Helping Physician Moms Take Back Control

Every now and then I just want to remind you all of what I do here at Inspired Mom MDs.

Not long ago I was deeply inspired by another physician mom who really changed the trajectory of my life. She was essentially a colleague and an unbiased thinking partner that helped get me back on track.

We had never met before, but we quickly established a rapport during our sessions.

I cherished the value I received from this woman so much I decided to help fellow physician moms.

So, I designed my VIP Balanced Physician Moms Program to help these moms take back control and prioritize what matters most so they can thrive in practice and at home. Over the course of 4 months, I meet with each person 1:1 and focus fully on her challenges.

Now that I’ve experienced the possibilities of working one on one with someone, I want to offer the same opportunity to others.

I offer a free Discovery Call to assess if this program is right for you. Just head over to my website link InspiredMomMDs.com/WorkWithCindy to learn more and sign up for a call!

Physicians Are Losing Compassion for Their Patients

I chose medicine because it’s all I ever wanted to do. Until that time, it wasn’t what I wanted to do.

When I look at why, it’s because I was frustrated with the politics and business of medicine. Increasingly hectic days and uncertainty of a stable job ran my tank dry. I was allowed less valuable time with my patients and slowly lost compassion for them.

How many minutes was that operating room turnover? It was 20 minutes, which was unacceptable. Really? I took an extra 10 min to give my patient a breathing treatment for wheezing rather than risk their well-being with a likely bronchospasm in the OR.

In my story I do attribute my loss of compassion to the changing landscape of medicine. Many other physicians I’ve spoken to have similar experiences in their own specialties. This loss of compassion is across the board.

The golden question is how to get it back.

What is Your “Why” for becoming a Doctor?

This is a journey, not a destination. When I talk to physician moms, we explore multiple avenues to restore joy in the many roles each woman serves, like mom, doctor, wife, etc. With everyone I talk to and for every problem, I start with their why.

Your why may extend beyond the desire to help others or fascination with the human body. Your why speaks to your core values. Those are what drive you.

Being a physician is such a blessing. I feel honored to play a critical role in people’s lives during moments of heightened emotion — surgery. I chose anesthesiology because I am very hands on and relish the immediate gratification of giving a drug and seeing a desired response, in seconds!

When I was in high school, I had a book named Professional Guide to Diseases. I devoured that book. I still have it too. It’s sitting right here as I record this!

Come to think of it, I’m going to leave it on the coffee table to see if my son picks it up. He is now showing the same signs I had as a highschooler.

Medicine was a natural progression for me to spend the rest of my life reading books like that. It was also a noble career to aspire to with job security. And it fulfilled my core value of helping other people.

Remember the Connection to Patients in Your Medical Practice

In the field of anesthesia, we don’t get a lot of time to connect with our patients before they’re off to sleep. But you would be amazed at how much one can accomplish in 5-10 minutes!

Those interactions are great knowing it helped the patient. But, after the surgery I never see them again. I was fortunate to experience the flip side to patient interactions with my ketamine clinic where I had multiple interactions with patients.

With them, I was able to see the benefit of my care on a longer time scale. I even received thank you letters from them with powerful stories about how their life improved. I never got this with anesthesia, and it touched my heart.

Honestly, their small acts of kindness helped restore my compassion for patients. They pulled my thoughts from frustrations to the small miracles that medicine creates.

I’m sure you have stories on the tip of your tongue – “you know that one time?”

Your Next Steps on the Journey to Providing Medical Care with Compassion

After clarifying your core values and the why of practicing medicine you are ready to take the next step. That step is unique to everyone. It can be easily drawn out with guided questions and the path becomes clear.

Some people are on the deep end of the spectrum of physician burnout. They may need to take action toward self-care to regain strength.

Others sense a continued dissonance in patient care and would benefit from reaching out to a community or a mentor.

Still other physicians may need to focus on the logistics of scheduling, workflow, and assignments.

In truth, all of these can help you to a different degree. It is a matter of where you start. What is the right next move for you?

Today, I will challenge you to reconnect with your “Why.”

Take the first step to rekindle your compassion for patients and passion for medicine.