Sacrifice.

     When I look back on all the personal sacrifices i had to made becoming a doctor and practicing for 25 years I sometimes feel cheated on a numer of levels. The public and patients think because you make a better than average income its all so wonderful. They also assume that because doctors do usually get respect from the public (especially when they need you), that that is one more of the fringe benefits of being a health care provider. They also tend to think all doctors have a similar income and lifestyle for some unclear reason. As we know that couldn't be farthter from the truth.
      What they don't see is the string of sleepless nights, 10-12 hour work days, concern over the outcome of a patients episode of illness and loss of personal and family time over many years.  Then there is the ever present threat of potential or actual complaints of malpractice, insurance company control over your practice and income etc etc.
    It is only when you take a step back and clear your head can you really see the how lucky you have been to be in this role after all. Just like everything in life, no one else will ever understand what seems so clear to you when you try to explain the reality of your personal experiences. This applies to professional and personal events. Just like I may see the life of an actor as glamorous and so much better than mine or the life of a big politician or CEO as being so much more lucrative and influential!
    But unless I have actually lived in their shoes or with them as a family member i really don't have any concept for what the quality of their life is really like. It may be wonderful to play golf three times a week or travel the world making movies or business decisions or it may be just as difficult on a personal
level for reasons i don't even comprehend.
    What i do know that there are very few professions like health care, where you get the opportunity to really help people and change lives and relieve suffering on a daily basis if you put your heart and soul into your work! So you didn't get home till 8 pm because you were in the emergency room with a child that was very ill. What did you really miss? A television show, a football game?
     When you look back on your life years from now and think what did I really accomplish with my life? The answer is likely to be flooded with memories of very intensely happy and sad moments but they will represent real life events that changed you and possibly someone else's life forever! Contrast that with trying to remember what your best day of fishing or golf was, or what was the most memorable vacation you ever took, or who won the superbowl 5 years ago?
     The real secret is striking a balance between your private and personal life. It is vitally important for health care providers to try to achieve this balance early in their career to avoid burnout. This can easily be done if you are aware of the warning signs. When they occur consider a change in working hours, practice type or location. The best way to keep this opportunity open to you is to live within your means and not get overextended financially so you will have this flexibility if that time ever comes that you want to make a change.
    When things are going well it is easy to get a little to confident in the future and lock yourself into obligations that may be hard to fulfill of your situation changes personally or professionally.  The good news is that most health care jobs are much more transferable to another location within the same city or to just about any state in the USA.
     So realize what you do is important, valuable and irreplaceable. Relish in those facts and enjoy yourself, just keeps the doors open to making changes when necessary to keep yourself and your family as your primary focus. If you or your family are not happy you cannot be the best at what you do!!!

                                                                                                                      12-4-11
     joke for today: What kind of music do they play at the playground?
                                                     (Swing!!!!!!)