By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    How Not to Become a Victim of Medical Scams
    How Not to Become a Victim of Medical Scams
    December 22, 2021
    11 Ways You Can Care for Your Elder Family Members Health
    11 Ways You Can Care for Your Elder Family Members Health
    April 6, 2022
    How Can Brain Injury Lead To Dangerous Long-Term Effects?
    How Can Brain Injury Lead To Dangerous Long-Term Effects?
    August 30, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    health suppliments
    Experience Life in a Better Way by Experimenting with Supplements!
    November 15, 2022
    Are There Differences in Medicare Spending Across States?
    September 9, 2017
    Obama: Ryan’s Ideas Are Too Radical Unless They’re Also My Ideas
    April 21, 2011
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Reviving the Spark: How Physicians Can Renew Their Joy in Medicine
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Wellness > Reviving the Spark: How Physicians Can Renew Their Joy in Medicine
Wellness

Reviving the Spark: How Physicians Can Renew Their Joy in Medicine

Trish Green
Trish Green
Share
6 Min Read
doctor burnout
SHARE

doctor burnoutWhen you decided to enter the medical field, you likely had the notion that the work would always be meaningful and fulfilling. But even with a love for medicine and a passionate desire to use your expertise to help people, certain circumstances can dampen your spirits and make each shift feel like drudgery.

doctor burnoutWhen you decided to enter the medical field, you likely had the notion that the work would always be meaningful and fulfilling. But even with a love for medicine and a passionate desire to use your expertise to help people, certain circumstances can dampen your spirits and make each shift feel like drudgery.

However, there’s no reason to resign yourself to a career that’s demanding yet unrewarding. If you address your situation and make some changes, you can find joy in your work again.

Facing Burnout

More Read

healthy snacks
These Craving-Busting Snacks Can Help You Lose Weight
How Does CBD Help with Breast Cancer?
The Truth About Gluten Free Fad Diets And Your Health
Are Organic Foods Healthier?
Stroke Before 50 Not Good for Long Term Health

Every job has its downsides, and being a physician is no different. Doctors frequently run into problems with bureaucracy and insurance companies, as well as limitations at various locations. All of these problems can contribute to burnout, but different factors bother people in different ways and to different degrees.

I once worked with an orthopedic surgeon who left the Army Reserve Medical Corps (ARMC) for the civilian sector. In his new setting, he struggled to give his patients the care he felt they needed. Insurance companies had strong jurisdiction over treatments and tests, and he worked in a hospital where the technology and practices were outdated. After five years, he was worn out from the struggle and returned to the ARMC. It was a better fit for him and allowed him the freedom to make decisions he valued.

Anyone can get frustrated and lose passion while working in the wrong setting. Typically, the most important factor for physicians is the quality of care you’re able to offer, and doctors who are distracted or unhappy aren’t able to offer their best. Patients can tell when doctors are discontented, and it worries them. Medicine is complex; they need physicians they can trust and doctors who can put them at ease in tough situations. It’s hard to focus on the patients’ needs when you’re dealing with your own frustrations. 

Getting Out of a Slump

What actions can be taken to find satisfaction in your job again? These steps can help you assess your situation and make changes where they’re needed:

Imagine your ideal setting: Then, contrast it with your current one. What kind of pace do you like? What sort of hours? What trauma level? Do you want a hospital with more or fewer beds? Do you want something more challenging, or do you want to slow things down? Are you interested in taking on volunteer or part-time work? Clarify your top priorities, and focus your attention on a small number of things you want to change. These will likely change as your life circumstances do.

Evaluate your personal life: Does your community suit your family’s needs? Your job plays a big role in the lives of each family member; you want to ensure it’s making a positive impact, rather than a negative one. Many physicians take the highest-paying job right out of residency but later find that their spouses want to be closer to family once they have kids. It’s important to weigh the significance of personal desires against professional ones and strike a good balance.

Take vacations and frequent breaks: This is directly related to finding personal balance, and it’s entirely your responsibility. Physicians are notorious for being workaholics, but if you don’t know how to walk away from the office and trust your colleagues, you’re compromising your value at both work and home. You need to be fully present for both, and overdoing one can hurt the other.

Shake things up: Sometimes, you don’t need an entirely new job — you just need a change of pace. This is especially true for individuals who struggle with feeling challenged or appreciated. If you are in primary care, see if you can work a shift in the ER weekly or monthly. Seek out new ways to use your skills to help people, like volunteering with organizations that offer services to people without healthcare. Get out of your routine and experience something new.

If you’ve lost your spark, there’s very little chance of it returning on its own. But you don’t have to sit and wait for it to find you. Remember what made you love medicine in the first place, and chase after the things that can bring you back to that point. Change can be difficult, but it’s worth a little discomfort to rediscover the joy in your work.

(doctor burnout / shutterstock)

TAGGED:doctor burnoutphysician burnout
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Collaborating for Care Management Innovation

March 3, 2013
Wellness

Culture Shock vs. Depression In Childcare Workers

October 6, 2018
BusinesseHealthHealth ReformHospital AdministrationMobile HealthNewsPolicy & LawPublic HealthSpecialtiesWellness

Community Health Centers and Healthcare Systems Partnering for Healthcare of the Future

August 12, 2012
person-centered healthcare
Medical InnovationsNewsWellness

Person-Centered HealthCare: Patient Room of the Future

August 9, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?