Therapy for Physician Burnout: Switching Jobs
I did a free consultation with a physician yesterday who said they’re burnt out. They’ve tried antidepressants, improved their social life, traveled, and went on vacation, and said none of it helped solve the problem of being burnt out. They said they can’t sleep because of the stress of work, feel emotionally exhausted and rotten, and need to find a way out now. My first response was to ask if they’ve done the required wellness module yet. Of course, they laughed because, of course, they’ve done the required wellness module. And of course, the wellness module didn't do squat for this person. You may not like this but those wellness modules are great. The issue with the wellness modules is most people aren’t able to implement them because of the required activation energy. I discuss activation energy here (Link).
Therapy for Physician Burnout
The idea of changing jobs or companies regularly comes up when I work with healthcare providers. Maybe switching jobs and companies is the answer to all of their burnout problems. There is a possibility changing jobs or companies may help. In many cases, it’s literally the same stuff, in a different location. In most specialties, the culture is the same, no matter where you go. If the culture is the exact same in the new job, as it was at the old job, you’re bound to burnout again. You have about a year before the honeymoon period is over.
Misalignment Leads to burnout
Before you jump ship, change jobs, companies, or even the field of medicine, examine the two major factors of burnout. Burnout can be broken down into institutional factors (your work environment) and personal factors. When people are burnt out, there are six areas of job-person mismatch. Chistina Maslach identifies these six areas of mismatch as workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values. If there are significant misalignments in these areas of work, there’s a strong possibility burnout can happen.
Let’s break down the area of workload. Let's place the workload on the specialty of primary care. What is a sustainable caseload for a primary care physician? I know many physicians who have the expectation to see 32 to 40 patients per day, depending on if it’s an 8-10 hour day. Those are 15-minute slots. We also know you’re going to be working through lunch. Don’t act like you’re going to be taking a break during lunch. I don’t know many primary care physicians who do not work during their lunch. Most of you are either skipping lunch altogether or stuffing your face as quickly as possible while completing documentation or making phone calls. We all know you will be sacrificing care to push through those 15-minute slots. Now, tell me seeing this many patients, day in and day out, isn’t going to burn you out. In addition, many primary care clinics are not fully staffed. You’ll be doing your work as a physician, as well as the work of others in your clinic. For many physicians, this workload is not sustainable, but this is the expectation of the environment they are employed in. This is the standard for many of the physicians I’ve worked with. If this workload isn’t how you want to practice or does not align with your values as a physician, continuously going into this setting day after day will cause you chronic stress and will lead you to burnout. If you move from one company to another, with the same workload expectation, nothing is going to change. You may be on the path to burnout.
When you are changing jobs or companies, examine the work environment and culture. You will have different leadership and management, and that will bring a unique culture. Will that unique culture be different from your previous company or job? Make sure you review the six areas of job-person mismatch. What does your workload look like? Is it sustainable? Do you have control over your work? Are you micromanaged? Are you compensated fairly? Is there a sense of community at your workplace? Are people treated fairly? Do your values truly align with your organization's values? These are major factors in your work environment that need to be examined. Most people don't go into a job with an understanding of how important these factors are in terms of work satisfaction, burnout, and professional longevity. Examine these factors before you quit your job and start somewhere new. Does your company align with your values?
Changing Jobs can Improve Burnout
Changing your job and company can be an effective way to manage your burnout. I want you to know the reason why it manages your burnout. I want you to understand instead of blindly switching jobs, companies, or even leaving the field of medicine as a whole. Jumping from one job to another and hoping your burnout will go away is a path many go. Unfortunately, they jump into the same culture and environment as the previous employer. Be sure to examine why you’re burning out.
Reach out for Therapy for Physician Burnout
When you’re ready, reach out. Start your journey to overcome physician burnout with Chris Rabanera. Get started with a free 20-minute consultation. Offering online therapy in California, online therapy in Michigan, online therapy in Nebraska, and online therapy in Las Vegas, I specialize in addressing physician burnout, grief counseling, anxiety, depression, and providing tailored mental health treatment for men. Let’s get to work to make lasting positive change.
