Working as a busy academic physician, I am right in the middle of the burnout epidemic with my colleagues and some of my students. Many of us have lost our way at one point or another. More rules and regulations seem to appear every day. More bureaucratic paperwork, threats to our livelihood and independence as physicians, and seeing the burnout in our peers, begin to take a toll on the joy that we find in this career.
I wondered to myself how we all arrived here. Each of us, when we chose to go to medical school, wanted to “help people.” We didn’t think about “getting rid of that frequent flier” or “kicking out the drug-seeker.” I have even heard the comments that certain patients “shouldn’t be here,” or are a “waste of time.” I don’t think any physician would have had these thoughts when we began our journey in medicine. When I’m on the verge of feeling “burned out” I try to come back to three important key themes that help me remember why I love practicing medicine. (Insert link to the third blog).
I recently met a woman with severe opioid and alcohol use disorder. She looked into my eyes and said, “Thank you for being nice.” That comment made me think of all of the times we have treated her and seen her not as a human, not as an individual who is trying to feel better, but as a label, a problem, an abuser. Eventually, I hope that treating her with empathy will help her find her way to climb out of the pit of substance abuse and find the strength to move on to a better life. We can all take part in helping her find her way.
My hope is that we can all find empathy in our hearts and connect with these patients who have lost their way. Each one posses the potential to beat addiction or the other afflictions that have made their lives so painful. Believe me, they don’t always make it easy. They can be in bad places and their behavior can be difficult, to say the least. I try to remember that they were all babies, innocent at birth and have simply lost their way, and somehow it makes it easier.
When we go to work and bring empathy, not only do patients feel better, but we feel better. Not only as a physician, but as a coach, empathy is a pillar of my practice, but I understand the empathy fatigue that can occur in our line of work. Let me help you retrieve this important attribute to help you become your best self and the best physician you can be for yourself.