As a physician search consultant, I have doctors telling me on a daily basis what their ideal practice opportunity looks like. And other than location and earning potential, the top comment I hear doctors make is the desire to find work-life balance. “Work-life balance” is a phrase becoming more and more common among physicians, though it seems like few are able to successfully achieve it. With the constant changing of the healthcare industry, doctors are expected to wear more hats than ever before. More efficient consults, higher patient volumes, and quicker charting turnaround have all become top priorities, though the hours and format of traditional care provision have yet to budge. And with the growing competitiveness of the country’s medical school and residency programs, physician burnout is occurring sooner than we have seen previously. Review these tips to ensure you are taking steps to thwart physician burnout.
- Establish what’s most important to you in each aspect of your life. Write down goals and ideals you hope to achieve both inside and out of the office.
- Set limits. Knowing what you are able to give to each role will help ensure you don’t exceed the time and energy you are comfortable giving.
- Devote time to interests and activities outside of work. Whether that be through religion, sports, or hobbies, having an area of interest that excites and motivates you will help keep your stress down.
- Develop a financial plan and/or budget. Especially important for physicians in residency or still in medical school, knowing where you stand financially from the beginning will assist in creating a successful long-term plan.
- Find a support team. Whether that is with family or with colleagues, having peers to serve as your soundboard will help address frustrations and find solutions for them.
Each physician differs, but finding ways to limit stress levels and increase work-life balance are the best ways to combat burnout and will lead to higher levels of overall satisfaction.
