- Email: [email protected]
We regret to inform you
Wilbur L, Smith, MD, Editor
Rejection is a painful process. I have yet to meet anyone who enjoyed being rebuffed in something they wanted to achieve. Rightly or wrongly, the state of not being chosen carries with it so severe a stigma that some people never even try to achieve for fear of rejection. These individuals feel that it is safer to stay within the boundaries of their assigned course rather than face the possible pain of being passed over or having their work criticized or refuted. This is a truly sad state because it denies both the person who lives in fear and the community as a whole the full range of talents and ideas possible. The person who, out of concern for rejection, becomes paralyzed, writing and rewriting a paper, then never submitting it, or one who remains in a position well beneath their abilities because of fear that their applications will be rebuffed, leads a career of frustration and bitterness. Of far more importance than the pain and stress to the individual is the fact that inhibition of action for fear of rejection leads to an awesome loss of human potential for society, science, and posterity. The first step in dealing with rejection is recognizing that it is a universal human experience. Abraham Lincoln may have "won" the Lincoln-Douglas debates, but he lost the election. Few authors in the scientific literature haven't received a polite note that says, "Sorry, but we cannot give your manuscript a high enough priority." I would be interested in hearing from anyone who hasn't ever suffered rejection; it seems to be a part of human interaction. If rejection is in fact a universal human experience, might it be necessary for our humanity? Now that we have accepted that we have all at one time or another been rejected for something or by someone, perhaps we can recognize that rejection is a process, not necessarily an end. As a process it can serve useful functions, even a positive one, if it is dealt with constructively and not by withdrawing, giving up, or becoming bitter. In no way do I mean to be a Pollyanna ( I ' m the wrong sex anyway). In fact, considering the saying about making the lemons of life into lemonade, I ' d rather skip the intermediate step and enjoy the beverage! It would be fantastic if
every article I wrote or every job I sought fell into my lap; however, I probably would become lazy, not document my science well, and possibly even do some harm as a result of my omnipotence. The process of rejection in fact sharpens one's focus, directs one's activities, and can lead to renewed vigor in pursuit of a goal. Once the rejectee (probably not a word, but poetic license is allowed in this column) separates the painful emotion, depersonalizes the situation, and considers the rejection an unpleasant step in the process, the stage is set for real growth to occur. How do you grow from rejection? First, and most important, you must learn everything you can about the reasons your initial effort didn't succeed. Were your facts not clear, did you not present yourself well, did your credentials not match up, or perhaps were you mismatched with the job, place, or journal you were trying for? It is often hard to get this information in an objective form. Few residency programs admit, for example, that they accept trainees only from their own institution, or that they accept only persons who have a certain "ticket" such as membership in Alpha Omega Alpha. Journals are a little better because at least you get the reviewers' comments for guidance. Jobs are even tougher to get facts about, as the employer has constraints that sometimes lead to a lack of candor (eg, practice groups that are reluctant to hire older individuals or women). Often attempts to get information on the reasons for rejection are futile. However, it is always worth trying; otherwise, you may lose yourself to the opinions and perceptions of others. After the data are collected, you are in a better position to assess whether the rejection arose from a misguided message, a mismatch between your efforts and that of the powers that be, or just a flat-out impossible situation where you never had a chance. In the latter instance, you know enough to redirect your efforts in another direction. In many ways this is the easiest type of rejection; you cannot change your age, sex, or the medical school from which you graduated so you can avoid reassessment and go on to something else. That isn't to say such behavior is fair, but life was never guaranteed to be fair. In the instance where your efforts were off target, you
657
RADIOLOGY RESIDENTS' NOTES
have more soul searching before you. Why was your message misperceived? Was it unclear or wrong? Should you rethink your fundamental message or just its presentation? Were you too brusque, threatening, arrogant, or meek? Do you really want the achievement at the cost of repackaging, rewriting, or changing your behavior? All of these are personal questions answerable by only you; however, in your answer you will often find things about yourself that lead to your own growth and improvement. Perhaps that is why rejection is such a universal human experience. Once you recognize the process, depersonalize it, and analyze the reasons for rejection, the final step is action. Do not let today's rejection paralyze you into a state of fear of future rejection. While it is generally fruitless to repeatedly charge into a brick wall, if the rewards are on the other side it is worth looking for a doorway. Fear is the biggest negative in rejection, but this fear is usually irrational. Few people have been executed because their manuscripts were rejected! Recognizing rejection as a universal human experience allows the fear to dissipate and helps growth begin. Indeed, there is a reason why we are all rejected from time to time!
