Er Doctor

Update 2021: Addressing the epidemic of burnout, depression, and suicide in medicine I developed this site many years ago to help those aiming for medical careers achieve their dreams, but I did not adequately emphasize that interest in medicine and aptitude for it are not sufficient reasons to pursue that goal. As documented by some of the referen... ces listed below (and countless others I could add), the medical profession is plagued by an epidemic of burnout, depression, and suicide, the best antidote for which is a stark dose of reality in which people honestly admit why they are drawn to medicine. I know many doctors but can't think of one who would continue working if paid what average Americans make: now (2021) roughly $25 per hour . In contrast, I would have a difficult time listing all doctors I know who hate medicine and barely tolerate it because they are well-paid. Thus people who enter medicine are less likely to love it than to torment themselves by being trapped in pressure-cooker careers plagued by burnout, depression, and suicide. Bitterly regretting that career choice can be prevented by pondering other motivations. Do you like people really? Americans have such a low threshold for hatred they commonly dislike others with different political beliefs, as if that should be a sin in a nation that supposedly embodies freedom. As difficult as it is for Americans to genuinely like and respect one another, that difficulty is magnified when dealing with patients who are frequently more cranky, demanding, and self-centered than ever, according to what I hear from nurses who haven't yet found a way to escape that profession. I did a reasonably good job of conveying that unfortunate reality in prior books and websites because I believe that the medical profession is best served when people enter it with both eyes open, fully aware of what they are getting themselves into. However, most of the fault goes not to patients but to doctors who have masterfully equated healthcare with what they do, which largely ...Read More