William Osler's writings "are replete with concern about his own burnout and that of his colleagues. In a talk to medical students in 1899, he said,
‘Engrossed late and soon in professional cares — you may so lay waste that you may find, too late, with hearts given way, that there is no place in your habit-stricken souls for those gentler influences which make life worth living.’
For a long time we've known that we must go beyond dealing with physician impairment, and actively promote well-being. The impaired physician model does not adequately address the issues of stress, burnout, change of jobs, change of specialty, and early retirement.
Ulwelling JJ, Christensen JF. Northwest Center for Physician Well-Being. West J Med 2001; 174(1): 70-3.
Too many of us, however, still operate on the cliche "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Like other changes, we start getting serious about self-care only when "at the stage of readiness." But do we have to wait for a wheel to fall off the cart - after family, colleagues, and perhaps patients had been watching the wheels wobble for years?
Though new to some of us, can we learn to self-reflect, listen to our bodies, and listen to our families and friends?
Too many of us, however, still operate on the cliche "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Like other changes, we start getting serious about self-care only when "at the stage of readiness." But do we have to wait for a wheel to fall off the cart - after family, colleagues, and perhaps patients had been watching the wheels wobble for years?
Though new to some of us, can we learn to self-reflect, listen to our bodies, and listen to our families and friends?
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