- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Edward 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 health information websites and has edited publications and CD-ROMs and reviewed articles.
"We the team of (the website) 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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May 8, 2013
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April 17, 2013
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April 3, 2013
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March 20, 2013
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Stress blog
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May 8, 2010
Coping with change: Stop stressing and start adapting
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Without a doubt, technological advances such as the laptop and the smart phone have created the best of times and also the worst of times. It's hardly a surprise that the word "burnout" and the word "cyberspace" came into use at about the same time. It can feel like we're at the mercy of technology and that coping with change is our full time job.
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Indeed, my company recently introduced a new software package. Prior to launching the program, they provided extensive education about the software. A few of my colleagues, however, bristled at having to learn a new system. Rather than coping with change, they dug in their heels. They skipped the training and now they're increasingly agitated by their inability to use the system.
It occurred to me that while we may not like change — especially when it's imposed on us — we can't keep it from happening. What can we do? We can choose how we react. We can whine and complain about our fate and assume the victim posture. Or we can acknowledge our discomfort and say to ourselves, "OK, this happened and it's not fair, but what can I do about it?"
In other words, we can invest our energy in feeling sorry for ourselves or we can invest it in figuring out how to adapt and even thrive. Of course things don't always go our way, but there's always something we can do to ensure that tomorrow will be better than today.
The next time you're faced with change, how will you choose to respond?
11 comments posted
November 26, 2011 11:45 p.m.
"OK, this happened and it's not fair, but what can I do about it?" In other words, we can invest our energy in feeling sorry for ourselves or we can invest it in figuring out how to adapt and even thrive. Of course things don't always go our way, but there's always something we can do to ensure that tomorrow will be better than today. I posted these words from the article because I want to "get them"...I mean get them into my head and heart so that I can live them, be them, experience them. November for me has been one big month = CHANGE. And I am really feeling like a fish out of water, and although I know I have to "suck it up", I just wish someone would some along and comfort me whilst I get used to all this CHANGE. Thanks for the article.
- MARY
June 30, 2010 1:13 p.m.
My husband was diagnosed with leukemia, it was very sudden and it was then I felt a total loss of control in my life. Simple things like wanting to stop at the store for milk became impossible because my time spent at the hospital. I have learned to roll with it and go one day at a time. He's in remission now and on disability, dealing with all of this has opened my eyes. I also learned, we can't prevent stress, we can learn how to best deal with it. Software changes at work-a piece of cake!
- Diane
May 19, 2010 10:20 a.m.
I like change that I initiate. The many changes imposed on me (mostly in my job) stress me out because not only do I have to continue doing my job, but have to go for training in these new (and usually counter-intuitive) software systems. But since you can only fight, flee, or flow - I have no choice but to flow.
- Miranda
May 14, 2010 9:15 a.m.
i have been living with heart problems for years now my daughter has it bad
- patrice
May 13, 2010 12:23 p.m.
The imposed change I'm having trouble with right now is my husband lost his job. He is very discouraged and it seems that everything I say is wrong when I try to encourage him. It's HIS problem, HIS job...but it is OUR budget, OUR lifestyle...it affects me tremendously. What am I supposed to do?
- Susan
May 11, 2010 1:45 p.m.
I believe change is an inevitable part of life and can make you stronger if you choose to view it as a challenge. I find that if I focus on taking care of myself - eat right, sleep, exercise - I can handle so much more. And always get back up when you fall.
- Louise
May 11, 2010 1:36 p.m.
I have coped with four different Operating Systems and five different software packages, not to mention the switch from disks the size of 33 1/3 inch records to jump drives the size of my thumbnail. I have drawn the line at my 2001 cell phone which does nothing but make and return phone calls; I will not use an iPhone, a BlackBerry, or a binkie that does everything but serve dinner and dance the Highland Fling. And I still use a film camera. I decide which technology I will use, and my stress is much lower therefore.
- Appleby
May 11, 2010 7:57 a.m.
In 2009 I was layed off from my job of 19 years. I'm trying to get another full time job. I even tried a home business, but didn't work. I finally found a p/t job, not what I want but I'm trying to make ends meet.
- Susan
May 9, 2010 9:00 p.m.
the one change that scares me the most is aging. And yet when I consider the alternative, I can only choose to adapt. Still, I wonder what the years will bring. Barbara A
- Barbar A
May 9, 2010 12:49 p.m.
My older sister who works in the computer field told me some years back we live in the "dinosaur age" of computers. Computers bring us that, but also bring us this (blog, etc.). I'll try to respond by taking this good with the (dinosaur) bad.
- Carol
May 8, 2010 8:52 p.m.
Very well put. Stress is a major factor in our complex lives today. We have to keep cool... I say, assume the observer scientist pose to watch changing events and take positive action in reacting to them... never looking back or complaining in the present moment.
- mm
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