Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Physician, heal thyself. A reflection on physician self-care.

Chiduzie Madubata, MD
Physician
November 6, 2015
883 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Another workday comes to an end. 11 a.m. rolls around and freedom from the hospital beckons after another 24-hour call is finished. In the span of the preceding day, it is likely that numerous important decisions had to be made with the expectation that all of your mental faculties would be used, irrespective of what time of day it was or how much sleep was obtained. It is a day full of adrenaline, full of fielding questions from concerned patients and family members, and full of presenting patients on rounds with the expectation that each detail of a patient will be known inside and out.

In the midst of all this, there is a feeling that you have to be invincible and superhuman, and that there is little room to just be human and to cry out for a moment of rest. Perhaps you want a moment to yourself or to lie down for a moment, and maybe you can get away from the medical world for a split second. However, that time is not completely peaceful, since you’re anticipating that your pager may go off at any second, and that there is a chance that attached to the end of the page is a seriously ill patient that will require all your mental and physical strength to see them through the night.

As the day goes on, more pages come through, and more patients show up that require your attention. In the midst of this, your body is crying out for sleep, even if it is only temporary. However, the second the eyes are closed, the pager shakes you awake and you slowly gain your bearings as you reach for you pager to see who is calling you. The expectation to be superhuman comes up again, and you try to be, but it does become tiring after a while. It gets to a point that 11 a.m. becomes your most favorite time of day, and by the time it comes, you’re exhausted. You sign out, you walk out of the hospital seeing what feels like an unnatural sun, and you head home, wanting to unwind from the prior day.

It is likely that if you’re a physician who has gone through or still is going through medical training, you have probably had these particular feelings. I write the previous paragraphs based on personal experience, and I can tell you that the exhaustion that is felt after shifts like this is intense, and it can add up over time during a long month on the floors or in the units. The fatigue that develops over time can become a hindrance to taking care of patients in the best way possible and could potentially expose patients to harm, as certain studies have shown. It behooves us to find ways to take care of ourselves.

For me, what I have found to be helpful is finding other activities to distract myself from thinking about the hospital after I complete my clinical duties for the day. When it gets to that time, my mind is already tired from thinking so much about patients for the full day, and I need my mind to rest so that it can be ready for the next day at the hospital. Whether it be music, reading, or spending time with friends, such activities do not require as much mental energy at the moment.

At times, I also find that I need to recharge by temporarily being away from other people. Being in the hospital, a physician is required to interface with numerous people, whether it be a physician, a patient, or a family member. Many times, the content of the discussions tends to be very intense given that they focus on a patient’s health, and these conversations require a certain amount of energy. Combine that with the energy expended in running around seeing patients and it makes for an exhausting experience. That exhaustion temporarily makes regular conversations with other people difficult, and in order for that difficulty to be overcome, recharging has to occur in the setting of solitude.

In the midst of all of the fatigue, it is important to remind ourselves that there is life outside of medicine, and we should search for ways to be reminded of this reality. It is so easy to spend so much time in the hospital that we fall into the trap of believing that medicine is all there is and all that should define us. The reality is that outside of this world, we have friends and family members who can remind us of who we are outside of the white coats that we wear. This becomes all the more important during our times away from the hospital. It is a momentary respite where we can enjoy other aspects of ourselves and be renewed for another day.

At the end of the day, in training like this, we need to heal ourselves. Putting the weight of the world on our shoulders when we step into the hospital and carrying it with us on our way out does nothing to help the healing process. We have to learn to let go and accept that we are human at the end of the day. Yes, we are looked up to by others in the hospital. Yes, we have respect given to us when we don the white coats. But in the midst of all this, there is still a tired human being who is trying to rest and ultimately needs to rest. May we strive to search for our own healing so that we can serve others in a better way.

Chiduzie Madubata is a cardiology fellow.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Failure to communicate is a patient safety issue

November 6, 2015 Kevin 6
…
Next

Test your medicine knowledge: 59-year-old man with gout

November 7, 2015 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Failure to communicate is a patient safety issue
Next Post >
Test your medicine knowledge: 59-year-old man with gout

More by Chiduzie Madubata, MD

  • The coronavirus cost that no one can count

    Chiduzie Madubata, MD
  • A physician sees end-of-life care through a religious lens

    Chiduzie Madubata, MD
  • Veterans deserve our full attention

    Chiduzie Madubata, MD

Related Posts

  • Why health care replaced physician care

    Michael Weiss, MD
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • More physician responsibility for patient care

    Michael R. McGuire
  • Health care needs more physician CEOs

    Alexi Nazem, MD
  • Denying payment for emergency care: a physician defends insurers

    Michael Kirsch, MD
  • The health care system will cause its own physician shortage

    Advait Suvarnakar and Aashka Suvarnakar

More in Physician

  • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

    Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD
  • Practicing medicine with conviction

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • The power of memory in shaping human identity

    Emily F. Peters and Sandeep Jauhar, MD, PhD
  • Physicians have no autonomy. Here’s how to change that.

    Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH
  • The erosion of patient care

    Laura de la Torre, MD
  • Navigating adulthood in the digital age

    Eleanor Menzin, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Unraveling the complex enigma of obesity [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Unraveling the complex enigma of obesity [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Second chances and simple beauty in thrift stores

      Debbie Moore-Black, RN | Conditions
    • How to facilitate caregiver learning and support to improve clinical care outcomes

      Kerri Milyko, PhD | Tech
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • Exploring HIV care and advocacy [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 3 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • What Percent of Kids Had Long COVID?
  • Primary Care Visits With NPs, PAs on the Rise; C. Diff in the Intensive Care Unit
  • Are Obesity Drugs for Adolescents Cost-Effective?
  • Lab Tests That Escape FDA Oversight May Come Under Agency Review
  • Fezolinetant Benefits Women Not Suited for Hormone Therapy

Meeting Coverage

  • Fezolinetant Benefits Women Not Suited for Hormone Therapy
  • Plant-Based Estrogen Improves Lipids in Postmenopausal Women
  • New Schizophrenia Treatments Are Coming: Don't Panic
  • Loneliness Needs to Be Treated Like Any Other Health Condition, Researcher Suggests
  • Stopping Medical Misinformation Requires Early Detection
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Unraveling the complex enigma of obesity [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Unraveling the complex enigma of obesity [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Second chances and simple beauty in thrift stores

      Debbie Moore-Black, RN | Conditions
    • How to facilitate caregiver learning and support to improve clinical care outcomes

      Kerri Milyko, PhD | Tech
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • Exploring HIV care and advocacy [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Physician, heal thyself. A reflection on physician self-care.
3 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...