In our busy lives, in which it seems every minute is budgeted for some activity, it may seem difficult to stop for a minute and think about what came before. However, in reality, considering for a moment the significance of what came before is a very important part of fully living.

I know…that sounds a little overblown. “I can’t fully live until I reflect on my experiences? Really?”

Really.

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“An unexamined life is not worth living.”

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Part of fully experiencing something requires us to reflect on what happened, what it meant, and what we can learn from it. Without this process of reflection, we’re basically robots, unconsciously moving through life. It was the great philosopher Plato who said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”

I find it interesting that a relatively recent survey of podiatric residents and program directors by one of my Western University colleagues, David Shofler, DPM, found immediate feedback after surgery to be one of the most valuable learning methods¹. This is easily explained. Our residents perform a surgical procedure (or any activity for that matter) and then receive “feedback”. During this interaction, the attending provides their opinion of the performance of that resident – what they did well and what could be improved. But if done well, the attending will first take a moment and allow the resident to self-reflect on the experience.

This brings us to a technique known as the Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle². The purpose of this method is a structured way to help others learn from their experiences. The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle consists of five components:

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The key to this process is to help the trainee come to their own conclusions by reflecting on what occurred.

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Note during this entire cycle the coach is not providing immediate feedback and giving their opinion. They are asking the trainee leading questions that create thought and discussion. In residency training, it is always necessary for the attending physician to state their assessment of the situation – which should be done eventually – but don’t provide that feedback immediately. Go through at least the first four steps above and, just before an action plan is determined, state your assessment of the situation. The key to this process is to help the trainee come to their own conclusions by reflecting on what occurred. This will provide the most effective and longest lasting behavioral changes from their educational experiences.

Best wishes.