A Gorilla in Space – Captain Scott Kelly Demonstrates the Importance of Professional Levity

With so much riding on the success of our surgery centers, professional tunnel vision is natural…but not always for the best. In our “Lessons from Captain Scott Kelly” eblast series in OOSS News (Not subscribed? Do so HERE), we’ve shared several serious and valuable takeaways from Captain Kelly’s year-long space mission. However, in Lesson 5, we’re setting seriousness aside and making room for something just as important to the health of your center…Fun!

Near the end of his mission, Captain Kelly shared a prank that lit up Twitter (see below). The video showed Kelly dressed in a gorilla suit chasing a fellow astronaut around in zero gravity. While their aim was to generate public interest in space exploration, the video also demonstrated that even serious pilots, scientists, and engineers must make time for a little levity. In respect to high stress ophthalmic surgery centers and disciplined checklist-oriented surgical teams, this means the gravity of caring for patients need not outweigh the pure enjoyment we take in our work. Cultivating an environment that inspires enthusiasm — and even a little fun — is just as important.

Join our keynote speaker Captain Kelly at OOSS Perspective 2019 @ ASCRS/ASOA San Diego for more on defying gravity with a little levity.