By: Mary Vehrenkamp

Mary Vehrenkamp — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 14:35:30 +0000

I really identify with the following comment… “Ericsoon and Pool make the point that by focusing on skills, the knowledge will naturally come along for the ride”. I have found this to be true in many aspects of my personal and professional life. I am a Medical Technologist. When I first started at Mayo Clinic in 1986, I worked in the Bacteriology Lab. In college, I could study endlessly the biochemical tests to identify bacteria and their gram stain morphology. When I started to work in a laboratory and utilize the skills needed to bring all aspects of organism identification together (plate morphology, gram stain, biochemical reaction etc.) I began to develop expertise in identifying bacteria as well as confidence in identifying difficult organisms sent to the lab via MML clients. I also relate to your comment regarding having a “need for a teacher”. I had a wonderful mentor in the laboratory whose skills and knowledge allowed me to grow in my profession. In another aspect of my career as an auditor, I can identify with “learning skills rather than developing knowledge” is the way to develop expertise as an auditor. I can be “knowledgeable” about the regulations that govern our laboratories and this is an important part of my job. However, until I apply this knowledge by reviewing records from many different laboratories at Mayo Clinic as well as other Institutions, do I develop the “skills” in understanding how the regulations can be interpreted and applied in different ways. In addition, I feel that performing internal audits increases my knowledge of the requirements and allows me to be a resource for laboratories when question arise. My skills as an auditor has in turn increased my knowledge.

Comments on: What Does Deliberate Practice Look Like for Me?

By: Mary Vehrenkamp