{"id":464,"date":"2022-09-18T02:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-18T02:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/strayndom.com\/?p=464"},"modified":"2025-05-24T13:10:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T13:10:52","slug":"the-jipmer-connaissance-address-honing-creativity-among-medical-graduatesthe-top-secret","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strayndom.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/18\/the-jipmer-connaissance-address-honing-creativity-among-medical-graduatesthe-top-secret\/","title":{"rendered":"The JIPMER CONNAISSANCE ADDRESS: honing creativity among medical graduates(The Top Secret)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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April 20, 2019<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Prof. S. Ramkumar<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Education<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The JIPMER CONNAISSANCE ADDRESS: \nhoning creativity among medical graduates\n(The Top Secret)<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Addressing around 1000 medical graduates from different institutions in JIPMER as a key speaker in CONNAISSANCE 3.0 (Third International Undergraduate Medical Students Conference : April 14, 2019) on \u201cHoning creativity and Innovations among medical students\u201d, the key focus was on facilitating creativity for better evolution as a complete doctor\/surgeon. The point that there are role model surgeons and doctors who are inspirational is amazing. The estuary of creativity meeting innovations is a beautiful experience.\nIn the talk though, the effort was to address creativity and innovations in the excerpt below the focus is largely on honing creativity.\nThough specific to Medical education (and subjects of professions like Veterinary sciences) it can be applied to any field of graduate education.\n<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Creativity cannot be formally taught<\/p>

\u2026but can be facilitated to develop in the minds of people by designing appropriate environment.<\/p>

Curiosity is the foundation for creativity, and it\u2019s the inherent capacity developed as a newborn baby through childhood which makes him\/her inquisitive about the world- the light, the sound and taste of a new infant born to the \u201cWhys\u201d that they ask parents, grandparents or relatives in the initial stages of development.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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However, formal education in kindergartens and primary schools tend to expect \u201cuniform\u201d answers rather than the \u201cdiverse\u201d reflections of curious minds. The tendency to ask \u201cwhys\u201d among children tend to decrease as they advance to higher classes. The orientation is strongly conditioned to the decimals of the marks in examinations, rather than allowances of creativity; and many around the child look for measuring her\/him based on these numbers (marks!). Added to that is the shaping of the Child\u2019s mind, to the interests, aptitude and aspirations of other actors (parents, teachers, friends!).<\/p>

\u201cFrom an early age we are given labels which can so easily define our lives\u201d : Richard Gerver. 2013 .\u201cChange – learn to love it, learn to lead it.\u201d.<\/p>

The efforts of creativity at a graduate level would be to retain and nurture the ability if they are tuned to, or to develop this lost ability (which every individual is born with).<\/p>

But then, we need to undo\/redo from this conditioning, in medical education to bring out the best of a medical graduate for society and themselves. Explore ourselves to discover, which helps to a holistic and \u201cbest of potential delivery\u201d to the society. The programme of Connaissance 3.0 is such an opportunity to pause and reflect on the passionate abilities we would have otherwise forgotten or kept in the uncared corners of mind.<\/p>

Nissen, Einstein and the cellophane:<\/p>

The following paragraph is a paraphrased version borrowed from the amazing book \u201cUnder the Knife : The History of Surgery in 28 remarkable operations by Arnold Van De Laar (2018).<\/p>

Rudolf Nissen (who fled Germany owing to 2nd world war), is credited with the operation of Nissen fundoplication ; he performed the first successful resection of a whole lung (1931) and was the first to perform a complete resection of the oesophagus. Albert Einstein needs no introduction. He left Germany in 1933 for reasons evident to history.<\/p>

In 1948, when Einstein was 69 he was the most famous patient Nissen could have imagined to treat in USA.. Nissen diagnosed AAAA( Acute abdominal aortic aneurysm) in Einstein with Xray studies ( since CT scan and ultrasound scan were not developed). As Nissen performed the abdominal operation on the greatest scientist of the world, he found an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta, the size of a grapefruit.<\/p>

As the aneurysm was still intact, Nissen applied an experimental method : he wrapped it in cellophane – the same synthetic material used to wrap sweets, bread and envelopes. (Use of vascular prosthetic surgery superseded this in the years that followed). \u201c and it required guts to wrap the aneurysm of the greatest scientist of all time …\u201d To cut short an interesting and epic story I focus on \u201cguts\u2019.<\/p>

