The (unbridgeable?) gap between academia/NIH and the real world


One major lesson I have learned is that the gap between academia/NIH and the real world of practice in large private health care organizations is so vast that it's almost hard to believe. Even though I have always had a significant clinical involvement, I was shocked at how little I understood about how the real world works. It's taken more than two years to figure out how it works, and very humbling. (Example: Hospitalist: Hi, haven't met you before, nice to meet you. I need some help with this patient with opioid addiction and pain. Me: Hi Dr. Jones, happy to help. Hospitalist: Have you been in this area for a long time? Me: I worked at the VA and the University for many years, then was at NIH for 5 years, then recently moved back here. Hospitalist: NIH? That's very nice. Now, can you help me get this patient out of the hospital?)

MW

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