What was the last great meeting or conference that you went to? Do you remember? What was it that inspired you or motivated you? Who were the people that you met? How did it change your professional life? Unfortunately, for most people, a conference is kind of an escape from reality for a few days until you come back to the cubicle and resume work life right where you left off.
This is something that really frustrates me. Last week, I was in Kansas City for a huge Family Medicine advocacy and policy making meeting. I reunited with long time friends, and met new friends. We talked and proposed solutions to what frustrates us about our broken health care system. We pledged to keep in touch and to keep the momentum of advocacy going.
Now what? I wait. I wait and see if people are really going to see if after they "talk the talk," will they "walk the walk." And, don't get me wrong, if nothing happens, it's not like they were lying. It's just that reality too often conflicts with their intentions to change their current professional course.
I've seen this too many times. All this positive emotion and great feelings are generated by an awesome conference, then "The Conference Hangover" wears off and people slip back into their old habits of the status quo and we're back to square one of frustration, feelings of helplessness, and inability to bring about change.
So, I'm calling out #FMRevolution! As many of us were saying last week, Turn Your Emotion Into Action! Your patients need you and your community needs you. Remember what you heard last week to "Give A Damn" about your patients, to "Adapt And Overcome," and to be "Part of the Unstoppable Force of Family Medicine."