Career

As healthcare providers, the notion of disconnecting from work seems completely strange, but a sign that our profession and culture is changing.

What our patients are sometimes asking when they ask for a medication change or dose increase is a different type of help altogether - the type of counseling and wisdom and gentle prodding that we, as physicians, are able to offer but too often do not.

Being a physician is rewarding - but it can take a toll on your personal life. Here are some of the best ways to release a little steam to avoid total burnout.

So often, experts tell us what to do and how to do it. But much of the time we already know what the right thing is because we feel it, we sense it.

The organization for which I currently work has a very clear and well-communicated mission ... I respect the organization for not trying to do it all, but instead focusing on a single thing that they think they can do better than anyone else.

Historically, the demands of being a physician have resulted in generations of physicians who were excellent clinicians but lousy spouses and parents. This is a generalization and many physicians, young and old, have been able to balance home and work demands and perform well at both.

Peter K. Kim, MD, on why he thinks conventional preoperative bowel prep is unnecessary, and possibly harmful.

Several states are reducing Medicaid payments to physicians, and the federal government is considering reducing Medicare spending. It’s not a pleasant combination for the nation’s poorest and most elderly patients - or the providers treating them.

Noteworthy items from Physicians Practice

Whether the thought of public performance feedback makes you excited or anxious, you may want to check your performance scores. They could be playing a larger role in your work life than you think.

Are your docs overstressed? Join the club. But there are things you can do to help prevent your physicians from becoming jaded.

It’s no wonder that physicians have such a difficult time achieving work-life balance. We were brought up in a system that defies the very concept.

A plan proposed by Arizona state officials would impose a $50 fee to childless Medicaid recipients who smoke and/or are obese. How would such a rule impact physician practices?

We have all taken the Hippocratic Oath, which admonishes us "To do no harm." I believe this dictum refers to more than just clinical harm to the patient, but also to psychological harm.

Does a lie to a patient's family member really protect the patient? You decide.

Infectious disease specialist Onyema Ogbuagu's quiet walk was interrupted by an unexpected delivery.

The more time we save presumably, the more time we have to spend at work or at home. But I’m not sure all of the new technology I’m using will save time, even with increased use.

With a slower economy, rising costs, and the increasing use of social networking sites, are medical associations still worth their dues?

I have a hard time saying no. I do feel guilty and I wonder at lost opportunities. In my transition from academia to private practice, I’ve had to start saying no a lot more often

Even if your practice has a knack for hiring the best doctors, putting the focus on how well they fit is the best retention strategy.

No matter what work-life balance means for you personally, whether it is a four-day workweek, a Blackberry-free vacation with your family, or a commitment to exercise and eat lunch every day, certain things deserve not only respect but support.

No, this blog post isn’t about some patient who acted like a jerk or about a co-worker I can’t stand. It’s not about a creep; it’s about the creep.

Take our weekly poll to tell us how you maintain a healthy work-life balance.

I don’t always feel the strain of my decisions to travel or to add extra obligations to my already very full schedule. However, when I look across the breakfast table at my spouse and see that he has a hollow-eyed zombie stare and a three-day growth of stubble on his face, I can recognize how my lack of work-life balance equals his fatigue and burnout.

Noteworthy items from May 2011

The Curious Case of Mr. C and the Worms

AMA introduces a reference application for Apple gadgets, while physicians are called on to get creative in a medical apps competition.

I am constantly balancing too much and too little time with my family and my patients. Guess that’s what comes with being a physician and a mom.

One year since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, its impact on Americans has turned into one of the most hotly debated and controversial subjects in physician circles.