John Bielinski, MS PA-C When we think about IE ratio, we traditionally think of it in the clinical sense: the inspiratory to expiratory ratio. But let’s take a new look at IE ratio and how it pertains to clinicians. Instead of inspiratory to expiratory, let’s look at the intelligence to ego ratio.
The intelligence to ego ratio – and why it matters
This new IE ratio is one that is a real problem with medical providers. So many medical providers are incredibly intelligent, which allows them to heal, prevent and save lives. It’s really incredible, isn’t it?
When a medical provider who is very intelligent also has a large ego to match, you typically know that provider is going to do very well. These people are really smart and they know they are really smart. These people will succeed in a medical career.
When you have a low IE ratio — that’s people who aren’t very smart and don’t have an ego — these medical providers will do just fine as well. They will admit when they don’t know something, and they’re not afraid to go to someone who’s smarter than them to get the information they need. Good call.
Where IE ratio is a problem
Now when you have medical providers with a mismatch – intelligence is much higher than confidence – bad things can happen. Sometimes experience will step in and show these medical providers that they are, in fact, intelligent. What causes bad things to happen is when the IE ratio is really skewed – when intelligence is low but ego is high. These medical providers are cocky and think they know a whole lot more than they do – this is a major risk! These people have a tendency to avoid asking for help when they are outside their comfort zone.
What you can do about your IE ratio
Keep an eye out for these medical providers, and try to be aware of your IE ratio. If you want to improve as a medical provider, improving that ratio is key. And hey, we have CME that can help you improve the “I” in that ratio. Check out our CME shop to see what works for you.
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