Understand yourself: How doctors avoid professional burnout

Moscow urologist Alexei Zhivov touched upon a very important topic in his publication, which is especially relevant today - professional burnout:

“Frankly, I was surprised to find myself in the medical specialty with the highest burnout rate among doctors in the United States. Urologists are leading with a frequency of 54%, and for at least the 2nd consecutive year. The top ten burnout also includes neurologists - 50%, nephrologists - 49%, endocrinologists, family doctors, obstetricians-gynecologists, rheumatologists and radiologists - 46%, infectious disease specialists - 45%, emergency doctors - 44%. Interestingly, general surgeons and ENT doctors burn out much less often - only 35%. Long-term observations show that women burn out more often (11% more often than men), and the most common causes of burnout are excessive bureaucratic tasks and writing (55%), devotion to work too much time (33%), disrespect for the administration, employees and colleagues (32 %), excessive computerization (30%) and inadequate wages (29%). The middle generation X burns out more often, millennials and baby boomers burn out 10% less often. Medicine is a rather difficult profession and takes a lot of time away from the family. Doctors of all generations are ready to work for less wages, but spend more time at home with loved ones.

What do I think about this. Despite the fact that I am a urologist, I NEVER imagined how you can burn out in medicine if you entered the profession consciously and love it as your life. For me, Urology is more than a specialty, it is a school, style and way of life or something. It is research, study, continuing education and constant challenge. These are victories and defeats, lessons learned from failures and new successes. They are wonderful people, friends, and not very nice personalities. This is life and its school. Why didn't I have an obvious prerequisite for burnout? Probably because I always worked there and the way I wanted, and also with whom I wanted. And with whom he did not want, he parted as soon as possible. I didn't have to break and mangle myself. I am sure that I was just lucky in the profession! And the support of the family, spouse or spouse is also very important, who should share your love for the profession and understand how difficult and demanding it is for you, first of all, in terms of the time that needs to be devoted to it. I am very grateful to my wife Vera for the continuous support and respect for my work and my daughter Victoria, who has followed in my footsteps and wants to become a doctor. Well, it is very important to have a kind attitude of teachers, with whom I was very lucky and they were and are outstanding people in our profession and in life, wonderful colleagues with whom I had and still have to work, leaders whom I hope I did not let down and I do not let down, students, to whom I give my knowledge and experience.

So, summarizing the causes of burnout, I will try to formulate their quintessence. Burnout starts when you start to assess yourself inadequately. This leads to unrealistic expectations from yourself and from management and colleagues / patients from you. This creates a conflict between how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you. Thus, the essence of burnout lies in falsehood, in self-deception and, as a result, in deceiving the expectations of others, including patients. Therefore, in order not to burn out, colleagues, be honest with yourself. Do not consider yourself to be who you are not. Do not take on tasks that you cannot solve and work that you cannot do. Do not lead if you do not have leadership qualities, do not take on the responsibility that you cannot bear. Be yourself, evaluate yourself adequately and do not be shy about it! Then burnout with disappointment in the profession will not overtake you. You will always be who you are, in harmony with yourself and the world around you. Take your own place in the profession, and not someone else's, which you, in fact, do not need. And when something doesn't work out, don't take it as a personal tragedy. Do not blame others, they are usually just a reaction to what you are doing. Better understand yourself and yourself. Go ahead, try and find yourself in the profession and in life. A job change is not a tragedy, but a new opportunity and an attempt to find and realize yourself! Be in the right place in the profession! And this is true for any generation, for the young, already experienced and at the final stage of their careers.