An excellent neurologist is a priceless superhero
The neurologist is the patient’s advocate, and he must be corrosive and attentive. If the neurologist misses, for example, Barre’s symptom on the lower limb, he allows you to perform sonication. As the operating neurosurgeon, you will be to blame for the developed complication. Who is the ideal candidate for a neurologist-co-pilot?
Aviation experience is more than ever welcome here. Crew resource management is needed more than anywhere else in the operating room. And one of the roles of the neurologist in this is to stop the surgeon in time. In aviation, crew members in the cockpit have an exciting classification. We divide them into eagles, doves, owls, and roosters.
You will likely see the neurosurgeon and the team leader as an eagle. Eagles are bold, fly high, and are prone to authoritarianism and risky decisions. They are focused on doing their job and don’t like talking. They want to receive a short verbal message. If you need to deliver a detailed message to an eagle, write a text or SMS.
Roosters love to chat and hang out. They are called influencers or peacemakers. They are curious and empathic. They see the best in people and, given their dislike of delving into the details. That is why they are prone to biased decisions. Pigeons are the majority of the population. They do not like conflicts, balanced, calm, and attentive listeners. The dove will intervene to stop the battle but will not make a decision.
And now the rarest but essential kind. Owl. Owls are charged with facts. They don’t like spontaneity. They collect all the facts in detail. They seem crazy when they immerse in thought. The Owl is not just ready but wants to point out that something is going wrong. Therefore, owls tend to annoy eagles. If you are a neurosurgeon, be patient with your Owl. She, of course, can slow down decision-making processes, but she always sees potential problems better than others.
The neurosurgeon in the operating room is a brave eagle. Not every neurologist gets the opportunity to be his co-pilot. Many of them are pigeons and would not like to participate in aggression with surgeons. Allow your Owl to have her say, and it will save you a lot of problems.
Therefore, do not forget that a neurosurgeon working with a neurologist attracts courageous and progressive neurologists. He attracts those who are willing to take risks and get excellent results. Not surprisingly, other eagles will soar next to the neurosurgeon. They will be like a leader. In this case, it is very effective to work with them. This approach is practical when you have a simple and predictable case. You did the job and went to do other things. But remember that they will not cover the weak side of the eagle neurosurgeon because they have the same weakness.
A careful, attentive, and thorough Owl neurologist will be a priceless gift to the team. Choose the Owl in a risky case. She will not allow something to go wrong if you listen to her.
So, please take with you not only the same birds as you when you unite a team. A team needed superheroes with different super skills to be strong and invulnerable.
