This is the time of year that I ramp up the cultural competence quizzes for residents and medical students at clinic. Most of the year, I will randomly assess my learners' knowledge of Pink Floyd band members, Saved by the Bell trivia and '85 Bears factoids. The young people today are not knowledgeable in any broad sense. In November, though, I break things down to one simple question: what is the greatest Thanksgiving movie of all time? As seasoned WLP readers know, the correct answer is Planes, Trains and Automobiles (with an honorable mention to Rocky for those of you who are into low-budget art films).
Invariably the learner has either never seen PT& A or never had a deep connection to this John Hughes masterpiece. If they haven't seen it, I obtain a commitment to view it with a loved one over this upcoming weekend. If they have seen it but aren't connected to it, I find a quiet room, sit the learner down and bombard them with the key summary points such as "Those aren't pillows!" and "genuine Czechoslovakian ivory" to deliver the message that s/he the learner is probably morally bankrupt or at best emotionally frigid.
I have a very young second year medical student in my clinic. Her name is Kelly and she is smart, hard-working and eager to learn -- the perfect medical student. Kelly is also ebullient, always ready with a smile and a positive word. But when I administered the Socratic November quiz to Kelly, her dark side came out. She had seen PT& A many years prior and was "not a fan". Kelly elaborated, stating that she didn't find Del and Neal to be funny but frustrating. She couldn't stand all the setbacks! She wanted to know why Neal just didn't rent a car in Wichita to drive back to Chicago. She expressed dismay that Del would carry so much cash in his wallet while traveling. She thought it short-sighted that our heroes wouldn't ask the front desk of the hotel for more towels. Mercifully Kelly didn't ask why Neal and Del didn't just use their cell phones -- I've gotten that question from other medical students in the past.
Being Kelly's mentor, I chose to remain calm and validate her concerns. Her numerous questions reminded me of why my wife can't watch PT& A due to similar frustrations. Eventually I asked Kelly, "are you a goal-oriented person?" and she said "yes". I asked Kelly, "do you enjoy making lists and checking off each accomplished task" and her face predictably brightened as she confirmed this. I was reflective for a moment. Do I go for the tired, predictable Millennial pile-on argument? Perhaps the equally tired life's a journey, not a destination trope? Do I just walk out of the room in a huff screaming "you're impossible!"? No, no, no. None of these would do. I am an educator, after all. Finally, in my best Morpheus voice, I said, "Kelly, what if I told you that you are Neal Page?" Nothing registered with her. She offered that maybe it'd been too long since she'd soon the movie. Thus a homework assignment was born, to watch PT& A again with someone who'd never seen it before and think about the possibility that she just might be Neal Page and see if the movie clicked on a new level. Kelly's final exam will be the Monday after Thanksgiving, just in time for Christmas music ranking exercises!
As we the fortunate embark on a weekend of family, friends and food, I have a few requests. Be thankful for all your blessings. Tell someone you love them. Don't get trolled by your Uncle Doug at the dinner table when he asks "does the Social Justice Warrior want some gravy?". And remember that our world is full of Neals and Dels, who individually are lost but together find their way home.
Invariably the learner has either never seen PT& A or never had a deep connection to this John Hughes masterpiece. If they haven't seen it, I obtain a commitment to view it with a loved one over this upcoming weekend. If they have seen it but aren't connected to it, I find a quiet room, sit the learner down and bombard them with the key summary points such as "Those aren't pillows!" and "genuine Czechoslovakian ivory" to deliver the message that s/he the learner is probably morally bankrupt or at best emotionally frigid.
I have a very young second year medical student in my clinic. Her name is Kelly and she is smart, hard-working and eager to learn -- the perfect medical student. Kelly is also ebullient, always ready with a smile and a positive word. But when I administered the Socratic November quiz to Kelly, her dark side came out. She had seen PT& A many years prior and was "not a fan". Kelly elaborated, stating that she didn't find Del and Neal to be funny but frustrating. She couldn't stand all the setbacks! She wanted to know why Neal just didn't rent a car in Wichita to drive back to Chicago. She expressed dismay that Del would carry so much cash in his wallet while traveling. She thought it short-sighted that our heroes wouldn't ask the front desk of the hotel for more towels. Mercifully Kelly didn't ask why Neal and Del didn't just use their cell phones -- I've gotten that question from other medical students in the past.
Being Kelly's mentor, I chose to remain calm and validate her concerns. Her numerous questions reminded me of why my wife can't watch PT& A due to similar frustrations. Eventually I asked Kelly, "are you a goal-oriented person?" and she said "yes". I asked Kelly, "do you enjoy making lists and checking off each accomplished task" and her face predictably brightened as she confirmed this. I was reflective for a moment. Do I go for the tired, predictable Millennial pile-on argument? Perhaps the equally tired life's a journey, not a destination trope? Do I just walk out of the room in a huff screaming "you're impossible!"? No, no, no. None of these would do. I am an educator, after all. Finally, in my best Morpheus voice, I said, "Kelly, what if I told you that you are Neal Page?" Nothing registered with her. She offered that maybe it'd been too long since she'd soon the movie. Thus a homework assignment was born, to watch PT& A again with someone who'd never seen it before and think about the possibility that she just might be Neal Page and see if the movie clicked on a new level. Kelly's final exam will be the Monday after Thanksgiving, just in time for Christmas music ranking exercises!
As we the fortunate embark on a weekend of family, friends and food, I have a few requests. Be thankful for all your blessings. Tell someone you love them. Don't get trolled by your Uncle Doug at the dinner table when he asks "does the Social Justice Warrior want some gravy?". And remember that our world is full of Neals and Dels, who individually are lost but together find their way home.