Adult Learning

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

What do you guys/gals do to keep yourself mentally stimulated outside of medicine? I miss learning stuff.

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[TooMuchResearch]

I listen and read many non-medical books. Probably more in the past 1.5 years than in the prior 10 years.

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

I listen and read many non-medical books. Probably more in the past 1.5 years than in the prior 10 years.

Any recs?

 

[Tenk]

I learn a lot about my main sports hobbies: mountain biking and snowboarding. There is so much science in sports now it’s fun to learn and it makes me a better rider.

 

[Hercules]

Any recs?

Kind of depends on your interests. Books and podcasts are my main adult learning activities. Here are a few of my recs—would love to get some recs from everyone else on here:

Books
Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield (one of my all time favorite historical fiction books to recommend. First read it way back in college while getting ready to do a study abroad in Greece. Have had multiple people tell me it’s in their top 5 after reading it)

American Gods by Neil Gaman (Awesome book combining lots of mythology into a good storyline—even better if you read his book Norse Mythology first).

The Intelligent Asset Allocator by William Bernstein (one of my favorite personal finance books that still influences my portfolio)

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (great book on Lincoln and how he put together his cabinet full of the people he ran against)

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (phenomenal book on using technology instead of letting it use you)

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (fun book about the Tarahumara tribe of runners and running in general)

10% Happier by Dan Harris (good intro book on meditation for skeptics that got me to give it a try)

Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop (short book focused on rewiring your thinking to get out of your own way. Good quick read with some actionable stuff)

Podcasts
ChooseFI (good introduction to the FIRE movement which I think all physicians in residency should be listening to. Nothing cures burnout like financial independence)

BiggerPockets (good source for educating yourself on real estate investing)

Dad Edge (lots of personal improvement and parenting advice and interviews—often introduces me to authors whose book I add to my next up list)

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History (long episodes but good deep dives)

Trained by Nike (good interviews with various athletes and aspects of training)

White Coat Investor. Obviously.

Science of Happiness (short podcast that focus on little experiments for making people happier)

Business Daily (quick daily news stories from a viewpoint outside of the US)

 

[RustedFox]

What do you guys/gals do to keep yourself mentally stimulated outside of medicine? I miss learning stuff.

How far out of residency are you?
I ask to stir discussion, and because I can recognize a curve to my own past in terms of "wanting to learn more about topic x".

I hit a point EARLY where I was like the dog that caught the car.
"Okay. What do I do next?"
Then, I learned a lot more about medicine and refined my techniques a lot. That was satisfactory for a good bit.
"Okay. What do I do next?"

Its not easy.

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Relevant musings:

Personally, I can't stand to sit down and read fiction, so it's all audiobooks for me on that front. Last audiobook I finished was "READY PLAYER ONE". The movie is a travesty compared to the book. I just downloaded "Animal Farm". I can read nonfiction as a "study", because well... that's what we've done all our young lives... study.

If I were on "FIRE", I would seriously go and try to enroll in a language course at a community college (at least) - but its hard to make all the classes for a five-credit course when we have random-ass shifts the way we [generally] do. I have a hard time doing things "by myself", but if it becomes a social obligation, then I make it happen. EDIT: I'm not even close to "on FIRE", but I don't feel that I need to make 350K a year for the rest of my wage-earning years to be satisfied. If I were unattached, I'd work 100 hours a month in the ER and 60 hours a month farming, or something. I work with a BCEM doc who is 80 years old. He works solely nights. He is 80. He's slow... but he's a GOOD DOC. I absolutely want to be like him when I am 80, minus the CABG scar.

I listen to a lot of talk radio. It fills a BIG void. TV is generally awful, save for the shows that you want to binge-watch, because that's how we do things in 2019. I really hope that 5G kills cable TV, because I don't need to pay for five Jesus channels, three home shopping networks, and "C-SPAN" or "C-SPAN2" [really! there's a C-SPAN2!]. We have one TV in our big house that we bought back in 2012. Its rarely turned on. I am convinced that radio is a better medium because you CAN'T be boring on radio, or else. The content has to be engaging on a second-by-second basis, and better than the visuals that TV offers. Listening to a baseball game on the radio is far better than watching it on TV.

Pets are the best. Even when I judge that I have completely failed to learn what I set out to learn that day, my little pupperino wants to snuggle down, and my cat wants to stretch out behind my head (on the pillow) in bed, and will tap me on the shoulder to let me know that he's there. I will at the very least... always be home to a cat.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Since I've read or listened or already have on my wish list many of your suggestions, I added the rest to my list

Kind of depends on your interests. Books and podcasts are my main adult learning activities. Here are a few of my recs—would love to get some recs from everyone else on here:

Books
Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield (one of my all time favorite historical fiction books to recommend. First read it way back in college while getting ready to do a study abroad in Greece. Have had multiple people tell me it’s in their top 5 after reading it)

American Gods by Neil Gaman (Awesome book combining lots of mythology into a good storyline—even better if you read his book Norse Mythology first).

