TODAY’S THE DAY YOU STOP GETTING IN YOUR OWN WAY.

Have you ever had to give a presentation or speak about something where you felt stressed about saying the “right things”? Or worried about what you weren’t allowed to say? What happened?

I bet you got super psyched out and in your head about it, and then afterwards realized it was way more chill than what you thought

I’m gonna be honest this PLAGUED me my first few months of work - I worried about sounding how I “should” sound and worried about “getting in trouble” if I said anything the wrong way (what does getting in trouble even mean now a days lol ((it means my mom yelling at me, that’s what it means)).

I think the turning point for me was realizing this wasn’t some school assignment where I was being graded on “how right” I was, and I realized I was really allowed to say anything if it resonated with a person. That meant I got to be more creative in my conversations, experiment with wording, and ultimately I got to treat every patient interaction like the unique opportunity it is. And that not only helped me enjoy my job so much more, but it also helped my patient get more out of their visits too.

Here are 3 ways that can help you get your guard down and find opportunities to show your personality more if this is something you struggle with too:

1. It begins outside of the office

This seems kind of counter intuitive, but there are many situations where you become better at your job when you’re more removed from it. When you get to experience LIFE, you get so much better at connecting with others and seeing things from a different point of view.

Analogies are one of the best things you can use to become a better communicator with your patients, because it turns things from boring or even scary clinical talk to something easier to digest.

2 of my favorite analogies came from just being a normal person getting out and about:

• 1. Your teeth are the tires of your mouth (They get wear and tear naturally. I thought of this $100 and 2 hrs at the tire shop later…)

• 2. Your teeth are like cats, cats have 9 lives, teeth have 2-3 (there’s only so many times a tooth can be patched up with a filling before it needs something heavier duty - I thought of this while visiting a friend with a crazy daring cat)

Now put down your work and get out there in the world! While you’re out and about, get into the habit of making those connections and thinking of outside the box ways to make analogies.

2. Catch yourself (before you wreck yoself)

The biggest thing that has helped me become a better communicator is checking myself DURING my exams - and by checking, I mean I began to pick up on ok: when am I starting to use too much clinical lingo?

I went 1 second from talking at a certain pitch, cadence, and rhythm about this patient’s trip to the Bahamas - am I code switching and talking too robotic/slow/precise all of the sudden? This can create a weird shift or cause distrust because it’s like, “where did that person I was just talking to go?”

While it’s almost easier to switch personalities and get into the “clinical zone” because that’s what you feel like you’re supposed to, patient’s want to talk to YOU. So check when you’re starting to go off the deep end and remind yourself to bring it back to that natural, authentic way you were talking before.

3. Don’t be afraid to share

As you guys know, small talk is the backbone of how I practice - I LOVE getting to know the things someone is interested in, and it goes both ways. Besides staying up to date on current fun news (see below for the Buzzy Bites!) I am also mindful (and demure lmao) about keeping these conversations at the ready:

• ACCESSORIES!!!! wearing fun socks/scrub caps/jewelry that have a story or meaning

• photos of my dog READY to share lol

• a constant list of “off the clock” Connie’s interests: books I’m reading, shows I’m watching, products I’m loving

long story short, I’m open to sharing a lot about myself and my life in an effort to connect with the patients, and in return they usually do the same.

Check out this week’s podcast episode with Dr. Bianca Velayo (@dr.biancavelayo) as we discuss ways she stood out from the crowd in a saturated area as a new grad, how she added her own flair at work, and more about finding your voice as a new provider!

And now, onto the last segment of this newsletter: your BUZZY BITES, the pop culture news stories of the week to make small talk with - so you can talk to anyone about anything.

BUZZY BITES:

1. America’s Sweetheart back at it again!!: this just in, the USA Men’s Gymnastics “Pommel horse guy” aka Stephen Nedoroscik is the first celebrity announced to appear on this season of Dancing With the Stars! He’s America’s sweetheart not only for helping team USA get it’s first team medal in 16 years, but also for supporting those with impaired/low vision on his social media platforms (Stephen has a condition known as strabismus which is why he uses feel instead of sight for a significant portion of his Pommel horse routine) - full article here!

   

   Source: Variety

2. Drunk In Love the REMIX: Beyonce launches a whiskey named SirDavis! This marks her first venture into the liquor industry - apparently Queen Bey is a huge fan of Japanese whiskey and worked with THE Moet Hennessy to create this American Whisky. While this is Beyonce’s first business involving liquor, her great grandfather Davis Hogue was a moonshiner and the inspiration behind the name of the brand. More about how this venture is an homage to her upbringing here.

   

   Source: People Magazine

3. Gotta Catch Em All: You may have heard McDonald’s launched the Collectors Meal this month, where each bag comes with 1 of the 6 beloved collectable themed cups: Beanie Babies, Barbie + Hot Wheels, Hello Kitty + Peanuts, Shrek + Jurassic Park + Minions, and McDonalds Characters + the Coca Cola Mascots. Apparently these sets are selling for as much as $100 now! If you want to make some extra cash, not a bad idea to start collecting today! More info here:

Message me if this post resonated with you! That’s all for this week’s newsletter, tune into next week’s for more fun! Reply if you are dental, pharmacy, medical or anything else! Would love to hear from you!!

Thanks for reading - if you liked what you read please share this with a friend! See you next week,

xoxo, Connie