Physician Poetry: How To Be a Good Doctor On a Very Bad Day. The writer beautifully articulates the quiet suffering so many of us endure—the shame, the imposter syndrome of self-doubt, and the silent suffering and unnecessary isolation that comes with the weight of our responsibilities and our toxic medical system.
This poem, The Human Conundrum, explores the emptiness of consumerism and the need for deeper fulfillment through creativity, community, and connection with nature. It highlights the damage inflicted on the planet due to overconsumption while offering hope through imagination, unity, and action.
This article explores the thorny issue of physician burnout vs depression, attempting to tease out the similarities and differences.
By the time we are finished our medical training, it’s too late. We have already absorbed or been infused with years of culture, tradition, attitude, and approaches to mental health. These attitudes are towards ourselves, our colleagues, and our patients. If we are to change the culture around physician mental health, we need to start with the doctors of tomorrow. Medical schools have a key role in tackling medical student mental health. And they should start yesterday.
This article defines workplace psychological safety, the toxic triangle of unsafe workplaces, and presents 4 principles for leaders to promote psychologically safe work environments.
This article explores the concept of psychological safety in healthcare, and proposes 5 domains for safe healthcare environments.
The arrival fallacy refers to the idea that reaching a specific goal or milestone will result in lasting happiness and fulfilment.
If adequate rest – both time off, time to sleep, and vacations – are essential to recharge our medical batteries, what would the effects of a longer period of time off be on physician burnout?
In this article, Dr Reigert discusses her surgical residency journey, the effect of chronic sleep deprivation, the arrival fallacy, and giving yourself permission to pivot your career if Plan A isn’t working out. She also reminds us of the importance of getting professional help and that no career is worth your life.
“I think I need to take a medical leave.”
He replied with compassion and understanding, “When?”
I said, “Days or months ago, but I’ll settle for.. now.”
The next day, I was on medical leave. I risked my career to save my life.
The Dark Side of a Dedicated Career. Medical doctors are known for our long hours and unwavering dedication to our patients. But what happens when this level of commitment turns into a destructive force? Workaholism, the compulsive drive to work excessive hours, is a growing concern in the medical profession, with a significant number of doctors struggling with the demands of our careers.
Amidst the bustling hospital halls,
Where healing hands attend to calls,
Amidst the chaos and the strife,
There stands a symbol of life.
Impostor syndrome is a common phenomenon among physicians, where we feel like we are frauds in our profession and that we don’t deserve our success. It is believed that this feeling is often triggered by the high level of responsibility and stress that comes with being a doctor. Impostor syndrome can also be considered a risk factor for burnout and psychological distress.
Institutional betrayal in corporate medicine refers to instances in which physicians or other healthcare professionals feel that their employers have acted against their best interests, or violated their trust. This can occur in a number of different ways, from unfair treatment of staff to unethical business practices, and can have wide-ranging effects on both staff and patients.
We hope that, on this Valentine’s day when romantic love is celebrated, you got to spend some time with those you love. You are very loved by us here at Physicians Anonymous. So we wrote you all a little love poem.
Few of us swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius, and Hygieia and Panacea. But all of us know, “First do no harm,” (which is actually a misquote from the Hippocratic Oath). The Oath underpins much of modern medical ethics and professionalism. Most of us ascribe to these broad principles, but in conversations with distressed colleagues, it is apparent that there are a minority of us who seem to be mired in hypocrisy rather than Hippocrates.
Physician self care is not selfish. It’s essential to thriving in medicine. This article will explore barriers to physician self care and help physicians develop self-care practices for their physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual health.
Physicians Anonymous humbly hosts this living document of global resources for physician support.
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Cognitive distortions are exaggerated or irrational thoughts that we have. In Part 2 of this article, by learning to tackle common cognitive distortions, you will be empowered to manage your amazing mind and smooth over the bumps in the road of a career in medicine.
Extreme stress tends to bring out more of these cognitive distortions, and modern medicine is a rich source of stress for doctors and medical students. We give 6 examples of classic cognitive distortions as applied to medicine, and discover ways to challenge them with more realistic thinking.
T’was the night before Christmas, and all through the ER, everyone was stirring, shouting, vomiting, and hemorrhaging. Except for the mice, who very sensibly stayed away, because it was chaos.
