This is one of my favourite topics. How you answer it can make a huge difference in your work-life satisfaction.
The first question I would ask is: “do you enjoy the practice of medicine itself?”
In working with burnt-out doctors, I’ve met many people who were forced/pressured/guilted/strong-armed into medicine as a career path. I’m a big believer in letting go of sunk costs. I wouldn’t encourage you to quit if you love medicine but find aspects of it challenging. You might find surprising meaning and value by exploring different ways of practicing medicine (e.g. different hospital, different team, academic vs. community, rural vs. city, or even adding a fellowship in an area you find interesting).
But if you can honestly say you didn’t want to become a doctor in the first place, what is holding you back from exploring a life beyond medicine? After all, you’ve got proof that you’re smart and you can work hard. You’ve got a problem-solving brain. Where might you create value more aligned with your values in a medicine + career?
The second question I would ask is: “have you taken the best care of your personal needs first?” You know that medicine is a tough profession. If you’re experiencing health challenges or a breakdown of an important relationship, that will inevitably make a life in medicine tougher to handle. Is the problem medicine itself?
Could you reduce your hours or move to a more flexible way of practicing that respects your personal needs? In exploring these choices, you need to understand your financial goals, your tolerance for trying new things, and learning to negotiate with your leader. You’re a valuable team member. It’s in your leader’s best interests to keep you on the team, so what’s it going to take? Might you work with a colleague who has complementary lifestyle goals? For instance, when I was looking at my ER schedule, I paired with a linen partner who loved overnights but preferred to work less weekends. We traded shifts internally to create a win-win situation.
The third question I would ask is: “Is medical culture the problem?” Whenever expectations are high and the definition of success is narrow, shame and comparison will enter the picture. Is “losing yourself in medicine” a result of you trying to meet the external expectations of success in medicine? If so, are those expectations things you also actually value? If your internally validated version of success is different from what medicine values, how far are you willing to go before you’ve gone too far?
Question: “When you reflect on your career as a doctor, where does your internal version of success clash with medicine’s version of success?”
