enrich both dancing and patient care. Smile often! For a beautiful and charismatic dance, a follow must be in sync with the lead. Similarly, listening to our patients with an open ear helps build a strong rapport.
What’s your story?
Each dance has its own story that the dancer “tells.” Similarly, each patient has their own story. Some may have experienced ridicule, stigma, and judgement, or struggled through their suffering. While we cannot feel their pain, empathy, care, and a listening ear can go a long way.
Passion
Dancing transports you to a world of expression, freedom, and movement. The same passion forms the cornerstone in providing exceptional care, and our patients can sense it too.
Timing is everything
Rhythm and timing matter most in dancing. It’s important to be attentive to the needs of our patients. We cannot be available each minute, but a quick check-in goes a long way. Also, apologize if you’re late.
Sleep is underrated
For any movement-based activity, sleep affects your performance. Similarly, a good night’s sleep goes a long way in providing excellent patient care. Lack of sleep not only influences our affect during clinical encounters but also becomes the root cause for burnout.
Dancing is fun!
And finally, we dance to have fun, whether we’re fantastic or have two left feet. The mundane, the obstacles, the charting, and less engaging chores that come with the job shouldn’t make our daily job any less fun. Finding the joy in helping others should be a service we do both for others and for ourselves!
This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.