This \u201cguts\u201d is the confidence what I call a \u201cconfluence of competency and compassion\u201d of surgeon\/doctor: the quintessence of medical education. The capacity of common sense, improvisations or innovations, timely and quick reactions and above all the ability to comprehend the whole situation and act firm and fine in the best interest of the patient.<\/p>

Where does it come from ?<\/p>

Undoubtedly, from the creativity of stretching minds of imagination. Medical education is a confluence of Competency, Creativity, Connectivity (especially in this Google age!) and Compassion. Competencies are built through the well thought of curriculum of five and half years: the Skills. Knowledge and mindset. However, the other abilities are to be nurtured and ignited through an ecosystem favouring liberated minds that will synergistically benefit the community, doctor and above all the profession.<\/p>

Honing creativity<\/p>

Dare to think !<\/p>

It\u2019s amazing how we can study history, anthropology, arts, architecture and many more interesting areas of life through medical science. In the talk that followed mine, Dr. Deepak Agrawal (Professor Neurosurgery, AIIMS Delhi, Co-inventor of World\u2019s Cheapest Ventilator) interestingly explained on how he could see a plot or design of a human brain in a painting of Michael Angelo. This perspective is creativity. He has helped in transforming the corridors of AIIMS to have an art gallery with paintings for the patients and public who visit AIIMS.<\/p>

This is what creativity does to a doctor, and the reason why creativity and innovation need to be complemented in the period of medical education. It\u2019s the ability to see the same situation in different perspectives.<\/p>

And in India, it all needs to be approachable and affordable for the common patient.<\/p>

The algorithm of diagnosis<\/p>

In this technological era, we are moving from the \u201cSherlock Holmes method\u201d of diagnosis to \u201c the artificial intelligence\u201d (AI) methods\u201d like the Magic of Watson\u2019s algorithm (IBM).<\/p>

\u201cToday IBM will feed a medical Watson, 3000 images, 200 of which are melanomas and 2800 are not, and Watson then uses its algorithm to start to learn that the melanomas have these colours, topographies and edges. And after looking at tens of thousands and understanding the features they have in common, it can, much quicker than a human, identify particularly cancerous ones. That capability frees up doctors to focus where they are most needed \u2013 with the patient.\u201d Thomas L. Friedman. 2016. \u201cThank you for being late : an optimist\u2019s guide to thriving in the age of accelerations\u201d.<\/p>

The balance between the technology and patient helps to retain intuition, empathy and judgment the vital parameters of a doctor\u2019s life. Retaining the personal qualities in the tirade of technologies is a challenge. Creativity is one of the solutions to the sweeping technologies, which can build on identity!<\/p>

The key mantra is : Man reins the machine.<\/p>

Faculty orientation.<\/p>

The present generation students are born into the fast track of technologies that decide day to day life.<\/p>

\u201cSubject and wisdom\u201d wise, we assume faculty are experienced. But the faculty need to give a wider and open space for the enhanced capacities of the brilliant students who are a product of the present time and technologies \u2013 the Google generation born in to the \u201csmart worlds\u201d. There is a lot about the world that is to be understood from students!<\/p>

The lateral learning from different walks of arts and science helps in good innovations. Whether it\u2019s a book, movie, music or maverick – creativity sees innovations when we open up interfaces with these.<\/p>

The disciplined knowledge of the doctor synchronised with the skills and knowledge from different realms of science and arts open up new avenues and innovations.<\/p>

\u201cLearn – unlearn- Relearn\u201d is the key to open the lock of a closed mind.<\/p>

Innovation clubs\/caf\u00e9<\/p>

These can provide spaces for students, staff and others (be it patients or outsiders) to discuss on lateral thinking. These can be informal centres of coffee breaks, wherein ideas are shared and the ones are taken forward through a good innovation facilitation centre.<\/p>

Epilogue: The Top Secret<\/p>

The secret of the Top is to spin it.<\/p>

A still top doesn\u2019t qualify to be called a top. We all have been blessed with a top. The question is how many of us has spun it and how many times!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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