Most of my life, I’ve been coached to do great things so I can build up my résumé. This CV – this life curriculum – describes my education, degrees certifications, jobs, and personal references.
As I update this CV in front of me, I only have one thought on repeat:
None of this really matters to my patients or my students.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m proud of my CV. But no one seems to care what grades I received or where I went to school when it comes to me helping them.
The details are all a passing thought, compared to what I can do for them.
It doesn’t matter how awesome I look on paper. It matters how awesome I can help them to feel – and to be.
One of my patients last week has been to a very fancy pain specialist for 3 years and counting, with minimal results. After working with me, she gets a 50% pain reduction in 3 visits.
That wasn’t me. That was what I could help her to do for herself.
Meanwhile, the pain specialist claimed that “everyone has movement problems. I doubt that’s what is helping you.”
Perhaps the pain doctor’s CV is more fancy – more impressive. But the good doctor could not help my patient feel in 3 years what the patient did for herself in 3 visits.
This is not about our fancy CVs. This was – and will always be – about what the patient needs to feel awesome – and to be awesome.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley