Asking Questions

When I was still working in community pharmacy, I started a new role. Now, without getting too much into specifics, part of this role included a job I had never done. Totally out of my scope, but I could learn, and they would help. No problem, right?

Sort of.

The person training me was busy and getting close to retirement. I get it, they were tired, ready for their new chapter and saying goodbye to the daily grind. Like others, I learn through context and experience. No matter the thing or job, I ask questions to understand the how and why. Why am I doing this? what is the big picture beyond my role?

One day, this individual looked at me, and said "try to not ask questions today. See if you can do it on your own." I had been training for 3 days and I was surprised at this comment. Isn't asking questions part of training? Luckily, I had been writing procedures down since I started, so I went back and looked at my book, and completed the task. When the task was checked, I had made a mistake. Close, but not perfect. And in healthcare, close doesn't cut it.

I stayed at that job for several years, but I found myself becoming less comfortable asking questions. Looking back, I think that experience took away some of the curiosity that had always been part of who I am. Pursuing a PhD has been my way of taking that curiosity back. I'm fascinated by the intersection of AI and health education, and I'm driven to understand not just what works, but why it works. If I weren't naturally curious, there's no way I'd be spending thousands of dollars pursuing those answers.

Keep asking your questions and don't let your curiosity leave you.