How to Feel Unstuck in Medicine

Never had I imagined that I would be working those long hours. Hours I did not sign up for. On paper, I was compensated for a full-time job – full-time meant 37.5 hours a week. If you are a physician, especially if you are an employed physician, and working full-time, you know that you are working way more hours than a regular full-time job. Try 50 to 60 hours a week. You get a base salary, no overtime. If you exceed a certain RVU, you get a bonus – maybe. Some companies do not award physicians for the extra patients they see.

I felt stuck. It felt as if I was trapped and there was no way out. Trapped in the job, working extra long hours, not compensated accordingly. At the same time, it was important to have that financial compensation I worked for. In an area where it was saturated with doctors, it was as if most practices, although different, were similar. There was no time to spend with my family. My children would probably not recognize their mother. It seemed as if I was alone – at least in my practice. Alone in a sense that other colleagues did not seem to have the same issue. Alone because there was the staff, then there was me. It was as if we were two separate entities, working side by side but not together.

It felt suffocating. There had to be something I could do. There had to be something I could change.

The first step to feel unstuck as a physician is to recognize that you have choices. There are many choices in life – some of them you may not like, so much so that your brain ignores them and avoids bringing them up. The feeling of being stuck can be so real, because your brain “protected” you from seeing other options. To resolve this challenge, and to remember that there are always choices, think with “I choose to”. Instead of thinking that I cannot get out of this job and feel stuck, allow yourself to think that there are choices. I choose to work here because… Think of all the reasons which nudge you to choose your current job. Those are the reasons why you choose to be where you are. It may be for the location, the financial compensation, multiple reasons and many more.

Which brings us to the second step: acknowledge, know and respect your priorities. You can always choose to work somewhere else, do locum tenens, open your own practice, or even choose to do non-clinical work. Do you value the location, the financial compensation, or the particular people you work with? Remind yourself that you always have choices.

When you feel stuck or trapped, it implies that you are a prisoner of some sort. In the world of medicine, ask yourself: is that true? Be curious and explore what you can change within your job. Is it possible to change something? For example, you prefer the medical assistant to do the intake differently. Is it possible to ask for that change? If you do not ask, you may not get what you want. Yes, you may still not get what you want even if you ask. The worst that you get by asking is getting a “no” for an answer. You did not lose anything. Asking may help you gain something you want.

What about changing something about you? For example, how you see the patients and do their charts. How you leverage your team. How you work toward more efficiency. There is always a little tweak or a tiny shift you can make to allow yourself to feel less stuck.

It is important to always incorporate something you enjoy doing in your day. That is something you get to do, something you choose to do. It makes you feel more joy. It also reinforces the idea that you have choices. You get to decide what you want to do.

Of course, getting the help and support you need is always a powerful way to feel unstuck. How can you think of your situation differently? Should I stay or should I go? Sometimes, talking to someone about it, seeking guidance, may help you gain more clarity.

As a physician, if you are not working in your dream job, do not be discouraged. Remember that you have choices and you do not have to feel stuck. Remember your priorities and your values. Be open to explore what you can change about the job or about yourself. Ask – it may be a yes. Leverage your team. Do something you enjoy doing. Seek help if you cannot figure it out on your own. It is possible to find more joy in practicing medicine.