TL;DR:
Doctors are drowning in paperwork, patient demands, and administrative chaos. Survive modern medicine by owning your time, delegating everything that isn’t MD work, using templates and AI scribes, protecting your personal life, and taking real vacations. Work smart, set boundaries, and remember: you can’t help others if you burn out first.
If you’ve been a doctor for any length of time, you know the drill: your inbox is overflowing, your charting never ends, patients expect instant answers, and you’re supposed to somehow do it all without losing your soul. Here’s the truth: you can’t do it all, but you can do what matters — and survive.
I’ve been there. I’ve worked ERs, family practices, nursing homes, hospitalist shifts — you name it. And I’ve learned some hard-earned tricks for keeping your sanity, your marriage, and your patients alive.
1. Own your paperwork, don’t let it own you
Schedule an appointment with yourself from 8–9 am every weekday just for paperwork. Treat it like a real patient. When you do it, avoid distractions: sign out to another doctor, turn off your phone, hide in a car or empty exam room if needed.
Here’s a radical idea: bill yourself $300/hour. It reminds you that your time is valuable — because it is. Come back early from vacation to finish paperwork, and reward yourself with a nice meal when done.
Templates are your friend. Use them. Delegate everything else that isn’t strictly MD work.
2. Make your patients help themselves
Bring patients in to fill out big forms, have multi-problem patients prioritize two issues per visit, and schedule follow-ups for the rest. For seniors, get a caregiver and all medications with them every visit. Can’t figure out meds? Have staff call the pharmacy and move on to the next patient.
Prenatal visits? Split them into history one visit, exam the next. Chronic problems like insomnia, depression, or weight loss? Give handouts and tackle them in manageable chunks over multiple visits. MayoClinic.com has excellent materials you can print and give out.
3. Work smarter with your team to survive modern medicine
Capitated practices free you from seeing minor problems — delegate those to staff. Social workers handle psychological counseling, marriage counselors handle marital issues, and house doctors handle long-term care patients.
Hire retired nurses for vaccines, well-baby checks, and prenatal visits — half of the cost is tax deductible. Encourage caregivers of dementia patients to attend separate appointments. Leverage OMA Peer Leader programs (Ontario) or local equivalents for tech help.
4. Protect your time — and your life
Set office hours for focus: put phones on voicemail from noon–1:30 pm to let staff and yourself catch up. Leave Mondays lighter and finish early if possible. Combine after-hours call with peers and take the following day off — do nothing medical.
Exercise first thing in the morning, or multitask at home with a treadmill, stairs, or parking far away. Schedule breaks at 10 am and 3 pm to stretch or meditate. Go to bed by 10 pm, wake naturally at 6 am, and never skip meals.
5. Take real vacations to survive modern medicine
You need 8 weeks off per year, completely offline. Sign out to a colleague and expect reciprocity. Book a weekend alone once a year, room service, TV, fat books, massages — do nothing. Schedule date nights every three months and a weekend getaway with your spouse twice a year. No phones. No kids. Just you two.
6. Delegate, delegate, delegate
Prescription renewals? Let the pharmacy handle it. Difficult forms like disability tax credits? Bring the patient or caregiver in and do it right. Multi-problem seniors? Have a single family spokesperson liaise with your staff. House calls? Forget it. Charting at home? Don’t. Use AI scribes — they save 2 hours a day and improve accuracy.
Abusive patients? Fire them. You don’t owe them a replacement — they can find walk-ins or the ER. Cull your practice if overwhelmed. Ask yourself: if you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you do? Do it.
7. Leverage community and peer support
Regular group sessions with fellow physicians — breakfast once a month to vent and problem solve — can save your sanity. Zoom family meetings for high-needs seniors help everyone stay on the same page about prognosis, DNRs, home care, and nursing home logistics.
Hire a nanny or cleaning service if you can — having your home in order saves mental energy. Pay your kids for chores — teaches responsibility and saves your time. Budget monthly with your spouse; hire a financial advisor if you need help.
8. Remember, you’re human
See tough cases when you’re at your best — if you’re a morning person, schedule them at 9 am. End the day on time. Don’t talk to patients on the phone. Don’t give out personal numbers. Take half-days off weekly. Fire patients who threaten or abuse your staff.
And when all else fails, remember: you can survive modern medicine without dying in the process. Use your staff, your templates, your technology, and your boundaries. Work smart, not endless.
Because if you take care of yourself, you can actually take care of everyone else.
Check out Dr Crosby’s blog and free resources on countryquack.com
Dr Crosby is partnering with Physicians Anonymous to run his sought-after time-management course for family physicians. Join the waitlist by emailing info@physiciansanonymous.org with the header “Time”.
