End Medicine's Suffering Olympics

Can we stop the Suffering Olympics in medicine?

Can we stop judging each other?

Can we quit comparing our medals of exhaustion?

Looking around do you see younger physicians, those in training and those who may be just launching in attendinghood, show signs of exhaustion?

You see them showing signs of dread.

You may hear them complain.
 
And you judge them. 

They just launched their careers, why are they already so tired. So burnt out? Don’t they know how to practice gratitude? 

And you might unconsciously be leaning into that conditioned response of seeing what the “morally superior” way to practice medicine is.

And all these early career physicians are showing signs of apparent weakness whereas you might have personally practiced medicine and suffered for decades. Why are these doctors so “weak” and were earlier physicians “stronger”? 

 Can you question yourself to shift these thoughts? You are conditioned to judge. 

👉🏽Even in your compassion, you might be hiding contempt.

🌱If you are a seasoned physician, today I request you to lean back in time, imagine your younger version that was dangerously exhausted, whose personal life was nonexistent and give that version of yourself, a hug. 

🌱And- if possible, find an early career physician near you, check in on them. Ask how can you support them. Acknowledge just because you suffered for decades, does not mean, you want others to as well.

End the Suffering Olympics. 

Normalize that younger doctors can also feel awful and ask for help.

Let’s all start today and quit glorifying the years of misery under our belt. This acts as a deterrent for others who desperately need help. 

Lift your colleagues up💜

The future of medicine, our early career physicians are hurting. 

You could save a life and shape a future by your compassion and your vulnerability.