Mitchel Schwindt is an emergency physician.
A quick preview of any journal will note a plethora of physician jobs spanning the country. Many of these jobs offer a partnership track and promote a democratic philosophy.
As someone who has worked on both sides of the equation, I wanted to share a few thoughts. You may not agree with all, but here they are, nonetheless.
First, consider your long-range plan. While it’s exciting to contemplate a first job while …
Human nature is to hold on tightly to the ideals of perfect. Once we find something that ticks all the boxes, we want it now and with firm conviction. The same holds when seeking that dream job.
Competition, scarcity, and desire for coveted positions risk burying your CV in the proverbial pile. Having a few strategies to deal with this phenomenon can help you retain sanity and win at the end …
As I lay there awaiting my shock, the doctors milled in and out of my room over the course of several hours. It was a normal but hectic morning in the emergency department with ambulances and code blues pulling my doctor away.
Before pushing the Propofol and completing my cardioversion, the doctor flatly stated something I’d heard many times before. With a certain look in her eyes, she shared a personal …
Take a stroll through any emergency department or hospital break room, and what do you see? Chips, pop, candy bars, and different flavors of junk food.
Working in the trenches of medicine requires stamina and mental fortitude. Fueling the body and mind is critical for optimal performance and patient care. Unfortunately, many health care professionals are killing themselves by what they put into their mouths.
A few years ago, I began to …
A massive smile creased my lips upward as the rumble of the moving truck pushed the miles farther behind. My dream job and life on a quiet lake lay in wait at the end of this day’s journey. Trading in urban life and working two to three weekends every month required little neuronal firing.
The first few years went as slated.
Decent hours, great pay, no call, and a package of benefits …
A career in health care provides an incredible life full of experiences, challenges, and heartbreak, mixed with incredible satisfaction. With the rapidly shifting global economy, health professionals retain a large degree of flexibility and geographic independence. That said, it takes a unique proposition from a recruiter to pull one away from a satisfying position. I have, on a rare occasion, taken the bait and enjoyed great rewards as a result. …
“What took you so long? I’d have thought you would address this issue sooner.”
I felt a like a scolded child sitting in the principal’s office. In fact, the small couch I was sitting on rested nearly a foot lower than the chair on which he perched. All the while, the exam table glared back with unfriendly eyes.
I smirked and tossed the question back in his lap with a degree of …
The tendency to look back and impose self-criticism for the past is an all too common human tendency. A more robust strategy involves looking far ahead — not just dreaming, but making a detailed plan after careful analysis of goals, hopes, and reality. What follows are some thoughts and wishes applied through the filter of the retrospectoscope.
Father time
The bravado of youth often overlooks critical developments that alter the landscape of …
The final year of any residency is a time of accelerated independence, moonlighting, and an intense search for that first job as an attending. This decision is critical as one embarks on a life-long career in medicine, and it will undoubtedly blend a mix of analytics, emotion, and finance into the final analysis.
With a bit of candor, I want to share the mistakes I made when accepting my first contract …
There is a definite finality to the decision of which specialty a physician pursues. The reasons are as vast as they are individual. Hopefully, the med student has done due diligence and has a solid grasp on what their future entails, at least for the future as far as anyone can confidently foresee. Here is my story.
1. Challenge. No day is quite like another, and life as an emergency medicine (EM) …
The frenetic pace and chaos of working in an urban trauma center are addicting — at least for a while. Interesting, unusual, and tragic patients test the mettle of even seasoned physicians. For some, the lure is too strong to step away.
For others, the attraction of a quieter life and promise of a more sane existence is too powerful to resist.
My story
After training in one of the busiest level 1 …
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