'Why do we work more than required?'

'Why do we work more than required?'

Fear Spent growing years in relative scarcity is the prime factor in forcing us to always keep the foot on the gas-paddle. In formative years, having lived on 'half stomachs' (small cars or cramped apartments), we sprint and build stamina to run for longer distances without looking after what we require during the course in the marathon called life.After missing our meals, running from clinic to clinic we feel like real successful and happening people .Some how we pride ourselves in having lesser and lesser time for ourselves.There is no 'standing-on-the podium' finish at the end but the detailed record of long lost youth, consummed family time and above all lost happy times . Leaving Gold and running after silver. No one deserts a doctor faster than his patients and patients fall in love with their new care giver in no time.We forget that the new patient has deserted another doctor.But this feeling that someone in need is liking us and is dependent on us makes us feel desirable. We want to do everything for that patient even if it means consuming personal or family time.We leave our loved ones to our friends to look after. I have not seen many doctors accompanying their close relations to a clinic for an appointment.They are looking after someone else at that time .Time for yourself, family and children are gold and running after fickle silver is waste. The small pleasures of spending time with child during PTA or looking after unwell mother/ father are small pleasures which would appear big some years later. Will they be around when you are free after collecting nickels and precious stones. False sense of ownership Like little kids, we feel sorry for ourselves when we lose our patients due to lack of time. So we have a sense of ownership on our patients that since we have done so much for them ,they should stick to us. They are buying service at a price from you. Leave them alone and have only detached love for them. Detachment is the key….running after patients is not running after material .satisfaction.. alone.. There is some element of truth and larger element of spiritual satisfaction in it. It gives you sense of satisfaction that you are wanted desired and loved by someone.On the other side, patients are standing at the ticket counter and buying ticket to the new circus called health where doctors are ring masters ( when disease is overwhelming) and jokers ( after the work is over).We call this as christening to the religion called medicine. Patients call it getting chastised and most of us will surely get crucified, buried and forgotten. Died at 30 and buried at 60 I have borrowed this line from 'Don't sweat the small stuff'.This line deeply affected me for some time. Medical Profession is patronized by hungry middle class. Patronied by students coming from families where working with heads down and pockets out is not a shame but way of life. 'Son-first-become-something' is what you hear everyday after achieving puberty.This cliché is always weighing on you the moment you waver .In medical college you are looking to become commercially successful and taking up a decent paying line to buy whatever is buyable and discard what ever has been sticking on to you.Most important is the tag of long years of mediocre life and anonymous existence and starts the process of branding.Branding yourself as doctor who has arrived.I personally feel there is nothing wrong in earning money but getting getting consumed by the process is not a done thing To be contd.. - Show quoted text -

On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 9:59 AM, Prashant Bhatt <drpbhatt@gmail.com> wrote:
TIME TO DO A LIST (LIFESTYLE IN SURGERY TODAY) ORIENTED SURVEY FOR INDIAN DOCS Surgeons Want Improvement in Areas of Reimbursement, Litigation, and Emergency Call Jacquelyn K. Beals, PhDInformation from IndustryEducate colleagues about resistant pathogens and intervention strategies Show us how you would construct a presentation to educate your colleagues about resistant pathogens and intervention strategies. Participate in this interactive program October 16, 2008 (San Francisco, California) — Surgeons are very satisfied with their careers, but feel they work too many hours, affecting family and personal time. Many surgeons would also like improved reimbursement and less litigation. These are among the findings of the national Lifestyles in Surgery Today (LIST) survey, which was supported by the American College of Surgeons and the Association of Women Surgeons. Kathrin M. Troppmann, MD, FACS, associate professor in the department of surgery at the University of California–Davis Health System, in Sacramento, presented the results here at the American College of Surgeons 94th Annual Clinical Congress. The survey was undertaken "to study surgeons' satisfaction with lifestyle and career," and "to study risk factors for dissatisfaction and inability to achieve a work–life balance." A major impetus for the survey was a current mismatch: there is a decreasing supply of surgeons resulting largely from medical students' concerns about surgeons' lifestyles, and an increasing demand for surgeons based on population growth and aging. Career satisfaction and attitudes toward their lifestyle influence the recruitment of new surgeons from medical students and the retention of those already practicing.Despite some areas of dissatisfaction, Dr. Troppmann told Medscape General Surgery that the survey "shows that surgeons are very satisfied with their lives and that...75% would choose surgery again."The 56-item survey was mailed to all surgeons who were certified by the American Board of Surgery in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004. Multivariate analysis was used to explore covariation between career dissatisfaction and work–life balance and a spectrum of demographic and professional factors. Satisfaction with reimbursement (yes or no) was also included in the analysis.The average age of the 895 respondents was 45.6 years, and 79.7% were male and 20.3% were female. The respondents were grouped into those who were ABS-certified in 1988, 1992, or 1996, and those who were ABS-certified in 2000 or 2004. Location of the surgical practice was compared (university/Veteran's Administration [VA] setting vs nonuniversity/non-VA setting). Similarly, urban and rural locations were compared. "I would have thought perhaps that rural surgeons might be somewhat more dissatisfied, but in fact they were not — it was not significant," noted Dr. Troppmann.Results showed that the average respondent worked a median of 64 hours a week, but regarded 50 hours per week as ideal. Overall, 59% of those responding "felt that they worked too many hours." A median of 20 hours per week were spent with family and friends, and 4 hours per week were spent on hobbies/recreation. Of the respondents, 68.5% were satisfied with the amount of time spent with family and friends, but only 40.5% were satisfied with the amount of time spent in hobbies/recreation.Only 25.8% of respondents were satisfied with their reimbursement with respect to the total number of hours worked, only 15.7% were satisfied in light of their unpredictable schedule, and a meager 13.7% were satisfied with reimbursement considering their responsibility for patients' health and lives. Despite obvious areas of dissatisfaction, 85.0% of respondents were satisfied overall with their career as a surgeon. Satisfaction with specific aspects of a surgical career (for instance, technical aspects, helping others, and surgical colleagues) was expressed by 96.5%, 93.2%, and 72.6% of respondents, respectively. However, 2 significant risk factors for dissatisfaction were reimbursement and practice setting (university vs nonuniversity) (P < .001 for each).The leading areas requiring improvement in surgeons' quality of life were reimbursement (93.4%), diminish litigation (92.3%), and exclude/minimize emergency calls (76.1%). Dissatisfaction with reimbursement was also a risk factor for career dissatisfaction, work–life imbalance, and "nonrecommendation of surgical career to own children."Medscape General Surgery spoke with the session moderator, Amy B. Reed, MD, FACS, associate professor in the division of vascular surgery at the University of Cincinnati, in Ohio. "It's a very hot topic, and timely, because when medical students are looking to determine their careers, career satisfaction is very important, particularly if you're a role model or mentor and you're not very satisfied. If you find that a larger percentage are not satisfied, how can you project a positive view of your field to those behind you?" asked Dr. Reed. "I'm worried that [the people who aren't satisfied are] the people who are showing their faces to our upcoming students.... They might not choose our path because these role models are unhappy."Dr. Troppmann concluded her presentation by urging advocacy by surgeons and their professional organizations in the areas that need most change to improve the quality of life — all 3 areas are primarily policy issues. Changes in these areas will increase career satisfaction for current surgeons and make the profession more attractive to others contemplating a surgical career.Neither Dr. Troppmann nor Dr. Reed disclosed any relevant financial relationships.American College of Surgeons (ACS) 94th Annual Clinical Congress: Session GS67. Presented October 15, 2008.
Prashant Bhatt

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