Our stories

physician suicide causes

Physician suicide prevention (3): Solving root causes

In Part 3, we explore the systemic causes leading to physician suicide. In so doing we hope to contribute to physician suicide prevention and highlight the toxic systemic issues that no amount of resilience training or individual risk factor modification can fix.

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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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Disruptive physician wounded healer

Disruptive physician – or wounded healer?

For so many reasons the term “disruptive doctor” is unhelpful at best, cruel and discriminatory at worst. As a label it has been used and misused. Very few physicians start out disruptive. The reality is that disruptive behavior in physicians is often a symptom of a larger systemic problem. It may be related to stress, burnout, mental health issues, addiction, and more.

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