Debate

Adam Grant once described the mantra of karate this way: "never start a flight unless you are prepared to be the only one standing at the end."

When I met the secondary school students coming to medical school admission interview yesterday, quite a number of the interviewees highlighted their hobbies, most often debating, less so for karate.

When details of debate championship appeal to the interviewees, I would let them go on to expound on the impressive number of debate tournaments they won. To make sure they understand the downsides, of course, I would then debrief the students. I acknowledged their skill but went on to walk them through the collaborating doctor-patient relationship, as opposed to the way a doctor who marshals his or her best arguments to win a debate.

It's one thing to convince patients to do what a doctor thinks should be done. It's another to approach in an adversarial die-hard debate argument. 

A good doctor, in other words, shouldn't be too strong-willed to perpetuate a defend-attack debate spiral. He or she should be the one prepared to listen and rethink.