Balancing work and the rest of your life is a challenge for anyone, but doubly so for those of us in the medical fields. Sometimes it feels like caring for others makes it that much harder to care for ourselves, our families, and our passions and interests outside work. This is a concern not just for those well advanced within their careers, but for more and more who are looking at pursuing medicine as a life-long calling.
Recently, we came across a great discussion of this question, inspired by a question asked by a young man at the beginning of his medical career. Essentially, he asked, how realistic is it think that a real balance is possible? What specialties actually have that kind of lived experience? What if that’s not a specialty I’m particularly passionate about?
These are great questions, and ones that should be discussed more in the profession, openly and honestly.
One advantage that many of our physicians and providers cite, over and over again, is the dual attraction of PURPOSE and FREEDOM.
They find PURPOSE in their work, because they are seeing real results, in patients who are in some of the most vulnerable populations. They are finding ways to apply the latest developments in wound-care science to patients who sorely need their help, and they are helping to educate and empower the nursing staff with whom they collaborate day after day. Wearing multiple hats - healer, educator, innovator - is something that many of our doctors and PAs truly enjoy.
The second part of the formula is FREEDOM. Our providers aren’t on call, they aren’t part of some oppressive hierarchy. They are part of a community of people who truly care about wound care and about providing the best medical treatment possible, with respect and dignity and compassion. This freedom lets our MDs live their lives fully, which helps them be more present for their patients. Fulfilled practitioners, who see their families and have meaningful lives outside the walls of a hospital or long-term care facility, will provide better, more balanced, more compassionate care. It’s just good sense!
And so we wanted to echo the advice the author of the article, Joyce (a dermatology MD) gave:
“The best advice I have for you at your stage is to find physician role models at different stages of life whose professional and family lives you admire and want to emulate. Reach out to doctors at your institution or local neighborhood and see how these practicing physicians balance work and family life. Find doctors whose personalities and professional goals match yours, and see how they live their lives in these specialties. Ask them if they’re happy, do they have time for family, do they still love their jobs, and would they choose this specialty again if they could do it over? You may be surprised; a field that you may not be interested in at the beginning may suddenly become more interesting if you have a role model who is very excited about it and shows you why they love it. This is the best way in my experience to gain insight into whether one specialty is the right future professional and personal fit for you.”
That’s absolutely right. And if you have come across this article and you want to chat with any of our providers to hear more about their experince, just say the word! You can email us or call any time and we’ll put you in touch with one of our outstanding doctors.
Skilled Wound Care is a mobile surgical practice committed to transforming the chronic wound care model in nursing facilities. Wound care experts make weekly bedside visits to patients in long-term care facilities, avoiding transfers to hospitals or clinics. Our expert physicians give patients the most up-to-date and effective wound treatments, and educate facility staff on how to help patients continue to heal quickly and effectively between visits. This model of collaborative care allows SWC’s physicians to improve patients’ lives and health outcomes, to empower nursing staff, and to raise public awareness. Skilled Wound Care, along with its nurse and nursing home partners, is working every day to positively transform traditional nursing home wound care.
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