I almost quit my job in 2014. I didn’t like my life, and I didn’t like myself. I had a lot of problems personally and professionally, and I wondered if I was good enough to solve them. I often felt weak and powerless. People were coming to …
Category: Psychiatry
Organizational approaches to address burnout and moral distress
My interest in the topic of physician wellness dates to my residency. We were required to do a project, and I opted to survey my colleagues about their health habits and concerns. I was not surprised to find that residents were unable to commit to the …
Governor Abbott’s decree: medically harmful, scientifically unfounded, and unethical
On February 22nd, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas turned essential medical treatments for transgender adolescents into a crime, ordering the state to investigate them as “child abuse.” The following day, a patient came to one of us (Dr. Morse…
Intimate partner violence and abuse is a hidden reality for many physicians
This article may be emotionally distressing and triggering for some readers. Please speak with your therapist, physician or support if you are in distress or local crisis line or the ER. February: a time when the stores are bursting with pink and red, …
How much pressure is good pressure?
“Block the player,” and “hustle” were some of the words that hit my ears as I entered the court to watch my daughter’s basketball game. I felt the sensation of stress. There was the coach on one side of the court with some…
Addressing burnout in the time of COVID
I’m hearing from my physician coaching clients that they are beyond exhausted by this pandemic. They experience judgment toward people who won’t get the vaccine. They are frustrated and angry with the situation. And then they feel guilt or …
Coming back from the brink of burnout [PODCAST]
“I understand what it feels like to be in the depths of depression and hopelessness. I have had a lifelong battle with stuttering, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, depression, and suicide. I continually fight these battles and have learned to hea…
I’m covering the practice of a “Dr. Feel Good”
Every now and then, a physician in a group practice or clinic setting disappears abruptly. Sometimes this is due to illness or a family problem; occasionally, the doctor has encountered a professional difficulty of one sort or another that precludes th…
I’m covering the practice of a “Dr. Feel Good”
Every now and then, a physician in a group practice or clinic setting disappears abruptly. Sometimes this is due to illness or a family problem; occasionally, the doctor has encountered a professional difficulty of one sort or another that precludes th…
What the Friday 5 p.m. consult says about your priorities
Everyone dreads the Friday 5 p.m. consult. As a physician-in-training, I had more than one of those. But having young kids waiting to be picked up from daycare made that decision tougher. In one particularly memorable event, I left work, picked up my d…
