STAT

Opinion: What Tom Brady and Beyoncé can teach surgeons: Coaching can keep you sharp

Aspiring surgeons undergo years of supervised training before they can operate independently. But after that training is over, they are on their own for maintaining and improving their skills.

Surgeons must perform at the top of their game day in and day out. So do athletes, singers, and other professionals, but a mistake in surgery has far greater ramifications than a fumble or a missed note.

Top performers in highly specialized fields get there with some combination of natural talent and hard work. But even the most elite — the Tom Bradys of sport, the Beyoncés of music — turn to coaches to help ensure their best performance. Should surgeons?

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from STAT

STAT2 min read
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re Reading About An Amgen Obesity Drug, A Senate Bill On Shortages, And More
Amgen will no longer develop an early-stage obesity pill, and will instead focus on a more advanced injectable candidate to compete with Wegovy and Zepbound.
STAT2 min read
STAT+: Brain Biopsies On ‘Vulnerable’ Patients At Mount Sinai Set Off Alarm Bells At FDA, Documents Show
A STAT Investigation: Brain biopsies on "vulnerable" patients at Mount Sinai set off alarm bells at FDA, documents show.
STAT2 min read
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re Reading About A Boy Dying In Pfizer Trial; AstraZeneca Yanking Covid Shot, And More
A young boy died in a clinical trial for an experimental Pfizer gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, about a year after receiving the therapy.

Related Books & Audiobooks