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

Be the physician who supports other doctors

Clarissa Barnes, MD
Physician
March 20, 2020
555 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Medicine is a difficult calling. You already know the sacrifices. As an undergraduate, you gave up time with friends and family so you could be accepted into medical school — where you worked even harder.

You understand that the practice of medicine requires you to take responsibility for the care of others … and the emotional toll that comes with it.

In this profession, it’s easy to feel like you’re alone. Our medical training creates a sense of competition; we compete with each other for class rank, residency slots, and coveted fellowships. But in this high-stress age of medicine, we are also each other’s greatest source of support.

I have been around medicine my whole life. And during my lifetime, I have seen physicians retreat from one another.

As the daughter of a family-practice physician, I spent countless happy hours at clinics and hospitals. When I came to visit, physicians would stop what they were doing to show me magic tricks or give me stickers. The doctor’s “lounge” was a busy place, and physicians would stop there prior to rounds to ask about one another’s families or hobbies.

I don’t intend to over-romanticize the medicine of yesteryear.

It wasn’t perfect. The difference is, no matter what problems faced the medical community, there was a stronger sense of “us” as a physician body.

Somewhere along the way, tucked among electronic medical records, increasing documentation and metric requirements, and the transition from independent practice to employment — we became so overwhelmed that we had to streamline our days in order to finish the work.

We skip the doctor’s lounge because we need that time to write our notes. We inhale lunches at our desks while still working (if we eat at all).

Medical associations’ and medical-staff meetings’ attendance continue to decrease. We cut out the one thing we needed the most—the support of our colleagues.

There was a point in my life when I didn’t understand this well. Years ago, while on call as the resident in the CCU, I received an early-morning phone call that my cancer-stricken grandmother was moving to hospice. I stepped into the hallway to collect myself, but one of my fellow residents noticed I was upset. She suggested I call in jeopardy to cover my shift, but I told her I just needed a minute. When I returned to the unit, I was stunned to find that jeopardy had been called on my behalf and that I was free to go. My grandmother, who lived halfway across the country, passed within hours of my arrival. I got to say goodbye to my grandmother because my colleague recognized my need and took the opportunity to support me.

Since that time, I have had several different physician roles and felt the desire to just push through to get my work done. I could justify not calling that consultant because they can just read my note. Nobody would think twice if I disappeared to a far off computer to do my notes so I could avoid distracting conversations with my fellow physicians. But if I do those things, then I’ve cut myself off from the people I need. In fact, the latest Medscape survey data indicates I am not alone, and the number one answer to “How do physicians deal with burnout” is “isolate self from others” with a response rate of 45 percent. Physicians with thoughts of suicide will tell a friend or colleague 21-27 percent of the time (depending on generation) but no one 37-41 percent of the time.

In medicine, you will lose patients and spend hours obsessing over what you could have done differently. In life, there will be births, deaths, divorces, addiction, depression, or other stressors that will make your work life more difficult. In those moments, be the kind of doctor who makes the call for your colleague and helps them out. In those moments, be the kind of doctor who accepts that help. Spend time with your colleagues because the bonds you make with those you work within this shared calling can make all the difference.

Clarissa Barnes is an internal medicine physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

7 dangerous myths about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

March 20, 2020 Kevin 1
…
Next

Why this immunocompromised doctor wants you to stay home

March 21, 2020 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine, Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
7 dangerous myths about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic
Next Post >
Why this immunocompromised doctor wants you to stay home

More by Clarissa Barnes, MD

  • To my health care colleagues in South Dakota

    Clarissa Barnes, MD
  • Physician suicide awareness: glimmers of hope for the future

    Clarissa Barnes, MD
  • COVID-19 is a war on two fronts

    Clarissa Barnes, MD

Related Posts

  • Why this physician supports Medicare for all

    Thad Salmon, MD
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • Why academic medicine needs to value physician contributions to online platforms

    Ariela L. Marshall, MD
  • Doctors die. But the good ones leave a legacy.

    Jaime B. Gerber, MD
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Medicine rewards self-sacrifice often at the cost of physician happiness

    Daniella Klebaner

More in Physician

  • Tom Brady’s legacy and the importance of personal integrity in end-of-life choices

    Kevin Haselhorst, MD
  • The hidden truths of hospital life: What doctors wish you knew

    Emily Stanford, DO
  • The heart of a Desi doctor: Balancing emotions and resources in oncology

    Dr. Damane Zehra
  • The Iranian diaspora’s fight for liberty: Overcoming challenges in the largest women’s rights movement of our century

    Montreh Tavakkoli, MD
  • The harmful effects of shaming patients for self-education

    Maryanna Barrett, MD
  • The power of self-appreciation: Why physicians need to start acknowledging their own contributions

    Wendy Schofer, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking free from a toxic relationship with medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Breaking free from a toxic relationship with medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Tom Brady’s legacy and the importance of personal integrity in end-of-life choices

      Kevin Haselhorst, MD | Physician
    • The hidden truths of hospital life: What doctors wish you knew

      Emily Stanford, DO | Physician
    • 10 commandments of ethical affiliate marketing for physicians

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Amy Bissada, DO | Finance
    • The heart of a Desi doctor: Balancing emotions and resources in oncology

      Dr. Damane Zehra | Physician
    • Safe sex for seniors: Dispelling myths and embracing safe practices [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

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

Leave a Comment

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

  • Journal Shows Its Commitment to Exploring AI in Medicine
  • Do Away With 'Lockout' Period in iPLEDGE, FDA Advisors Urge
  • Cluster Headache, Migraine Linked to Circadian System
  • Smaller Liver Transplant Candidates Wait Longer, Less Likely to Receive Organ
  • A 'Double Whammy' for Gastric Cancer Risk

Meeting Coverage

  • Oral Roflumilast Effective in the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis
  • Phase III Trials 'Hit a Home Run' in Advanced Endometrial Cancer
  • Cannabis Use Common in Post-Surgery Patients on Opioid Tapering
  • Less Abuse With Extended-Release Oxycodone, Poison Center Data Suggest
  • Novel Strategies Show Winning Potential in Ovarian Cancer
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking free from a toxic relationship with medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Breaking free from a toxic relationship with medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Tom Brady’s legacy and the importance of personal integrity in end-of-life choices

      Kevin Haselhorst, MD | Physician
    • The hidden truths of hospital life: What doctors wish you knew

      Emily Stanford, DO | Physician
    • 10 commandments of ethical affiliate marketing for physicians

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Amy Bissada, DO | Finance
    • The heart of a Desi doctor: Balancing emotions and resources in oncology

      Dr. Damane Zehra | Physician
    • Safe sex for seniors: Dispelling myths and embracing safe practices [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

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

Leave a Comment

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

Loading Comments...