“Medicine is, is on the one hand such a privilege and such a joy to be a doctor, but on the other hand, the, the personal costs can be too much.”

The quote above from Dr. Corrigan reminds me of Spider-Man [the 2002 with Tobey Maquire]. It was something along the line of, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Anyone in medicine could, and probably would, say that it is true for our profession. With the ability to save a life given the length of training of a physician, it’s a fantastic one, but there is a dark side to it.

-Debt over nearly a decade to obtain the Doctorate of Medicine.

-Cost of medical school keeps increasing with reimbursement decreasing.

-The cutlure of medicine is seeped in tradition, many of which are obsolete.

-There is a huge lack of physician autonomy in the world of medicine [enter venture capitalists, insurance companies, etc.]

-The culture of never asking for help, either from a peer/colleague, or professional Mental Health physician or therapist.

–Suicide is possibly an occupational hazard??

Dr. Corrigan, a recovering physician who left medicine after burning out, and more. Overachiever. Impostor syndrome. Had never heard of Corrigan’s Secret Door until it was too late. Thankfully, he is now in a way better place. Co-founded Physicians Anonymous with intention to solve physician Burnout, mental illness, and addiction. Hopes to prevent future medical career disasters through peer support, advocacy, policy change, and Innovation.

Physicians Anonymous

Doctors supporting doctors

No name – no shame

It’s free. It’s a safe space for physicians to connect. There is no shame in seeking help. I keep this site bookmarked not because I think I need it currently, but can give it to co-workers [physicians], and I am not immune to needing help. I’m human.

Originally Published on https://www.theworthyphysician.com/blog

Sapna Shah-Haque Internal Medicine Physician

Dr. Sapna Shah-Haque, MD is a board certified Internal Medicine physician. She was born and raised in Kansas, and attended medical school at the University of Kansas [KU] School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at KU-Wichita as well. After experiencing burnout herself, and watching other physician colleagues burn out, it became a passion of hers to look into different aspects of burnout. While the system does need to change, as it is broken, this podcast is a way to reach physicians and possibly shed light on what is not an isolated situation.