“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”
– Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist and entrepreneur
Over the course of my career, I have enjoyed working with some of the brightest minds in health care. One thing those experiences have taught me is that success in our field – and, truly, in life – hinges in part on one important skill: adaptability.
Despite its definition, adaptability is about more than just reacting to change; it is about embracing it, learning from it and using it to propel yourself forward. This is especially true in medicine, where new technologies and discoveries emerge regularly. The ability to adapt is crucial.
Take, for example, the newly renovated home of The Ohio State University College of Medicine. When Hamilton Hall opened in 1925 – nearly a century ago – it offered students of that era a first-rate venue for studying medicine and dentistry. Yet, after almost 100 years of continuous use, the building was in poor condition. It was no longer able to keep up with the requirements of a 21st-century medical education.
It was time to adapt.
Last month, after years of design and construction, we celebrated the reopening of a completely modernized Hamilton Hall and the new Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Center. This state-of-the-art facility offers the cutting-edge technologies, spaces and resources that today’s learners need to become the next generation of health care leaders. In short, we took a facility that had to change, embraced the challenge and used it as an opportunity for growth and transformation.
What could be more adaptable than that?
Studies show that our brains thrive on routine. But as we know, routines can and usually will be disrupted. Life has a way of twisting and turning unexpectedly, just as we are getting comfortable. Being adaptable is crucial to thriving in a world of constant change.
Fortunately, adaptability is a skill that can be developed by keeping an open mind and seeking new experiences, especially those outside our comfort zones. It is an approach we can practice in our everyday lives, and it can lead to greater versatility and the ability to recover more quickly from hardships. And it makes us better educators, researchers, health care providers and team members.
I encourage you to consider your own adaptability. How do you react to change? Are you able to transform an obstacle into an opportunity for growth? When you practice being adaptable, you are doing more than preparing yourself for life’s challenges – you are readying yourself to make the most of them.
Dean, College of Medicine
Leslie H. and Abigail S. Wexner Dean’s Chair in Medicine
Vice President for Health Sciences, Wexner Medical Center