Career and Life Planning Guidebook for Medical Residents

Physician Wellness R E A D : It’s All About The Boundaries No one gets through medical school, let alone residency, without being driven. There have been moments where you were determined to prove you could do that procedure competently in record time, master the art of the speedy SOAP note, and identify that “zebra” with less than 3 symptoms. It’s not unusual that the temptation to overachieve would be difficult to resist when you start attending life. The tendency of physicians is to be self-critical and overcommit, both of which feed the disease that is burnout (6) . So how can a new attending strike that critical balance between making a name for themselves while engaging in self-care? Although it is important, as described in our job transitioning chapter, to be an “ AAA Physician, ” is it possible to strike that critical balance between making a name for yourself and still engaging in self-care? The answer is yes, and the first step is knowing your “ Core Four ”: 1. What am I capable of? 2. What am I not capable of? 3. What am I willing to do? 4. What am I not willing to do? Although these may seem over-simplistic, establishing these boundaries for yourself personally and professionally is a crucial step on the path to work-life balance. Here’s how I break these down to my residents: 1. What am I capable of? This speaks more to your background and training than your ability as a physician. I was trained in what I refer to as the “dark ages”: no hospitalists, no nocturnists, no duty-hour restrictions….it was you and your skills flying without a net. As a result, I came out of my FM residency programtrained todocritical caremedicine, hospital work, nursing home care, and practice outpatient medicine. When looking at potential jobs, these were skills that I listed and considered that training when reviewing job offers. I knew I was capable of doing these tasks in my life as an attending. 2. What am I not capable of? Again, this one is pretty straightforward. If you’re not trained to do something, don’t advertise it in your skill set or agree to incorporate it into your practice! You wouldn’t hire a master carpenter to do the job of an expert plumber…..whywould you put your patient (or yourself) at risk by practicing outside your scope of care. If a potential employer offers to train you in a reasonable procedure (for example: learning how to perform and read stress tests as a family doctor), negotiate CME time, credit, and reimbursement. 57 WWW.PHYSICIANCAREERPLANNING.COM