Charles Hatem, MD, is the Harold Amos Distinguished Academy Professor and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chair Emeritus of the Department of Medical Education at Mt Auburn Hospital. Dr Hatem completed his Medical school from Harvard Medical School and Residency from Boston City Hospital. Dr. Hatem has pioneered the application of educational theory to medical training of both hospital staff and practicing physicians. He served as the Director of the Rabkin Fellowship in Medical Education which is devoted to training faculty to become clinician-teachers. He has also served as a consultant to numerous medical schools in the development of their medical education programs in Argentina, India, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. Dr. Hatem has additionally served as the co-editor-in-chief of ACPs’s Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program and has developed the widely used series of “Can’t Miss Cases”.

In life, we will face adversity. That is guaranteed. Today, Dr. Charles Hatem recalls the wise words of Viktor Frankl as he looks at the profession of medicine. The hardships we face, the struggles we encounter, and the obstacles in front of us are inevitable. The key lies in how we choose to face that adversity. That is what defines our true character. Dr. Hatem shares many wise stories about the value of kindness, of taking the time to listen and help others, and what success means to him. He believes that success is not about title; it is more so about the commitment to others, being the best physician he can be, and to be grateful and astonished by life. And that at the root of it all—is uncovering who we are as humans.

Pearls of Wisdom:

1. Understand the value of kindness, and how we can apply it in our life: Allocate the time to hear someone else’s story, despite anything else going on in our lives. Use that information to help that person. That is the most basic definition of kindness in medical practice.
2. The development of who we are as a person should be paralleled to our pursuit of achievement. We need to honor love, well-being of self, and commitment for the others in our lives, even as we focus on achievements.
3. In life, we will face adversity. That is guaranteed. What is important is how we face that adversity. It’s how we choose to deal with it that defines our true character.