Dear Pamela,
I just worked 36 hours in 3 days. Stick a fork in me. Must have seen close to 200 patients [in the emergency department] and picked up a nasty head cold from one of them. My throat feels like sandpaper and my mouth feels like the bottom of a birdcage.
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“I know there’s a lot of you out there that are feeling disillusioned. You’re wondering why did I spend all those years in medical school and training, why am I hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. I hate this. I hate this profession. I don’t feel like this is me.
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Please stop using the word burnout. You are not burned out. You’ve been abused. Let’s get the diagnosis right.
We enter medicine as inspired, intelligent, compassionate humanitarians. Soon we’re cynical and exhausted. How did all these totally amazing and high-functioning people get so f@*d up so fast?
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Burnout is a complete mental and physical collapse from overwork. Psychiatrists define it as “a job-related dysphoria in an individual without major psychopathy.” Which means—your job sucks. You’re normal.
When your job is sucking the life out of you, deep breathing won’t save you. Mindfulness is not the solution.
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This is an email subject line from a doctor. Letter published with permission.
Hello Pamela
I have become so disillusioned with medicine. I do not know who to talk to any more or what to do with my life.
I work one week a month in the ICU.
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“Medical school is a great anti-mentorship program. You meet a lot of doctors you’d never want to become.” That’s what med students keep telling me.
Mentorless medical students?
I had no idea. Until students started shadowing me. Many also volunteer at hospice and free clinics.
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Physician burnout is the latest trend among doctors. There are books, workshops, even special breathing exercises for physician burnout. Suddenly every other doctor I meet has burnout. And half of all med students have burnout before they graduate! WTF.
We enter medicine as inspired, intelligent,
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I was a physician employee, many times for many hospitals and clinics. I’d stay a year or two, but eventually I’d quit. Then, in 2005, I opened an ideal clinic designed by my patients. Ten years later, I still love private practice. Why? I’m finally practicing medicine the way I had always imagined.
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Doctor revived after suicide. Here's what he says.
