Physicians Anonymous

Our stories

Sick physician portrait 2024

Sick physicians – sick system

Practicing medicine is making us physicians sick. Physicians in the US have some of the highest burnout, mental illness, addiction, and suicide rates in the world. Medical student and physician burnout and suicide are a “silent epidemic”.

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Good enough physicians

The “Good Enough Doctor”: Rx for physician well-being?

Modern medicine is no stranger to the toxic trio of burnout, stress, and dissatisfaction, and perfectionism plays the role of the puppet master. It’s time to swap the scalpel for a mirror and reflect. Bowlby’s framework challenges physicians to redefine excellence, shifting from unattainable perfection to a sustainable “good enough” approach.

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perfectionist-physician

The Perfectionism Plague in Medicine

My biggest fear in medicine is messing up. Inevitably, it happens. And while we rightly are trained to reflect, detect and learn from errors, improve practice, and ultimately save lives, the flip side – the cost of excessive perfectionism – can be very high, especially on physician well-being.

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death-disease-2

Death and disease (2)

In Part 2, guest writer Dr Bryce Bowers has to move from losing a young patient under tragic circumstances onto another young patient without a moment to breathe.

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Death and disease

Death and disease (1)

“Trauma 1!” I heard them yell. “Let’s go! Let’s go!”
I stood. Frozen. Trying to process all that was going on.

Then I felt a large palm on the upper part of my back.

“Come on, kid. It’s your time to shine”.

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Physician therapy

A closer look at physician therapy vs coaching

So the new year is near, and physicians everywhere are planning to make 2024 an even better one. Our intentions may be to engage in more self-care, develop a better LIFE-work-balance, and learn about ourselves in an “examined life”. In this context, the debate between therapy and coaching for physicians takes center stage, raising important questions about the most suitable approach for addressing the unique challenges faced by medical professionals.

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To therapy or not? That is the question.

An examined medical life

As a trained psychiatrist, workaholic, depressive, and (formerly) excellent clinician, I’ve come to the following maxim with apologies to REM: “Everybody needs a little therapy (sometimes)”. As the year winds down and the nights draw in, we are taking time to reflect on 2023. Over the next weeks over the Holidays and after we ring in the new year, Physicians Anonymous will be publishing a series on self-examination.

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Physicians anonymous report 2023

Physicians Anonymous Report (2023)

We’ve achieved a TON in 2023, especially as we are self-funded and run by volunteers. So from 2024- HOW do we reach the suffering physician? How do we let our colleagues know that there is a safe place where they can be human first, healer second? Where they will not be judged, but they will be heard and loved. Where we can laugh and cry together bonded by the commonality of being wounded healers.

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Solve quiet quitting

Solving quiet quitting in medicine

Unlike overt resignations, quiet quitting manifests as a subtle withdrawal, marked by disengagement and diminished job satisfaction. To effectively address this issue, it is imperative to delve into the scale of the problem, understand the causes behind this quiet exodus, and propose actionable solutions tailored to mitigate its impact.

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Quietly quitting medicine

As I sit down to reflect on my decision to quit a toxic hospital workplace, I’m overwhelmed by a mix of emotions – relief, anger, and sadness. Leaving a career I had worked so hard for, after just three years as an attending physician, was not an easy choice.

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Hear me surgeon story

Hear me! A surgeon’s story (Part 1)

Burnout almost led me to take my own life. It destroyed my identity as a surgeon. My medical identity and my life were so enmeshed that losing medicine caused me to mourn my own death. From this low point, I have rebuilt. With lots of intensive therapy, and regular mindfulness and other wellness practices I’ve been able to rise from the depths.

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Pointing finger stigma in medicine

Break the silence

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare heroes are often seen as invincible. We’re the ones who care, but who takes care of us?

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Mediocrity in medicine

The joy of mediocrity in medicine

In a world that constantly demands excellence, where the pursuit of perfection is the norm, there lies a secret joy hidden in the unlikeliest of places – the realm of mediocrity in medicine.

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Legislation to Safeguard Physicians from Burnout

Legislation to safeguard physicians from burnout

Why do we need laws? After all, hospitals and healthcare businesses know all about the corporate risks of overwork! We argue that without legislation to force safety, nothing will change because little, if anything, has changed to protect healthcare staff from overwork.

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The power of regret in medicine

The power of regret in medicine

I have so many regrets about my medical career that I don’t even know where to begin. And I am not alone. We all make mistakes, give suboptimal service, have off days, or (most often, in my experience), nature wins. The cancer progresses. The psychosis relapses. The diabetes complicates. So am I going to wallow in them and feel sorry for myself? Or is there another way of dealing with regrets in my career as a doctor?

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