The Intelligent Asset Allocator by William Bernstein (one of my favorite personal finance books that still influences my portfolio)

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (great book on Lincoln and how he put together his cabinet full of the people he ran against)

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (phenomenal book on using technology instead of letting it use you)

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (fun book about the Tarahumara tribe of runners and running in general)

10% Happier by Dan Harris (good intro book on meditation for skeptics that got me to give it a try)

Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop (short book focused on rewiring your thinking to get out of your own way. Good quick read with some actionable stuff)

Podcasts
ChooseFI (good introduction to the FIRE movement which I think all physicians in residency should be listening to. Nothing cures burnout like financial independence)

BiggerPockets (good source for educating yourself on real estate investing)

Dad Edge (lots of personal improvement and parenting advice and interviews—often introduces me to authors whose book I add to my next up list)

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History (long episodes but good deep dives)

Trained by Nike (good interviews with various athletes and aspects of training)

White Coat Investor. Obviously.

Science of Happiness (short podcast that focus on little experiments for making people happier)

Business Daily (quick daily news stories from a viewpoint outside of the US)

 

[Backpack234]

Also wondering, how far out of residency are you?

I’ve been doing something similar to fox. I find a new hobby, latch on for a while, then work a few shifts and find something else.

I’ve gone between watching YouTube to learn about FI, podcasts (acquired, a few Joe rogan, etc.), drawing (drawabox.com), photography, real estate investing, and more.

Once I graduated residency, though, I realized that I suddenly stepped off the escalator that moved me through undergrad, med school, and residency and had to pick my own path outside of shift work. It was an interesting moment of existential crisis. So I started a blog about it.

Then I worked a few shifts...

 

[scummie]

The bit that you guys have mentioned about “what’s next?” definitely resonates. I chose fellowship. Been through/going through the existential crisis. My old PD was like “You need to get some hobbies. Going to work isn’t a hobby.”

I think it’s hard for us who have been on a linear path so long to finally get to the end. Being goal oriented also makes it difficult.

 

[Doctor-S]

What do you guys/gals do to keep yourself mentally stimulated outside of medicine? I miss learning stuff.

1. Spend more time in the wilderness or outdoors (e.g., hiking) which provides ample stimulation - love it! - especially when the wildlife is abundant. I like to study animals and wildlife anyway and often take photos outdoors.

2. Become involved with a few meetup groups and meet even more local people who share common interests with me. Lots of other people are searching for mental stimulation and some of these groups are really fun and interesting (e.g., book reading discussions, cultural outings).

3. Attend performing arts events. Where I live these events are often followed by interesting wine-soda-crackers-cheese discussions hosted by an expert in the arts.

4. Learn a new activity or skill (recreational games, rock climbing, cross-country skiing). I've been learning coding just for fun; and also learned how to play social bridge with a group of peeps from AMC.

5. I'm a volunteer member of search-and-rescue team and we're always learning new stuff about rescue, recovery, survival skills, etc.

Lastly, I also agree with @RustedFox because I LOVE pets! All of them!!!

Pets are the best ... I will at the very least... always be home to a cat.

 

[Backpack234]

2. Become involved with a few meetup groups and met even more local people who share common interests with me. Lots of other people are searching for mental stimulation and some of these groups are really fun and interesting (e.g., book reading discussions, cultural outings).

4. Learn a new activity or skill (recreational games, rock climbing, cross-country skiing). I've been learning coding just for fun;

For 2: How is it jumping in to these meetup groups? It's much easier to jump into groups in school/residency, but now that I'm out it seems a bit odd.

4: What coding language did you get into? I've thought about coding, but paralysis by analysis hit.

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

I really like the coding idea. I have no discrete use for it but would love to learn a new skill for the sake of learning.

I found this:

Freecodecamp.org

Will check it out.

 

[enalli]

If I were on "FIRE", I would seriously go and try to enroll in a language course at a community college (at least) - but its hard to make all the classes for a five-credit course when we have random-ass shifts the way we [generally] do.

This is basically my plan if I ever win the lottery. I would work once a week (if at all), then go learn a language at a community college for a few years. On vacations, I would visit that country, then after a few years, go live there for a few months. Rinse and repeat. Figured that would keep me occupied and motivated if I stop working.

 

[Doctor-S]

For 2: How is it jumping in to these meetup groups? It's much easier to jump into groups in school/residency, but now that I'm out it seems a bit odd.

4: What coding language did you get into? I've thought about coding, but paralysis by analysis hit.

