Things you never thought of that make a difference: personal goals, common sense, and good behavior in practice

There are many aspects of your practice that you never think of when you first get into your new practice environment. You have spent the better part of your life training in a rigorous surgical residency and possibly fellowship. You have worked hard to get to this station in life. Because of your training and the obvious fact that you are a hard-driving individual, there are certain subtleties to a successful practice that you might have overlooked or never thought about during your training years. In many ways, it is the "little things" that you never learned or never thought of that will affect your overall long-term practice success, personal happiness, and relationships the most. This article reviews aspects of practice that at first glance are merely good common sense.