“The man who doesn’t read has no advantage over the man who can’t.” Epictetus.
Reading is the most effective way to stay well-informed in your field. But is it okay to limit our literature to medical-only? When I started off my career all I read was medical literature and noticed quickly, that I missed important points. I now read at least one non-medical book a month. Here is why:
Photo courtesy of IStockphoto.com
While it is important to stay on top of science, non-medical non-fiction literature is just as important for our personal development and our career. The success of your work and the development of your career greatly depends on your input.
Reason 1: Leaders read. Readers lead.
If you want to be a successful doctor, it’s not enough to only master the medical stuff. You eventually have to become a good leader. As a doctor you have to lead, regardless were you work. You lead your patients, you lead the nurses; you lead colleagues, relatives and students.
You even have to lead your boss. When you present him patients and suggest a treatment he will eventually follow you, because he cannot question anything you say. Either way, you will lead him or her. The only question is how well you do it.
So your success in your career greatly depends on your leadership skills. Few leadership classes are tought at medical school, so you can either learn to lead by trial and error, or – READ.
Reason 2: Relax.
Reading is a great way to cool off and get some distance to your work. When I had a rough day at work I put on my headphones and listen to a great book on the way home. That way I get some distance to whatever happened and I can clear my mind before I do the next thing.
Reason 3: Get mentoring.
By reading you can get access to the best mentors in the world. I have never had a mentor or coach myself. Honestly, because I could not find one, who I thought was worth the money. By reading books of great leaders I get tons of advice in any field you can think of. I mainly focus on the topics leadership, personal growth, career advice, and financial advice. By reading you get access to these mentors every day and almost for free.
I try to read at least one book a month, mostly about leadership and personal growth.
You can check out my reading list of the last two years here.
But how…
…do I do that? My main three strategies are going to be the topic of my next blogpost, so stay tuned.
Question: What was the last book that had an influence on your personal life? Leave a comment below.