On “Burnout”
They call it “burnout.” As if I didn’t attend enough yoga. As if the fault lay within me for not being able to tolerate the abuse of a toxic and misogynistic work environment. I do believe there is an onus of responsibility on physicians to care for ourselves. We must take care of our minds, bodies and souls as these are the tools we use to care for our patients. However, I also do believe there is an onus of responsibility on health systems to create and foster sustainable work environments. This involves sufficient staffing of both physicians and nurses, creating a positive atmosphere, humane scheduling, valuing the blood, sweat and tears of those at the frontlines, allowing staff to voice concerns and adequate representation in leadership for women and minorities. “Burnout” really is an incongruity between physician resilience and workplace ethos. In my experience, if you are holding up your end of the bargain and your employer is not, that place is not a good fit