We Will Be Happier
Edwin Leap:
I believe physicians are unhappy because they believed the great lie.
What was it? What was the lie and when did doctors learn it? The lie was this: ‘if you become a doctor, your profession of medicine will be all you need for happiness and fulfillment.’ In short, physicians learned to validate themselves by way of a profession.
I believe my generation of physicians never grew up with a great lie. We knew we wouldn’t make the most money (or at least, we should have known this); we knew that medicine was time-consuming, but we chose it anyway. And the medical schools chose us for our diversity, life-experiences, and well-roundedness. They’ve selected out for people who have taken time off before school (almost half of my graduating class), who have had other careers, who have explored other interests. Found other things besides medicine that make them happy.
Look at the fields that are incredibly popular today: they either make a lot of money, offer a good lifestyle, or both (I’m looking right at you, ophtho). We want to have free time outside of our careers. We want to have families and relationships. Sure, we’re ready to make sacrifices, but we weren’t told a lie–or maybe we just never believed it. We’ve had the opportunity to study abroad; we’ve been exposed to foreign countries and cultures; we have taken courses in religion, anthropology, linguistics, sociology–and we know there are more things to life (exciting, interesting, thrilling ones at that)–besides a job. (For Dr. Leap, that appears to be his faith.)
Now, perhaps this is to the detriment of our future patients–that their future doctors want more out of life than just being great doctors for them. Perhaps it is for the benefit of them. I guess only time will tell.
Last night my wife and I were talking with a colleague of similar age (50+) about our intention to offer life coaching for physicians. We talked about the value of “putting on your own oxygen mask before trying to assist other passengers.” Our experience had been that it was acceptable or even expected that docs would spend themselves fully without replenishment (maybe taking an occasional pull from a loose oxygen mask to keep going). Perhaps we had bought the story that the profession by itself would provide a fulfilling life. We wondered whether docs now leaving medical school had a different and more enlightened perspective on self-care. Your answer, Graham, seems to give hope that, at least in one instance, our future physicians may understand and embrace the value of life balance and self-care. Thanks.
[...] Graham Walker, soon to be MD, believes that the younger generation of physicians do not believe the lie: We knew we wouldn’t make the most money (or at least, we should have known this); we knew that medicine was time-consuming, but we chose it anyway. [...]
It is all about finding balance. I am glad to see you realize this.
This is nice in theory but does not jive with the reality that if the next generation of physicians does all pursue dermatologist hours the health care system will collapse.
Sure, the lifestyle specialties can compensate for decreasing pay and prestige by the fact that, hey, you’ve still got free time. But will the last cardiothoracic surgeon out please turn off the lights?
as somebody whose residency has straddled the advent of work-hour requirements, i have to say i think this bodes poorly for the future of medicine, and for those being trained at this time. the change i see in the way interns approach their patients and their professional responsibilities is disheartening to say the least. don’t get me wrong - i’ll ultimately be practicing in a “lifestyle” specialty (em) when i’m done. but to think that you can have it all without sacrifice, not only during school, but in residency and beyond, is just plain naive. not to mention probably ultimately bad for your future patients. i’m not in it for money. i feel a higher calling. and that calling means that sometimes i won’t be able to have my perfect little life where work is compartmentalized from and does not encroach upon the rest of my life. life and death in those you’ve sworn to serve doesn’t follow a normal schedule.
I’m with Michael… I saw the advent of work-hour requirements… And I am all for having a good lifestyle… But just remember that when your loved one breaks his arm, has a heart attack, stroke or appendicitis, and the ER doc shrugs her shoulders and says “Sorry, there is no one to take care of you until next week.”