Being a doctor is almost akin to getting onto a roller coaster blindfolded, without definitively knowing the end point. The highs are amazing, especially when you see your patients making a full recovery, and getting back to their lives. But the lows…these can be gut-wrenching. How you handle these crucial moments will truly define and mould you as the kind of doctor you can be. It is almost too easy to lose your motivation when such setbacks hit you. So here are 7 simple ways to keep your spirits and drive up: 1. Keep the end in mind Having meaningful work is important for staying motivated, as well as to live a fulfilling life. Victor Frankl, a neurologist and psychiatrist who survived the Holocaust, points out in his work that in the absence of meaning, people fill the void with pleasure or power, although it is actually meaning that they are seeking. Think about your goals, which can be more than one. This can be as simple as treating your patients the way you would want to be treated, to as complex as finding the cure for cancer and AIDS. However, if earning a lot of money or attaining a certain status is also important to you, then being honest with the person in the mirror about it would be the least you can do for yourself. However, goals do change with time, so do be prepared to reconsider what is ultimately important. 2. Do unto others, what you would have them do unto you Patients and allied healthcare workers are humans. Computers and records, however, aren't. As much as we can get very task-oriented and frustrated when we meet roadblocks in providing care for our patients, it is worth remembering that the people we encounter at work are just like us, and that they are also trying to make choices in the best way they know how to. As cliché as it sounds, rude or unreasonable people tend to invite negativity and punishment into their territories. 3. Remind yourself that life is beautiful It can be really difficult to keep smiling when times are hard; such as certain “hardship postings” when a day off is hard to come by, or when every decision you make seems to be second-guessed by everyone from the patient to the nurse to the consultant. It might just be all you can do to show up at work day after day. There are no hard statistics on physician depression in Singapore, but it has been estimated that the United States loses 400 doctors to suicide each year. Anecdotally, most of us might know of physician friends or colleagues struggling with depression and/or taking anti-depressants, most of whom have improved or at least, remained stable. Given that depression can kill, – and most doctors know this, at least conceptually – if you take a moment to reflect, and find that yourself mentally checking off some of the symptoms for depression, it may be time to seek help. 4. Track your progress Keep a list of your goals and see how far you have come and how far you have to go. Whether it is a list of procedures you want to do or assist in, or conferences you want to attend or present at, having a bucket list can help you stay motivated. 5. Take a break Burnout is increasingly recognized as a problem in Singapore1, but remains underdiagnosed globally, and is often labelled as depression2. Whether it be a gap year (or even a month of no-pay-leave), a “respite” posting, or even a rest from never-ending examinations, a period of rest can work wonders for burnout. 6. Try something new Consider doing an elective in a different specialty or sub-specialty (if you’re in residency) or a posting in a specialty you’ve always wondered about but never tried. Trying something new often helps in re-framing a negative scenario into something better. 7. Reflect Give yourself time to think about what you see and hear. Process and internalize the stories of your patients. After all, helping patients to continue writing their life stories is why most of us wanted to do medicine in the first place. Source
