"It all started when I overheard
an elderly patient's family members cursing my name,"
recalls a solo family physician in Sault Ste Marie.
"They were convinced that I didn't care if their grandfather
lived or died." The event set off a downward spiral
for the doctor. His confidence was badly shaken, he
felt depressed over the circumstances and he didn't
know who to talk to. On top of that he was having deep
misgivings about the Canadian system and the long wait
times his other patients had to contend with. In short,
he had begun to hate practising medicine. Thankfully
he was too stubborn to quit and was soon his happy MD
self again. How? He forced himself to remember the reasons
he became a doctor in the first place — and make
sure that's where he focused his energy.
A
FRIEND IN NEED
When the going gets tough, being a doctor can be awfully
lonesome. It pays to keep up friendships with other
MDs. Only another doctor can truly empathize —
or share a laugh — about the odd nightmarish patients
and their even more nightmarish families. On the other
hand, there are some cases where a fellow doc can be
no friend at all. For instance, if you're feeling overworked
be on the alert for peer-pressure from colleagues who
view medicine as a competitive endurance sport.
SUPPORT
YOUR TROOPS
It also pays to develop a camaraderie with the non-physicians
in your practice. Besides just being friendly, you could
participate in social activities like an office hockey
pool. Making staffers feel like you're one of the team
goes a long way towards leavening your office's atmosphere.
And paying your best support staff a little more than
local prevailing wages helps keep turnover — never
good for office morale — low.
MIX
IT UP
Ever since Adam Smith lauded a pin factory's strict
division of labour in The Wealth of Nations,
compartmentalization has ruled practically every profession,
including medicine. But since variety is the spice of
life, over-specialization can make things a tad dull.
Some family doctors find getting additional training
so they can offer a wider variety of procedures —
like cosmetic or obstetric services — can really
add an interesting challenge to their job. Getting involved
in academic research can also help rejuvenate your interest
in your clinical duties.
BIG
PICTURE
There's one very important thing to remember when practising
medicine becomes less than fun: you've got one of the
few jobs that undeniably leaves a positive impact on
mankind each and every day you show up at the office.
Think about what it would feel like going to work every
morning if you had decided to become an arms dealer,
or a whaler or — shudder to think! — a lawyer.
|
