In this episode, recorded at the combined ACOEP/AOA conference in Nashville, Tennessee, hosts Andy, Drew, and Tanner delve into the fascinating concept of “Seinfeld Meetings” and tackle some intriguing and light-hearted questions.

What are Seinfeld Meetings?

Scheduled meetings with other people in your organization, whether that’s in your department or in your hospital as a whole, that have no agenda. 

• Participants in these meetings can be anyone from doctors to nurses to management to consultants. 
• No agenda or particular goal.
• A scheduled time to connect and converse.

Pros of Seinfeld Meetings:

• Could be a great place to talk about issues between groups that come up organically in conversation.
• Could be a great space for creative thinking.
• Depending on the location you plan to hold the meeting, could be a great opportunity to get people together outside of the workplace.
• Mixing in the randomness of these meetings compared to other meetings with agendas can be really refreshing. 

Cons of Seinfeld Meetings:

• Often times people have so many meetings on their schedules that they may be hesitant or slow to adopt having another meeting on their schedule, particularly if you say there is no agenda.
• Without an agenda someone may come and try to hijack the meeting with something that has been really bothering them. 
  • This may also end up being a pro if there is an issue that needs to be resolved and there isn’t really another area to discuss it. 
• Could potentially be awkward depending on the people that are invited to the meetings if they have nothing to talk about.

How to implement Seinfeld Meetings at your shop:

• Schedule it at least a month in advance.
• Schedule them a few months apart because it can be difficult for people to commit to something monthly.
• Keep power differentials in mind. If the person in charge or the person with the most power is the one calling these meetings, it may not have the same effect as if everyone in the group is on the same level. 

Take-Home Points:

• Seinfeld meetings can be a great opportunity to get coworkers together without an agenda.
• Some of the best ideas come out of Seinfeld Meetings, for example, EM Over Easy!
• When trying to implement Seinfeld Meetings, make sure to try it out a few times before giving up on it. 

Bonus Content:

What is something you no longer care about in medicine?

• HPI in documentation – now that the majority of our documentation is billed based on MDM only the pertinent HPI is what Drew documents and he makes it all one paragraph.
• HEART score – Although it is better than the TIMI score, it may also be falling out of favor now that most EDs have easy access to high-sensitivity troponins. 
• Stethescopes – Typically history, vital signs and the patient’s work of breathing will tell you most of what you need to know about a patient in respiratory distress without having to listen to their lungs. 

Clinically, what is the coolest thing you’ve ever done at work?

• Drew: Thoracotomy 
• Andy: Bronchoscopy
• Tanner: Give me a body part and I’ll give you a cool story.

Post by Patricia Capone, DO PGY-4 

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