Winds of Change

At what point does one go from being "with it" to being "old school"? I guess I should know the answer to this question because clearly I passed it a few years back. Let me paint the latest scenario for you...I taught my first Problem Based Learning (PBL) session today for second year medical students. What a fun experience! It was so refreshing to be among students who really get excited to use such terms as tachycardia and hypotension and who volley back and forth the merits of exotoxin vs endotoxin in the production of fever with as much fervor as a Wimbledon match. I sat back in my chair beaming like a proud grandparent much of the session. But the fact that I am a good ten years older than all of them doesn't bother me, I hardly notice. No, here's what did it. We had a tutor kick off meeting before the actual sessions began. The PBL coordinator started talking about different technological resources to utilize in order to enhance our interactions with the students. Then, out of her mouth came the words Twitter, mesh terms, portal, and RSS feeds. I know about half of you reading this blog are thinking "Yeah, so what?" and the other half will understand when I say I began to feel like I had missed that lecture and there was now going to be a quiz.

I know what Twitter is. Scratch that, I've heard of Twitter but never actually used it. I find it vaguely uncomfortable to say things like twitter and tweet and take myself seriously. Thus, I have found a way to exist happily without it. And that's not all. I only recently created a Facebook page after increasing levels of peer pressure. Mostly I look at other people's pictures. I did not have a Palm Pilot in medical school or residency. I do not have a Blackberry, iPhone, iTouch, and only use my iPod on shuffle when I run. I prefer books and paper to screens and stylets. My white coat pockets were always stuffed with reference books and notes and never once did I fall victim to a dead battery when I needed information. My cell phone does not have a camera, a keyboard, internet access or the ability to make playlists. In fact, it was free with my phone plan and was once lost by Wrigley Field and returned to me the next day by someone who tracked me down. The thing is the size of a stick of butter and indestructible.

I used to snicker at my parents and grandparents for being so overwhelmed at the thought of using the internet or paying bills online or downloading pictures from a digital camera. And now I am that person who is frightened by this 'new fangled' technology. When did this happen?! Apparently, if I want to continue down this road to being a clinician-educator, I need to open my mind to the wonders of modern communication. Ok, i'll embrace change if it makes me a better physician. But don't expect me to tweet. That's where I draw the line.