Mustehsan Bashir, Saadia Nosheen Jan

Creativity is integral to man’s evolution for survival. From the idea of using chopsticks to pick up food to the masterpieces in a museum, creativity is inherent to man. Creativity is simply to let imaginations roam unfettered, to well on the hitherto unheard of and unthought of and to imagine the impossible as possible. The mind is a very powerful creation. If it believes in something with sufficient conviction for a sufficient period, itactually makes it happen. Nevertheless, what is allegedly embedded in our DNAs (1) needs a propitious milieu to foster and fester.

Plastic Surgery and creativity are analogous. Creativity, especially in plastic surgery does not require experience or tutelage. I’ve heard first year residents provide uncanny suggestions to improve on surgical results. An instant bond of admiration and mutual respect ensues, that nurtures further learning and creativity on both ends. Unfortunately, like creativity is innate to mankind, ego is notoriously immanent to surgeons. Snubbing attitudes and scathing remarks to residents who dare suggest a deviation or ask a “silly” question are not uncommon in our culture, embedding fear and vacillation as by-products of training, like confounders in a scientific study. In reality, no question is silly, and no answer is stupid. We should avoid our primal urge to humiliate to feel powerful that evokes such ignominy and ignobility in a noble profession.

Sorrow begets creativity in poets not in surgeons. In surgeons it only begets stress that suppresses any burgeoning creative proclivities(2, 3). It cannot be denied that feedback and self-critique are vital for perpetuating ingenuity and to discourage complacence. However, it is almost always easy to tell the
difference between healthy critique and irascible scorn from a mentor. Let us as Plastic Surgery consultants provide a stress free, friendly and healthy environment conducive to extracting Michelangelos and Picassos out of dilettantes.

1. Weisberg RW. Creativity: Understanding innovation in problem solving, science, invention, and the arts: John Wiley & Sons; 2006.

2. Kassymova G?, Tokar OV, Tashcheva AI, Slepukhina GV, Gridneva SV, Bazhenova NG, et al. Impact of stress on creative human resources and psychological counseling in crises. International journal of education and information technologies. 2019;13(1):26-32.

3. Brown R, Dunn S, Byrnes K, Morris R, Heinrich P, Shaw J. Doctors' stress responses and poor communication performance in simulated bad-news consultations. Academic Medicine.
2009;84(11):1595-602.