Merry Christmas to all celebrating!
In Catholic tradition, Advent is about waiting….waiting for Christmas, the coming of Christ. It’s more than presents and Jolly Ole’ St. Nicholas, who yes is a real saint!
I digress.
Waiting, being patient, and delayed gratification are all mantras we have been taught, embraced, and lived while studying and practicing medicine.
-Putting in the long hours of studying and delaying life.
-Taking out loans for further schooling and may be or may be not calculating the interest on the loan.
-Forgoing the attendance of weddings, birthdays, or meaningful events in the name of study, training, or just sheer following the ivory towers rules that don’t always apply evenly across the board. [I said what I said.]
-Apologizing for being late to a meeting or somewhere else while running on minimal sleep, too much coffee, acid reflux is what’s for lunch!
And yet we, as physicians, wait.
We wait for fairness in the medical system, or at least hope for it.
I don’t think it will come. The rules that apply to physicians do not apply to insurance companies or other players. Imagine if they did! Wow, now that would be a Christmas gift!
While there are painful thorns in the practice of medicine, nothing is more beautiful than the physician-patient relationship. Having said that, the reality is that the barriers the current system has put in place many roadblocks. It’s a culmination of multiple things, not just one. Once a physician, always a physician, regardless if you are in traditional practice, DPC, or in a non-clinical role. Your worth is not attached or related to productivity.
Discernment has been a very important part of my life from an early age. I haven’t always been patient and have not always listened completely and wholeheartedly, and the results have yielded a result that reflected so.
What is Discernment?
To me, it has been asking myself a particular question and then reflecting and waiting.
-Reflecting on what is the best answer to the question I ask given the spiritual, social, psychological, emotional, and physical elements at hand.
-I look to a higher power to help guide my choice.
-I look at the pros and cons.
There is more to it, but that’s the jist.
This week:
1) Discernment:
-Review the day. Mentally replay key moments. Where do you feel peace? Where do you feel drained? Is it coming from the work itself or another source?
2) Self-awareness:
-At the end of the day, write down two words or two lines after asking yourself: How do I feel right now—emotionally, spiritually, physically—and what do I need?”
Keep it tiny. The goal is pattern recognition over time, not perfect journaling.
3) Support: build a “3-layer scaffold” this week (15 minutes total)
-Create 3 layers of support so you’re not relying on willpower alone:
Peer layer: Attend one Physicians Anonymous session this week—camera off, pseudonym allowed, just listen if you want.
Mentor layer: Text/email one well-seasoned physician: “Could I get 20 minutes this month to debrief practice realities and career fit?”
Coach layer: Schedule one consult (with Joe or another coach) specifically for “career fit + pivot options + transferable skills.” Come with your top 2 pain points and 1 hope.
About Dr. Sherman:
Joe Sherman, MD helps physicians transform their relationships with the unrelenting demands of their jobs and discover a path toward meaning, professional fulfillment, and career longevity. He is a board-certified pediatrician, coach, and consultant to physicians and healthcare organizations in the areas of career discernment, leadership
development, and provider well-being.
Dr. Sherman has been in pediatric practice for over 37 years focusing on healthcare delivery to underserved and medically complex children in the United States, Uganda, and Bolivia. After a significant burnout experience and struggle with anxiety and depression, he had to step away from clinical practice for a while and focus on his own personal healing. As a result, he was able to discover his true authentic voice and discern what career steps resonated with that voice rather than simply following a path others had carved out for him.
Now, he is a Master Certified Physician Development Coach through the Physician Coaching Institute and a trained facilitator with the Center for Courage and Renewal. His services include individual coaching, medical team support, physician retreats and workshops. He has accompanied over 200 individual physicians and other health professionals through the journey of examining their own life experiences, discovering their core values, and using self-awareness to inform future career choices.
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