Can physicians—perfectionist people-pleasers with high exposure to human suffering and “burnout”—ever achieve true wellness?
Why does physician wellness feel like a contradiction?
Here are five reasons why it often is:
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Blog Archives
Physician Wellness: An Oxymoron? →
Tags: confidential mental health care, doctor burnout, doctor mental health, doctor retreats, doctor work-life balance, healthcare labor laws, medical burnout, medical culture, patient safety, physician burnout, physician mental health, physician peer support, physician suicide prevention, physician trauma, physician wellness, physician workaholism, stress-induced aging, telomere damage
Not “burnout,” not moral injury—human rights violations →
(Published 3/18/19, updated 6/20/25)
What Is Physician “Burnout”—and Why It Matters
Physician “burnout” is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress in the medical workplace. It’s a growing crisis affecting over half of all doctors in the U.S.,
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Tags: burnout breathing exercises, burnout in overachievers, burnout in women, Burnout is a slang word, Burnout is BS, Burnout is Bullshit, Dean and Talbot, Dr. Jonathan Shay, Herbert Freudenberger, human rights violations in medicine, medical student moral injury, Moral injury in doctors, physician burnout book, physician burnout coaches, physician burnout moral injury, physician moral injury, physician suicide helpline, racism in medicine, resident morel injury, resident physician food/water deprivation, sexual harassment in medicine, Simon G. Talbot, Simon Talbot, Wendy Dean, ZDogg, Zubin Damiana
Keynote: Finding your bliss—beating physician “burnout” →
Wildest keynote! Singing and dancing across stage with 4000 doctors in Las Vegas. (Published 2/5/19, updated 6/19/25) Rowdiest audience ever (at a medical conference at least). Read transcript and/or download & listen to MP3 below:
Physician burnout—symptom of a broken system
“Burnout”
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Michelle Deserved Better →
It’s been a year since my friend Michelle killed herself on Christmas.
An emergency doc traveling the world helping anyone in need, Michelle died from lack of medical care—here in the US.
Asked why she became a doctor, she said “When I figured out what I was capable of and what the world needs,
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Physicians waive their HIPAA rights for privilege to practice medicine →
Most docs are unaware they waive their HIPAA rights when acquiring a medical license.
The right to practice medicine is a privilege. Each state regulates medical practice by state statute, often called their medical practice act. Most docs have never heard of nor read their state’s medical practice act.
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Could your patient be an undercover DEA agent? →
In 2023, I lost two dear physician friends. To overzealous DEA agents.
Michelle, a stellar emergency physician with well-treated depression/ADHD for 20 years couldn’t find anyone to continue her meds when her doc retired. Depressed, she shot herself Christmas Day.
Randy could have saved Michelle.
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Tags: Doctors are people pleasers, Doctors can't say no, doctors fear prescribing controlled substances., doctors imprisoned for opioids, Doctors imprisoned for treating pain, doctors were instructed to treat all pain, doctors won't prescribe controlled substances, Louisiana Pill Mill, Michelle Fernandez, opioid doctor, Pain is 5th vital sign, Patients in pain suffer and die, physician pill mill, Randy Lamartiniere, undercover agents with secret cameras, Undercover DEA agents
Physician Fitness For Duty Exams—Protecting Your Rights →
What would you do if your hospital, employer, or medical board mandates a FFDE (Fitness For Duty Exam)? Kernan Manion, M.D., (Center For Physician Rights) shares his wisdom.
Understanding FFDEs and Protecting Your Rights
Top 10 Takeaways:
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Tags: Attorneys that protect physicians, How to get out of a PHP, How to get out of a physician health program, medical board investigation help, Physician ADA Rights, Physician FFDE, Physician Fitness For Duty Evaluations, Physician Fitness For Duty Exams, Physician health program help, Physician Impairment evaluations, Physicians with disabilities
3 sneaky ways the lucrative wellness industry injures doctors →
Tags: confidential physician health program, impaired professionals programs, NC Caring Dentists Program, PHP, PHP ADA violations, Physician Health Program Attorney, Physician Health Program lawyer, physician health programs, physician wellness industry, physician wellness market, voluntary physician health program
Hospital fines doctors for keeping patients healthy →
Hospital taxes doctors for keeping patients healthy.
To care for patients in the hospital, docs have to be on staff and pay yearly dues. I was paying $300/year. Then I got a bill for $700. Why? I only had one patient in the hospital last year.
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Doctor uses marijuana for menstrual cramps loses medical license →
Sign petition to stop PHP abuse
In a state where marijuana is fully legal, a doctor uses marijuana tincture 3 times per month in evenings after work around time of her menses. She was working part time at a hospital. Was asked by hospital to work full time.
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Tags: Can doctors use marijuana?, Can physicians use marijuana?, doctor drug test, Doctor hair tests, hospital forces doctor into PHP, hospital forces doctor into physician health program, hospital forces doctor to do drug tests, Marijuana for menstrual cramps, PHP attorney, PHP blackmail, PHP financial extortion, PHP help, PHP lawyer, PHP legal help, PHP medical mafia, physician drug tests, Physician hair test, Physician Health Program Attorney, Physician health program help, Physician Health Program lawyer, physician health program legal help, THC blood tests, THC hair tests, THC urine tests
Physician “Health” Programs: Complex Problems & Solutions →
THE COMPLEX PROBLEM OF PHYSICIAN HEALTH PROGRAMS.
Livestream Q & A Saturday 4/27/24 @ 10 am PT (1 pm ET). Watch replay above.
Are physicians being extorted? Livelihoods threatened and doctors coerced into expensive hospitalizations for minor issues while facing threats of polygraphs and drug testing as a weaponized part of their treatment plans?
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Protected: Whistleblower’s Wish: Dr. J’s Last Words →
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Tags: best doctor in Boise Idaho, best pediatric physiatrist, Boise, cerebral palsy doctor, doctor paints with medical supplies, doctor suicide, Dr. J, Idaho, Idaho Make-a-Wish Foundation, Idaho physician health program, Jacob Alan Neufeld MD, Jacob Neufeld MD, Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Pediatric physiatrist, physician health program, physician impairment, physician whistleblower, Pine Grove Addiction Center, Southworth
PHPs—A Critical Look Parts 1 and 2 →
Excellent information on Physician Health Programs. Thank you Drs. Andrew, Manion, and Miller!
Join us every Sunday for help in our PHP peer support group.
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Tags: PHP, physician health program
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