As we go through life, I have always found it fascinating consider the way that neural synapses (connections in the brain) for and stack upon each other to create a cohesive web of electrical ability. The proverbial layers of memories and learning that goes down builds on the foundation we form through experiences (intentional and not) throughout our lives. In undergrad, a life time ago, I took a class on the concept of Memory. The way in which we store memory and retrieve it modulates itself through a variety of various ways, and the stronger the emotional content or association of human senses, the stronger the process. Still, one thing that is interestingly time and time again harder to think about is the time before we knew something. It is fascinatingly easy to forget what it’s like to not know something.

As a Physician a large amount of my time is spent in consultation and explanation to families on how their child is doing or what our plan is to take care of them. I also tend to work with learners of different creeds among the medical landscape (eg: nursing students, medical residents, new respiratory therapists, etc.). I myself am still a learner in Medicine and moreso outside of medicine, a learner still of so many things. There are many things I don’t know and one of the biggest conversations and truths as to the length of time that goes into training to be a Physician is to understand how many things there are out in the world that I don’t know. But, keeping all of this in mind, for me to be successful at explanation and pedagogy, is trying to remember what it’s like to not know something and anticipate some of the learning curves that someone may not even know they are up against.

I was inspired to write this one night when I listened to a Family Medicine Attending Physician look up from her computer to a question asked by one of the medical learners and realize that she couldn’t even conceptualize what had been asked. For most of us, barring catastrophic injury, we don’t remember what it’s like to not know how to speak, or to read, or to write. I sometimes am asked questions by medical learners that I have known the answer to for so long that it seems to be common integrated sense. Memories of things I have learned over time are no longer memories but instinct and reflex. The number of times I have heard a medical provider say the letters “NPO” to a patient is endless. I realize often that it has become such a natural phrase for them that they forget that not everyone knows what it means to have nothing per oral (or nothing by mouth). But to maintain successful communication with anyone on any platform, taking the time to seek perspective is crucial.

There are many days that I do or see things that I don’t remember not knowing. Just as I don’t remember not knowing how to walk, I don’t remember not knowing many functions of the human body or science as I have been deep into esoteric levels of understanding for almost two decades. Just as in any other realm, it is absolutely important to take the time to reflect on these instances even if we can not entirely transport ourselves back to the time of not knowing something as it allows us to build better connections with those around us in a world with less judgement or assumption. I don’t remember what it is like to not know, but It is important that I try.

Image Credit: https://www.bakerdonelson.com/files/Nashville-Briefing-1-16-14.pdf