How to Raise a Doctor: Wisdom From Parents Who Did It by Dale Okorodudu

Author:Dale Okorodudu [Okorodudu, Dale]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Clovercroft Publishing
Published: 2018-06-29T17:00:00+00:00

Learning with You

Since conducting my survey, I have already begun implementing some of these tactics with my children. My five-year-old now understands the importance of his report card and knows that Daddy will ask him why he didn’t score perfectly on everything. Yes, everything. Not some things—everything! In reality, I don’t really expect him to do so, but I want him to believe it is possible and for him to set high standards for himself. I want him to bring home the biggest paycheck he can!

You might be thinking, Now, come on Dr. Dale, that’s a bit much. After all, it’s just kindergarten. Kindergarten grades really don’t mean anything. But it’s not at all about the grades. Rather, it’s about the self-expectations he is developing now and the establishment of habits that lead to excellence. This is the real goal. By themselves, expectations can make someone good. But habits produce greatness. As parents, our goal is to set high expectations that will be transformed into habits.

Another commonality in physicians’ upbringing was the expectation to obtain a college degree, and in many homes a professional degree. Growing up, I didn’t have the option to not attend college. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know that was an option at all. It was simply what people did. I recall my parents saying, “A college degree isn’t enough anymore. If you want to be competitive for jobs, you need to get something more than that.” Our conversations never focused on if I was going to college and didn’t even focus on which college I was going (that never seemed to be very important to my parents). Rather, my parents discussed which professional field I would choose.

I remember one evening when I walked into my parents’ bedroom and Papa asked me, “Dale, what do you want to be when you grow up?” I would have been about nine years old at the time.

“I’m not sure,” I replied. “I like to argue, so maybe a lawyer.”

“That’s a good field,” he said. “You should also think about being a doctor. But both are great jobs.”

On the contrary, I don’t ever recall having a conversation about whether or not I wanted to go to college. They had set the stage, so I knew that at minimum, I would be getting a professional degree.

My challenge to you as a parent of a future doctor, lawyer, or professional is to set high and discrete expectations. Write them down and evaluate them at least once per month. When doing this, make sure that you’re equipping your children to meet these expectations and fostering their desire to achieve.

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