“I wish burnout was included in health education.”<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what my college junior told me last week.<\/p>\n
And honestly\u2014I couldn\u2019t agree more.<\/p>\n
We were never taught how to cope.<\/p>\n
Only how to perform. And keep performing.<\/p>\n
Burnout isn\u2019t just about feeling tired.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s about feeling empty\u2026 even while doing the one thing you once loved the most.<\/p>\n
And in healthcare, it\u2019s everywhere.<\/p>\n
\u2192 Long, unpredictable working hours
\n\u2192 Pressure to deliver perfect outcomes\u2014every time
\n\u2192 Increasing violence against doctors when things don\u2019t go as expected
\n\u2192 Slashed professional fees (thanks to insurance caps & government scheme rates)
\n\u2192 A system that\u2019s becoming more transactional than human
\n\u2192 And no space to pause, grieve, or even reflect<\/p>\n
No wonder we\u2019re seeing more doctors leaving clinical practice\u2026<\/p>\n
Or worse, continuing while being mentally and emotionally exhausted.<\/p>\n
Burnout is the #1 silent killer of healthcare workers.<\/p>\n
But we still don\u2019t talk about it enough.<\/p>\n
We still treat emotional exhaustion as \u201cnormal.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not.<\/p>\n
If we want to protect the future of healthcare, we have to start by protecting the people who make it possible.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s talk about rest. Let\u2019s normalise boundaries.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s bring empathy back\u2014not just for patients, but for the professionals too.<\/p>\n
To all my fellow doctors and medical students:<\/p>\n
You matter.<\/p>\n
Not just for the work you do, but for the human you are.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s one thing you wish your school had taught you\u2014beyond the textbooks?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n