For those practicing medicine, this profession used to be enough
To satisfy Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, but it seems increasingly tough
To rely on medicine alone for income, professional satisfaction and self-actualization
They all seem to looking for a side gig for income diversification
Not just a hobby but something substantial to replace
Both income and vocation when burnout in healthcare they face..
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Physicians tend to be life-long learners , so they are not afraid
To pivot if needed, and learn from scratch a new trade
Finding another vocation in which they can do reasonably well
Is not difficult once they decide to retreat from the field in which they excel
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With more physicians trying to cut down their hours or leave medicine entirely
An impending shortage of highly trained professionals we can foresee
To train as a doctor takes years with sacrifices along the way
To complete training, milestones in life and gratification they delay
Therefore leaving medicine is not a frivolous decision
It happens only when a hopeful future they cannot envision
In the long-term, they cannot be easily replaced
But the system does little to address the challenges they face…
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I hope the healthcare system recognizes and tries
To address burnout in physicians, those in administration need to realize
That the problem is going to reach crisis proportions eventually
There wouldn’t be enough doctors to take care of a population aging rapidly
Passion...unbridled 