Being a Valued Member of the Team: The Role Player
We are at a pivotal moment in healthcare worldwide. The pandemic and current macroeconomic conditions present unique challenges for young healthcare professionals. It’s clear that we need to rethink medical education, career paths, and strategies. Unfortunately, most of the training and resources available to young medical professionals do not prepare them for today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world.
These unique challenges represent an opportunity. I have some ideas on how to seize these opportunities, and I’ve decided to share them through an article series titled Game Plan Rx. This series will draw lessons from professional sports and athletes to inspire medical practitioners. Sports are one of my favorite hobbies and sources of inspiration. Specifically, I will draw from basketball, football, and soccer, as well as my experience mentoring over 100 medical students, residents, and attending physicians. I hope that combining these experiences with my passion for sports will inspire and guide more young professionals than I can currently reach.
This first article focuses on what medical professionals can learn from NBA players on being a valued team member without being the center of attention. The average NBA team has a 15-man roster supported by 100 staff. The 15-man squad typically includes 2 stars, 3 non-star-level starters, a sixth man, and rotation players. Most basketball players are role players, specializing in specific areas. No team has found playoff success without role players! On the other hand, the league has seen dominant players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James fall short of a championship despite superhuman performances simply because their supporting cast did not show up. This situation ultimately emphasizes that everyone has a role to play—even star players.
Star player, you cannot do it alone. In medicine, the best surgeon is only as good as their team allows them to be. The benefits of a well-planned and executed surgery can be lost if postoperative care is suboptimal. If you are the star player, it is your duty to recruit the rest of your team. If these are folks already on the team, recruiting them means getting them to buy into your vision. Recruiting the rest of the team equally means making sure they eat. The star player cannot hog the ball and must intentionally make sure the role players are in the best position to shine. The star player has another important role—holding themselves and the rest of the team accountable! While most star players are comfortable holding others accountable, they often struggle to hold themselves accountable. If this is you, then find your Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler. Someone who will let you know when you mess up. Importantly, avoid deflecting blame and responsibility. Don’t make excuses, make game-winning plays! While most star players are comfortable holding others accountable, they often fail to do it efficiently. We will discuss how to do this in a subsequent article.
Role player, play your role. Role players get less attention and remuneration than stars—this can be frustrating for many. Take Jordan Poole, for example. Poole was an incredible role player with the Golden State Warriors, and his performances were outstanding. However, Poole failed to acknowledge how much of his success came from the situation around him. Having superstar players with a perennial championship history has its benefits. This led to Poole taking and wanting more of those game-winning shots/decisions, ultimately eroding the team’s chemistry. By no means am I saying that a role player cannot become a star player. Rather, the role player should let their game do the talking and elevate them to star status because the ultimate goal is not to be a star player. The ultimate aim is to win. In the medical context, the ultimate aim is not to be the big shot in the group—it is to get the best possible care for the patient. I recognize that this can be very difficult considering that most folks in the medical field are high achievers, but this is equally the case with NBA athletes. Every NBA role player was once a star in their college or high school!
Nobody cares how you were drafted; as soon as you step on the court with us, we are all on the same level. Similarly, no one cares where you did your medical training or how many commendations you had or did not have. As soon as you are a member of the team, you need to forget all that and do your job for the betterment of the patient.
In conclusion, whether you see yourself as a star player or a role player, remember that success in both sports and medicine relies on teamwork, accountability, and a shared vision. Embrace your role, support your team, and strive for excellence in every play.
#GamePlanRx
