challenges and expectations

I mentioned in my first blog post that I recently became a doctor. For me the choice to become a doctor was not a natural one. Actually, in school I was always more of a humanities/social science kind of guy. Having met a few other doctors, medical students, and pre-meds, it seems that many felt drawn to medicine at some point in their youth; they excelled in science, and made the natural progression straight through college, medical school and into residency. Not so for me. In fact, the decision to become a doctor is one that I frequently reflect on and question.

While the notion of helping other human beings in need is wonderful, the day-to-day practice of medicine is often frustrating and draining. As a medical student and now as a doctor, I've met wonderful colleagues, but I have also been perpetually challenged by a (very) rigid hierarchy and the rather impressive arrogance of all too many doctors.


Would I do it again if I could go back? In short, probably not (more on why in my next post). But, as long as I've started down this path I intend to make the most of it. This may ultimately mean some non-traditional use of my degree (I've got a few ideas). We'll see.

This may sound like a lot of complaining, not exactly like the sort of contentment I wrote about in my last post, I know. I also know that I am surely not alone and medicine is not the only career fraught with challenges. How do I deal with such a challenging environment, especially when working 80+ hours per week?!

I do my best to eliminate expectations.

I don't claim to be great at this. It's a work in progress. When I arrive at the hospital in the morning I try (it can be awfully challenging) to have zero expectations about how busy the day will be; how challenging a given individual might be; or how much suffering my patients will face. When we anticipate a bad day or expect to be treated poorly we project these expectations and they become self-fulfilling. 

It's astounding what a difference it makes when you throw all expectations out the window. Try the following exercise at work or school tomorrow: surprise others by offering a smile when they anticipate a cold glare; say "good morning" when they expect a demand; do someone a favor when they least expect it. I can guarantee that in doing this you will shake up people's expectations, you will make the people around you happier, and that being surrounded by happy people is one of many keys to building your bliss.