- 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
- Coping with life's hard knocks
May 8, 2013
- Be open to solutions and silver linings
April 17, 2013
- Learned optimism
April 3, 2013
- Recognizing that life is unfair
March 20, 2013
- Your attitude affects your reality
March 6, 2013
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Stress blog
-
Aug. 25, 2010
Gratitude: Apply liberally for best results
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
On a Friday evening several weeks ago I participated in a retirement ceremony for a beloved colleague. He was a physician to the prince and the pauper. His scientific background and clinical skills were legendary. He was an international expert and the go-to guy for tough cases.
| Need more help? |
|
If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away.
|
Of course, there were the usual accolades and tributes, but one comment jumped out at me. His secretaries lauded this accomplished doctor for being one of the first among his colleagues to demonstrate his gratitude for a job well done. Studies show that although a paycheck is important, recognition and appreciation for one's efforts are just as important.
A recent remark about my piano playing brought home to me the importance of gratitude. Let me stress that my piano teacher has urged me to keep my medical license up to date since my musical skills are marginal at best. Yet when a person who had heard me play said, "You know you're not too bad," I felt profoundly gratified and that maybe I was making progress.
So an important lesson: Everyone needs to feel appreciated and encouraged. Don't pass up a chance to voice your gratitude for a job well done. Sure, this isn't brain surgery but just some common sense advice to make this sometimes cold and cruel world a little softer and a little kinder.
10 comments posted
September 1, 2010 8:42 p.m.
I had to travel extensively in my job for 22 years, and one day my supervisor asked me whether or not I was "okay", that he feared that I would "burn out". I responded that a young teacher told me once that doing a job that you love is more rewarding every day that you do it, no matter what; and that "burn out" occurs only when you lose the support of your superiors ... I have found that to be true ... appreciation is invaluable ... and I told him so.
- 736
September 1, 2010 3:54 p.m.
One of the most powerful things I learned from my lifetime "best boss" was: "Catch someone doing something right and tell them about it!" It worked "on me" and worked "for me" through a lifetime of management.
- Tex
September 1, 2010 10:01 a.m.
I am retired now but for the ten years I did work my boss never missed saying thank you to me each night when I left work. It smoothed out any disagreements and problems we had in the workplace. When I think back now about my working days, that is my best remembrance. Thank you for the reminder in this blog.
- carol
September 1, 2010 6:14 a.m.
As someone who lives in a foreign land where people do not take kindly to new people, I am constantly shocking (and eliciting smiles from) the people around me with compliments. It is especially important to compliment children who are well behaved and polite, and to compliment their parent(s) for the good job. I had a delightful little boy of about 5 offer me his seat on the subway, and I told him that his Mama had certainly raised a little gentleman -- both Mother and Son beamed all over their faces.
- Appleby
August 31, 2010 10:37 p.m.
Please may I have the candy bar and the thankyou.
- Wendy
August 31, 2010 3:21 p.m.
I totally agree with you. One caveat, however. Make sure that your gratitude is honest, not contrived.
- Keith
August 31, 2010 2:04 p.m.
My daughter has a hard job in a bakery, on her feet and stressed out all day. Yet when her boss tells her she has done a good job and he is pleased with her, she is as happy as all get out. Those little words make such a difference to the way she feels about her job. A word of thanks goes a long way. When I make quilts for people I really appreciate getting a card thanking me for the work I have done for them. It costs so little and means so much.
- Rosemary
August 27, 2010 10:13 p.m.
A past art teacher told my class "To make it in this world you have to be either really smart or really nice". Sounds like your gifted colleague was both. Most of us must settle for being nice...nice blog this week!
- Big Carol
August 26, 2010 7:57 a.m.
One of the great things about expressing your gratitude as proposed is that it has benefit for both parties! The receiver certainly feels good for hearing the someone is grateful becuase of him/her. Also, the "Giver of Gratitude" also feels good for offering the words of gratitude! Thanks. Paul. http://www.AllAboutGratitude.com
- Paul
August 25, 2010 7:03 p.m.
Few things make me feel better than a verbal expression of gratitude for a job well done, or anything for that matter. Where I work they feel material rewards are necessary, such as a candy bar for a good job. I find a genuine "Thank you" so much more rewarding.
- eljay
Share on:
10 comments posted