See-one, do-one, teach-one

Just got back from visiting my daughter and her husband, both of whom are in their 3rd year as Veterinarians.

Neither did a residency after Vet school.

They’re doing well and have acquired significant experience in a short time.

I went to medical school, and did residency, in the see-one, do-one, teach-one era.

I always enjoyed procedures.

Prior to doing, however, there was always a sense of anxiety, apprehension, and questioning of my ability to perform whatever procedure was clinically indicated.

But, the procedure typically ended with, “that was a lot easier than I thought,” as I transitioned to doing more of the same alone, or teaching colleagues when an opportunity arose.

Medical students and residents now keep a careful log of the number of a procedure they have observed, prior to be signed-off to, eventually, perform.

The number required to observe varies, but is much greater than one.

I had no such documentation requirement.

My daughter and son-in-law are doing some amazing surgical procedures, many of which they’ve done after previously observing only one, or in the case of some emergencies, having been talked through by a colleague who was at a remote location or after quickly watching an instructional video.

It reminds me of my medical school and residency days from the 80s.