- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
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Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
"The magic of the electronic village is transforming health information. The mouse and keyboard have extended the stethoscope to the 500 million people now online." - Dr. Edward Creagan
The power of the medium inspires Dr. Edward Creagan as he searches for ways to share Mayo Clinic's vast resources with the general public.
Dr. Creagan, a Newark, N.J., native, is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice medicine and palliative care. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1973 and in 1999 was president of the staff of Mayo Clinic. Dr. Creagan, a professor of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, was honored in 1995 with the John and Roma Rouse Professor of Humanism in Medicine Award and in 1992 with the Distinguished Mayo Clinician Award, Mayo's highest recognition. He has been recognized with the American Cancer Society Professorship of Clinical Oncology.
He describes his areas of special interest as "wellness as a bio-psycho-social-spiritual-financial model" and fitness, mind-body connection, aging and burnout.
Dr. Creagan has been an associate medical editor with Mayo Clinic's Web sites and has edited publications and CD-ROMs and reviewed articles.
"We the team of (the Web site) provide reliable, easy-to-understand health and wellness information so that each of us can have productive, meaningful lives," he says.
Latest entries
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Nov. 20, 2009
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Oct. 30, 2009
- Set limits
Oct. 24, 2009
- Head in the game
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Stress blog
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Oct. 17, 2009
When the pressure is on, stay focused
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Over the weekend, my wife and I had dinner with a couple with whom we are very close. The woman is a prominent member of the business community who has been invited to participate in a blue ribbon meeting in Italy next week. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and will be a tremendous asset for her business.
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In preparation for her trip, she's deliberately scaled back her business responsibilities and curtailed her evening commitments. She's invested the time in mentally preparing for the trip, as well as taking care of details such as packing, getting a passport and finalizing her itinerary. In other words, she eliminated distractions and focused on maximizing the experience.
Where else do we see this kind of focus? In sports. Baseball players grind through over 160 games during their season, which starts in April. When the playoffs ensue in October, every pitch is crucial. One of the most high-pressure positions is the "closer" — the pitcher who comes in to save the game. The closer has no room for error. He faces only a few batters. Either he saves the game or he blows it. The successful closer — like our friend the businesswoman — has the ability to focus on the task at hand and to eliminate distractions.
For me, the lesson is this: When we have an important commitment or responsibility on our plate, we must eliminate the nuisances that drive us crazy and focus our energies and our passions on getting the job done.
What do others think? Can you provide additional insights and clarity on the issue of focus?
5 comments posted
November 22, 2009 10:30 a.m.
Currently I have several different projects on the go. I am finding that my focus is scattered. So what I am going to do is focus on one project at a time and discipline myself to do this. I think that when we try to do too much at once we are less effective. Note to student/wife/mother. I remember a day when several jobs came tumbling down all at once and I could not see how to do them. I did, but I resolved to say NO when I had too much to do. This has served me well over the years.
- Barbara
October 20, 2009 7:30 p.m.
Delegate! How many of the distractions can be handed over to someone else? Men have little trouble delegating; they are used to the idea of hierarchy. Women think we have to do it all. Delegate and release control. Your boss does and you can too.
- Appleby
October 20, 2009 7:16 p.m.
This is not so much about focus or blocking distractions.It is about making choices. We are so accustomed to beliefs and expectations that we forget we control how we react to situations. Learn to accept the belief you have choices but also you have to be willing to make different choices. Eliminate the word "should" from your thinking. Choose to be upset or not upset with what the world brings. You have the power to create your own realities. If you do not like them you have the power to change them.
- sue
October 18, 2009 4:00 p.m.
I agree that this is what I used to do when I was single, however when you are trying to fill multiple roles as wife, mother, student and health professional then the ability to eliminate all those distractions is lost. Any ideas on how to re-attain them would be fantastic.
- Heather
October 18, 2009 8:33 a.m.
Great topic. how to we block-out those distractions when we need complete focus similar to the "closer"?
- Mike
5 comments posted