Grief, Gratitude, and Untangling Personal Identity from Professional Roles: A Physician's Journey

Grief, Gratitude, and Untangling Personal Identity from Professional Roles: A Physician's Journey Dr. Sapna Shah-Haque MD 5:44

Ever found yourself entangled in the web of your professional identity, losing sight of the person behind the white coat? You're not alone. As physicians, we often tether our self-worth to our credentials, earning, and titles, leaving little room to nurture our persona beyond the confines of our clinics and hospitals. Join me, Dr. Sapna Shah-Haque, in this candid discussion on an episode of The Worthy Physician as we navigate this challenging terrain, examining the delicate equilibrium between our personal and professional identities.

As we traverse the demanding journey of medical practice, burnout isn't just a possibility but a commonality. Balancing long hours, dealing with administrative burdens, and shouldering patient expectations can lead to an existential crisis – who are we, if not physicians? Hear my personal narrative of burnout, the subsequent Grief, the questioning of purpose, and the journey to rediscovering my identity outside of medicine. We'll discuss how this struggle can lead to a revelation, a chance to reassess our priorities and emerge stronger, infused with gratitude and a renewed sense of self. So, are you ready to untangle your identity from your profession and explore the person behind the physician?

Though I am a physician, this is not medical advice. This is only a tool that physicians can use to get ideas on how to deal with burnout and/or know they are not alone. If you are in need of medical assistance talk to your physician.

Learn more about female physicians' journey through burnout to thriving!
https://www.theworthyphysician.com/books

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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.