Dr. Denis Ostick was asked to speak to students at his former high school regarding the mental skills that are vital for success in a career in Emergency Medicine. 

He broke down the “mental game” in EM to a few common themes such as embracing uncertainty, frequent task switching, performance under pressure, and working within a team. He stressed the importance of finding a mental approach to these challenges as it’s vital for patient outcomes and decreasing burnout. 

Finally, he gave the students some examples of his own approach both on shift and at home to prepare. These included things like physical exercise, stoic philosophy, connecting with family and friends, and embracing a growth mindset.

Denis breaks down “The Mental Game” in the ER into these factors:

• Embracing Uncertainty
• Making decisions without key information at hand
• Frequent task switching 
• Performance under pressure
• Working within a team
• Handling criticism (ER “fishbowl”)
• Dealing with poor outcomes (avoidable or not)

Denis shares his own personal “mental approach” in his daily life translates to him being a better physician:

1. Mental starts with the Physical
   • Exercise
   • Sleep
   • Healthy eating
2. Stoic Philosophy
   • An old philosophy with principles that translate directly to working in the EM enviornment
   • Found through an author named Ryan Holiday. Posts regularly on spotify, instragram
3. Connection with family/friends
4. Seeking out Mentors
5. Inspiring Reading/Media
   • Movies/Books that inspire are a great way to stay motivated when the days get long
   • Even better if they are medically related and remind him of why he became a physician
6. Gratitude
7. Growth Mindset: seeking out failure
   • Huge for my confidence in procedural skills has been seeking out the ones that challenge me.  

Denis Ostick, MD

Crozer Chester Medical Center
Department of Emergency Medicine