In my experience as a resident, I have observed that the responsibility of patient safety is often consigned to those healthcare staff that tend to have more direct patient contact – nurses, technicians, and medical assistants. Despite physicians also having a great deal of direct patient care, residency training programs often lack a meaningful patient safety curriculum. This past year, my hospital has implemented a Housestaff Patient Safety & Quality Council which is surely a step in the right direction, however, I can count on one hand the number of patient safety-related lectures I have had, not to mention the rarity of hands-on patient safety education. Imagine if we spent as little time learning about cancer and heart disease as we did learning about patient safety. Healthcare providers, especially physicians, owe it to their patients to become more well-versed in this momentous topic.
Attending a Telluride Experience session will provide me a critical supplement to my residency training that I likely cannot obtain in the hospital setting. The training would build a strong framework about a topic that is often a weak subject for residents and a pivotal part of the patient journey to wellness. Through this experience, I intend not only to practice what I learn but also to teach others at my residency program. By becoming a better-educated patient safety advocate, I believe I can improve my program and all future programs to which I am affiliated by introducing patient-first healthcare that implements safe practices. Through the session, I also intend to increase my colleagues’ awareness of the importance of well-executed patient safety advocacy. The Telluride Experience session will certainly help me develop as a provider and help my colleagues grow in the name of patient protection.