Our UAB Department of Surgery interns and general surgery residents completed their DiSC assessments last Friday morning at their weekly conference with UAB Department of Surgery Chair Herbert Chen, M.D.

UAB Department of Surgery interns and general surgery residents organize themselves according to their DiSC assessment results at their weekly conference with Dr. Herbert Chen last Friday morning.

“The DiSC assessment was a fun and insightful opportunity to further understand our own personalities, as well as different leadership styles,” said first-year general surgery resident Mary Smithson, M.D. “It focused on new tools to lead, as well as why and how we respond to different challenges.”

The DiSC model—which stands for dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness—is a non-judgmental tool used for discussion of people's behavioral differences and provides a common language that people can use to better understand themselves and adapt their behaviors with others.

“I'm thankful this residency program spends the time and resources to not only make us better surgeons, but also better people and leaders in medicin,” Smithson said.