The Medical Hub

08/09/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅 - 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝘁

Early in your career, everything competes for your attention. Bleeping phones. Last-minute forms. “Quick” consults that aren’t quick. Meanwhile, the work that actually builds your future keeps slipping to tomorrow.

The Eisenhower Matrix helps you take the wheel again. It asks two simple questions about every task: Is it important? Is it urgent?

Your answers sort work into four groups - Do Now, Schedule, Delegate, Eliminate - so you act with clarity instead of reacting to noise.

𝗗𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘄 is the combination of important and urgent. Think of a critical lab that changes management, an SHIF or MoH report due today, or a stock-out that will disrupt this afternoon’s clinic. Pick your top three and land them before midday. Protect a 60–90 minute focus block - phone face down, WhatsApp on mute - so you can deliver without interruption. When in doubt, ask: “What happens if I don’t do this today?” If the answer is patient risk or non-compliance, it belongs here.

𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 covers the important but not urgent - the part of your work that shapes your next year. Reading new guidelines. Drafting a case report. Updating your CV and LinkedIn. Applying for that MPH or residency. Renewing licenses before they become a crisis. Even sleep and workouts live here. Put these into your calendar before the week fills up. Two short 45-minute sessions each week compound faster than you expect. Treat these slots like clinic time. Rescheduling is allowed; abandoning is not.

𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 is for tasks that feel urgent but don’t need your level of training. Printing labels, chasing a routine delivery, formatting slides you’ve already structured, compiling data someone else can extract. Be clear and kind: define the outcome, share the template, set the deadline, and offer support without micromanaging. In clinical settings, delegation always includes supervision and clear escalation points. Respect people, follow up, and give credit.

𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 is the trap of work that is neither important nor urgent. Endless WhatsApp threads. Meetings without an agenda. Habitual phone checks every five minutes. Say no early and politely: “I’m heads-down on patient work until 2 p.m. - could we share an agenda or handle this by email?” You’re not being difficult; you’re protecting outcomes that matter.

Turn the matrix from an idea into a rhythm. Give it fifteen minutes on Sunday night or Monday morning. Brain-dump everything, then ask the two questions and sort. Calendar the “Schedule.” Assign the “Delegate” with names and deadlines. Cross out the “Eliminate.” Each morning, confirm your top three “Do Now” items and protect one “Schedule” block before the day runs away.

Handle clinical edge cases wisely. If patient safety is involved, act now or escalate. If you’re unsure about urgency, ask about the clinical or ethical consequences of waiting. No consequence? Schedule. Possible compromise to care? Move.

Here’s how a Nairobi day might flow. You start at 7:30 a.m. scanning overnight labs; a critical result triggers an immediate call - straight to Do Now. From 8:30 to 9:45, you run the ward round, resisting side quests. After rounds, you book thirty minutes to sharpen next week’s CME deck - firmly in Schedule. A routine stock query goes to the clerk with a clear ask and deadline - Delegate. A meeting invite with no agenda gets a request for objectives or a recap - Eliminate. By 4 p.m., the top three are closed, the CME is sharper, and the delivery is confirmed - without chaos.

A few phrases make the system stick. “This is important, I’ve set 5:30 p.m. to do it properly.” “Here’s the outcome and deadline - shout if you hit a blocker.” “Patient-facing work takes priority; let’s park this or handle it by email.”

You don’t need fancy software. A notebook with four headings works. So does your phone’s notes app, plus a calendar. The magic isn’t the tool - it’s the weekly ritual and the daily check-in.

The matrix won’t remove pressure from healthcare, but it will change the shape of your day. Urgently stopping bullying is important. Patients get safer care. You feel calmer. Your future moves forward.

Start small this week. Protect one Schedule block. Delegate one urgent task appropriately. Say no once - politely. Then watch your energy, your outcomes, and your growth rise.

Dr. Libeya Bethwel