Vol 4, No 9, September 1997
THE LAST HURRAH This will be the last of the Radiology Residents' Notes section of Academic Radiology. Over the 4 years that this column has run, it has been a pleasure to read how many distinguished radiologists address problems outside of the usual issues of radiographic interpretation. Radiology is a marvelous field filled with wonderful people and I hope that at least a few of you have gained some insights from the Residents' Notes. Nycomed has been most kind in sponsoring distribution of Academic Radiology to radiology residents, the target audience of this column. Throughout this column you should have gleaned the message that change is inevitable. I believe that after 4 years it is clearly time to change. With the new editorship of Academic Radiology, we will all be looking at changing roles and responsibilities. In ending this editorial column, I paraphrase the philosophy with which many Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are ended: "The ideas expressed here are those of individuals; take those which are of value to you and leave the rest." Goodbye. Wilbur L. Smith, MD University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa
658
Rejection is a painful process. I have yet to meet anyone who enjoyed being rebuffed in something they wanted to achieve. Rightly or wrongly, the state of not being chosen carries with it so severe a stigma that some people never even try to achieve for fear of rejection. These individuals feel that it is safer to stay within the boundaries of their assigned course rather than face the possible pain of being passed over or having their work criticized or refuted. This is a truly sad state because it denies both the person who lives in fear and the community as a whole the full range of talents and ideas possible. The person who, out of concern for rejection, becomes paralyzed, writing and rewriting a paper, then never submitting it, or one who remains in a position well beneath their abilities because of fear that their applications will be rebuffed, leads a career of frustration and bitterness. Of far more importance than the pain and stress to the individual is the fact that inhibition of action for fear of rejection leads to an awesome loss of human potential for society, science, and posterity. The first step in dealing with rejection is recognizing that it is a universal human experience. Abraham Lincoln may have "won" the Lincoln-Douglas debates, but he lost the election. Few authors in the scientific literature haven't received a polite note that says, "Sorry, but we cannot give your manuscript a high enough priority." I would be interested in hearing from anyone who hasn't ever suffered rejection; it seems to be a part of human interaction. If rejection is in fact a universal human experience, might it be necessary for our humanity? Now that we have accepted that we have all at one time or another been rejected for something or by someone, perhaps we can recognize that rejection is a process, not necessarily an end. As a process it can serve useful functions, even a positive one, if it is dealt with constructively and not by withdrawing, giving up, or becoming bitter. In no way do I mean to be a Pollyanna ( I ' m the wrong sex anyway). In fact, considering the saying about making the lemons of life into lemonade, I ' d rather skip the intermediate step and enjoy the beverage! It would be fantastic if
every article I wrote or every job I sought fell into my lap; however, I probably would become lazy, not document my science well, and possibly even do some harm as a result of my omnipotence. The process of rejection in fact sharpens one's focus, directs one's activities, and can lead to renewed vigor in pursuit of a goal. Once the rejectee (probably not a word, but poetic license is allowed in this column) separates the painful emotion, depersonalizes the situation, and considers the rejection an unpleasant step in the process, the stage is set for real growth to occur. How do you grow from rejection? First, and most important, you must learn everything you can about the reasons your initial effort didn't succeed. Were your facts not clear, did you not present yourself well, did your credentials not match up, or perhaps were you mismatched with the job, place, or journal you were trying for? It is often hard to get this information in an objective form. Few residency programs admit, for example, that they accept trainees only from their own institution, or that they accept only persons who have a certain "ticket" such as membership in Alpha Omega Alpha. Journals are a little better because at least you get the reviewers' comments for guidance. Jobs are even tougher to get facts about, as the employer has constraints that sometimes lead to a lack of candor (eg, practice groups that are reluctant to hire older individuals or women). Often attempts to get information on the reasons for rejection are futile. However, it is always worth trying; otherwise, you may lose yourself to the opinions and perceptions of others. After the data are collected, you are in a better position to assess whether the rejection arose from a misguided message, a mismatch between your efforts and that of the powers that be, or just a flat-out impossible situation where you never had a chance. In the latter instance, you know enough to redirect your efforts in another direction. In many ways this is the easiest type of rejection; you cannot change your age, sex, or the medical school from which you graduated so you can avoid reassessment and go on to something else. That isn't to say such behavior is fair, but life was never guaranteed to be fair. In the instance where your efforts were off target, you
657
RADIOLOGY RESIDENTS' NOTES
have more soul searching before you. Why was your message misperceived? Was it unclear or wrong? Should you rethink your fundamental message or just its presentation? Were you too brusque, threatening, arrogant, or meek? Do you really want the achievement at the cost of repackaging, rewriting, or changing your behavior? All of these are personal questions answerable by only you; however, in your answer you will often find things about yourself that lead to your own growth and improvement. Perhaps that is why rejection is such a universal human experience. Once you recognize the process, depersonalize it, and analyze the reasons for rejection, the final step is action. Do not let today's rejection paralyze you into a state of fear of future rejection. While it is generally fruitless to repeatedly charge into a brick wall, if the rewards are on the other side it is worth looking for a doorway. Fear is the biggest negative in rejection, but this fear is usually irrational. Few people have been executed because their manuscripts were rejected! Recognizing rejection as a universal human experience allows the fear to dissipate and helps growth begin. Indeed, there is a reason why we are all rejected from time to time!
Vol 4, No 9, September 1997
THE LAST HURRAH This will be the last of the Radiology Residents' Notes section of Academic Radiology. Over the 4 years that this column has run, it has been a pleasure to read how many distinguished radiologists address problems outside of the usual issues of radiographic interpretation. Radiology is a marvelous field filled with wonderful people and I hope that at least a few of you have gained some insights from the Residents' Notes. Nycomed has been most kind in sponsoring distribution of Academic Radiology to radiology residents, the target audience of this column. Throughout this column you should have gleaned the message that change is inevitable. I believe that after 4 years it is clearly time to change. With the new editorship of Academic Radiology, we will all be looking at changing roles and responsibilities. In ending this editorial column, I paraphrase the philosophy with which many Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are ended: "The ideas expressed here are those of individuals; take those which are of value to you and leave the rest." Goodbye. Wilbur L. Smith, MD University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa
658