Twelve months of pure possibility stretch out in front of you. You could make 2019 another year of medical drudgery. Or you could have new experiences, give back to the world and set your priorities in order. Here are five experiences doctors should have this year. Go somewhere new In the burnout-prone world of modern medicine, it’s never been more critical to schedule time away from work. Travel has many scientifically proven health benefits, including increased levels of happiness prior to going on the trip and sustained increasing levels of happiness afterward. Unfortunately, many travel destinations are just as connected as your practice or hospital. You might want to consider going somewhere so remote that your boss couldn’t reach you, even if they wanted to. Or just leave your phone at home. Volunteer In addition to the feel-good nature of volunteering, donating your time has proven health benefits. A recent overview of research on the healthy benefits of volunteering shows that giving one’s time can lead to a decreased risk of depression, stress reduction and longevity, among other factors. Volunteer opportunities for foreign and U.S. service abound. The American Medical Association’s Franklin Fellows Program allows doctors with five years of professional experience to work with the U.S. State Department on international issues that affect the U.S. Doctors without Borders is perhaps the most well-known international volunteer effort for physicians. But if you want to support a more specific country or cause, a quick Google search will reveal a plethora of options, including volunteer opportunities in Haiti, Ghana or Thailand. Check out 5G Currently, all mobile devices operate on 4G (fourth generation) LTE technology. The coming wave that will disrupt the 4G landscape is 5G, which has massive implications for healthcare. Odds are, your TV, tablet, laptops, thermostats and security system are all connected and controllable from any location with an internet connection. The same is true for an increasing number of devices in the average hospital. With faster download and upload speeds offered by 5G, things such as remote surgery may become reality. Even without 5G, medical students are already using increased internet speed and haptic feedback to train in virtual and mixed reality. Take some time in 2019 to acquaint yourself with technologies that may be medical mainstays in the years ahead. Demo the Oculus Rift to get a sense for just how immersive these technologies are and how they might be put to use in the telemedicine space. Technology detox After you’re done wrapping your head around the emerging technological world of 5G and the Internet of Things, it’s probably time for a technology detox. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, we touch our phones about 80 times daily. Other than psychological dependency, the jury is still out on potential human health impacts of smartphone use, other than text neck. Scheduled time away from devices will likely do you good. A recent Forbes article explores how a technology detox can help you come up with better ideas, promote elevated thinking and create better working relationships. It can also help you maintain a better work-life balance, staving off your odds of physician burnout. Do something physically challenging When was the last time you did something physically challenging, something that pushed you to your limit? Physicians who were once athletes will likely remember games, practices or training that pushed beyond what they thought was physically possible. These types of experiences become less and less frequent as we age and life takes over. But something as simple as cold exposure may bring you to your physical edge and have some interesting health benefits, including weight loss. Try starting out with a full-cold shower. Or, if you’re more adventurous, you can check out the Wim Hof Method, which blends a breathing technique with cold exposure. Source
