There are times in medicine when the focus is on how hard it is to be a doctor in these uncertain times. We focus on patient care demands, reimbursement challenges and financial instability, and the general lack of feeling rewarded. And that can keep physicians stuck in a cycle of comparing what’s possible with the present circumstances.

Hey, I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve looked at senior attending physicians and thought how easy they have it. Silently I even resented the flexibility of their schedule and the apparent lack of having to juggle things around to make it to their child’s event, when I had to switch schedules to make it to mine.

I’ve been in the place of comparing my journey to others and missing the target.

In fact, it seemed like my dreams were nowhere in sight.

I understand what it feels like to be stuck in medicine, looking for that exit strategy.

That’s exactly when I infuse new energy into my life and medical career.

Wherever you are on this journey, in medical school, residency training, or mapping your path as an attending physician, if comparison has you thinking, “How come I’m not there yet?” then it’s time for a shift in perspective. It’s time to infuse new energy into your career.

You know you need to infuse new energy into your medical career when:

• You assume that another physician had it easy, and you don’t fully appreciate the behind-the-scenes work that is put in.
• You focus on their success and not your own.
• You’ve neglected your natural gifts and talents that contribute to the success you already have.

Unfortunately, this is where we get stuck. It makes patient care a chore, rather than a calling. It steals the joy from the work we do. It becomes a cycle. But it’s a cycle that can be broken.

Opportunities are revealed when the cycle is broken, and comparison becomes a resource. You can use comparison to reignite your passion and purpose in medicine.

Comparison benefits you when it provides you with information about what is possible for you. As the world shifts and changes, the way you get to practice medicine evolves as well.

Comparison becomes your companion when you incorporate your natural gifts and talents as you care for your patients, teams, and yourself.

Comparison is on your side when it inspires you to use your creativity to positively impact your patients, community, and world.

Stephanie Wellington is a physician and can be reached at Nurturing MDs.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com