In response to @Backpack234:

Meetup Groups: I attended 2 different meetup groups in my geographic area. One was an *outdoors-oriented* group dedicated to hiking; and the other was an *indoors-oriented* group focused on a variety of events (e.g., concerts, movies, plays, bistros and local restaurant dining). Initially, I did not know what to expect, having never attended a meetup group before. I didn't know any of the other people, so I listened for a while, to become familiar with the group/people. After a while, I didn't feel "new" anymore. Many of the attendees had full-time jobs, some were college students, some were retired, some were action-oriented, and others were passive; and the age range was around 30-to-80 for both groups. Everyone was focused on having a nice time, that's all. So, that was my initial experience with the two groups that I selected. I did not feel uncomfortable, everyone made me feel welcome, and the group organizers were really friendly and helpful. Since then, I've attended about 3 or 4 other meetup events that have been conducive to my schedule and interests.

Coding: Since I'm with an AMC, it's easy for me to go to computer science tutorials at the main university. So, when I have spare time, I've attended a few basic coding courses, just for fun (Python, Javascript, HTML).

 

[Saddleshoes]

What do you guys/gals do to keep yourself mentally stimulated outside of medicine? I miss learning stuff.

I had the same experience when I was out in the real world for a year.
I first signed up for some night classes at the local university to get training in a whole different area of study. I found the college level education dull and tedious.
Then I discovered sports officiating. I trained to be a football official first and found it to be a real challenge intellectually, physically, socially and physiologically. It was great fun and a new test of my growing abilities every week. A later I added other sports.
It doesn't matter what sport one works. Officiating is a whole unseen world of training, clinics, and education to learn the rules, the mechanics, and the management of a sport and it's players and coaches. As I rose through the ranks high school to college to pro each level was a real test. I found I could meet the test and thrive! (Oh yeah, I met great people and made a little money too.)

 

[Apollyon]

I had the same experience when I was out in the real world for a year.
I first signed up for some night classes at the local university to get training in a whole different area of study. I found the college level education dull and tedious.
Then I discovered sports officiating. I trained to be a football official first and found it to be a real challenge intellectually, physically, socially and physiologically. It was great fun and a new test of my growing abilities every week. A later I added other sports.
It doesn't matter what sport one works. Officiating is a whole unseen world of training, clinics, and education to learn the rules, the mechanics, and the management of a sport and it's players and coaches. As I rose through the ranks high school to college to pro each level was a real test. I found I could meet the test and thrive! (Oh yeah, I met great people and made a little money too.)

You coach pro? What sport?

(I ask, because, unless you have been doing it for 15-20 years, you wouldn't move up that quickly in a major (NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, MSL, ?MLL?) league.)

 

[CajunMedic]

Right now, I make time to read non-medical books. Just finished "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" by Commander Chris Hadfield.

When I have the money and time, I train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It's both mentally and physically challenging

After residency, I want to go to trade school and learn to weld. Wanted to do that since I was in my 20's working in chemical plants and on boats

 

[Saddleshoes]

You coach pro? What sport?

(I ask, because, unless you have been doing it for 15-20 years, you wouldn't move up that quickly in a major (NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, MSL, ?MLL?) league.)

Not "coach". Officiate! As in Referee, Umpire, Judge, etc.
And Yes, I have been doing it for over 20 years.

 

[Birdstrike]

What do you guys/gals do to keep yourself mentally stimulated outside of medicine? I miss learning stuff.

It’s going to be different for everyone and will change over time. Reading (fiction, news, current events, comedy, anything), podcasts, sports/exercise, music (exploring genres listening or learn a new instrument), travel (and associated history, exploring) or pilot lessons.

There are unlimited things to learn outside of Medicine and not enough lifetimes to learn it all. Just pick something and take it where it leads you until you’ve consumed it or gotten bored. Then move to something else.

 

[Apollyon]

Not "coach". Officiate! As in Referee, Umpire, Judge, etc.
And Yes, I have been doing it for over 20 years.

I had a bunch of beers last night when I wrote that. I was thinking officiate, even as I indelicately wrote coach. One of the CRNAs where I work officiates high school sports, including football, wrestling, and basketball, but he hasn't moved into college or pro. That's my question - are you Ed Hochuli, or Kendrick Nicholson, or the like?

 

[Saddleshoes]

I had a bunch of beers last night when I wrote that. I was thinking officiate, even as I indelicately wrote coach. One of the CRNAs where I work officiates high school sports, including football, wrestling, and basketball, but he hasn't moved into college or pro. That's my question - are you Ed Hochuli, or Kendrick Nicholson, or the like?

I wish I worked at that level!
My football pro work has been with the indoor game.

 

[bravotwozero]

Starting to get into firearms and target shooting. A whole new world...