It’s Not Just Doctors: Working in the Time of a Burnout Crisis

Doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers – all the tired horses are in the sun. So, is it really a wonder there’s no riding getting done? Bob Dylan and I have words for one of America’s worst, yet silent crises.

For the past few years, I’ve noticed a trend: passionate, starry-eyed young people stepping into medicine, harboring all sorts of hopes and dreams. From novel research to becoming the next best cardiothoracic surgeon to pro bono work for kids abroad, I’ve seen it all. 

And yet, five or so years down the line, sometimes even less, they lose their luster. It’s almost as if that sparkling reservoir of passion’s all dried up, replaced by one too many cups of coffee to get through the night shift, and the next, and the next…and the next. You get the gist.

The problem is, it really isn’t just doctors. Sure, medicine’s never been the most relaxing or easy of professions. It demands a certain physical, mental, and emotional resilience. A kind of grit, if you may.

And the rest? STEM, law, finance, education…again, not the most peaceful careers, but you’d think at least someone might be happy with their job, right? Think again. More than three-fourths of the American working population are absolutely exhausted. Throw in anxiety, depression, and burnout, and you’ve got a potpourri of absolute disaster.

I’ve also noticed an increase in a “oh, nobody wants to work these days,” type of sentiment, which hints at laziness. But I don’t think people are lazy or that they don’t want to work. It’s a lot deeper than that.

I think America’s brightest brains have been fried and served up for the crows to peck at like a farm without a scarecrow. And that scarecrow could be something as simple as a supportive work environment, substantial paid time off, financial security, job security, and so many other factors that could mean the difference between debilitating burnout and a fulfilling career.

I also hold the belief that the American mental health crises in the workplace spell doom for all of us, especially for those in fast-paced, dynamic careers like healthcare, education, or the criminal justice system, as I’ll discuss later.

And while job burnout is nothing new, why is it rising? And can there be reasons beyond just finances? Today I’ll discuss:

• How online persona creation affects our health
• The “gamification” of financial information
• Life beyond work
• The implications of professional burnout

The Chronic Fatigue of Cyberspaces

At the risk of sounding like your mom, I think it’s the damn phones. Hear me out.

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Social media presence wasn’t a thing when I was going through the residency grinds. Yet, one trend I’ve observed over the past decade or so—of the many I intend to discuss today—is our online presence.

It’s actually quite similar to how authors now have to craft an online persona, gather a loyal fanbase, become content creators, and do their own marketing and book promotion all by themselves if they want any chance of recognition and success.

They’re not just writing books; they’re selling a lifestyle and a story that revolves around more than just the characters in their books.

Physicians aren’t too far behind. Word-of-mouth referrals are a thing of the past. Your next patient is going to google you, find your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and, in many cases, TikTok to verify your existence. Your personal, political, and professional views are expected to be on public display for people to scrutinize and rate.

Patients and colleagues alike will review your LinkedIn profile and general reviews on any physician listicle you’re a part of before considering a consultation.

And what do we do? We craft careful LinkedIn posts about the conferences we’ve attended, build online networks, and write creative bios to display who we really are. Or at least who other people really want us to be.

In the grander scheme of things, we’ve all joined this uphill race of marketing ourselves as products instead of care providers. Everybody wants you to create aesthetic videos and blog posts about your life and practice, and go viral at least once or twice. People are addicted to familiarity and fame.

I have never seen so many doctors function as social media influencers; just think of how many dermatologists are asking teens to buy ten different kinds of skincare or the number of physicians creating fitness and nutrition content or even reviewing medical drama televisions for YouTube views.

Yes, I’ve spiraled down the doctor reviews Grey’s Anatomy/Scrubs/House rabbit hole recently.

So, I reckon this constant need to put yourself out there for people to consume while competing against others is probably taking a toll on all of us, not just doctors.

The Gamification of Personal Finance (and everything else)

Listen, I know we’re called Physician on FIRE. So what I’m about to say next might seem a teeny tiny bit ironic.

Financial literacy is a necessary life skill, and one that our flawed education system does not quip us with. But with the things I see online…I’m afraid some people really are going overboard.

The insane amounts of information – and misinformation – available online about nailing personal finance on the head will have yours spinning! Here’s some of the stuff I’ve seen so far:

Hello! I am Lorem ipsum “expert,” and here is a common mistake you’re making with finance. However, I will only identify the problem and never offer a solution to it. For the solution, write the “codeoword” in the comments below (so you can increase my Instagram engagement), and I will personally send you the link to my $50 book on personal finance!

Also featured is a completely free set of monthly budget templates because I love you, valuable engagement tool and follower!

Unless this person is an actual expert in their field with valuable insights and concrete knowledge for you to learn from their professional experiences, I’m pretty sure you can find the contents of their book with a quick Google search or even ChatGPT.

As for the templates, you can find all sorts of free resources available. So this “expert,” is just ripping you off. Remember, views and social engagement pay off for influencers and content creators. Not you.

And by the way, these guys often sell products targeted to a certain audience. First, they’ll manufacture demand; they’ll make you think you need the planner. Second, they’ll make a specimen that fits, you guessed it, the hyper-specific identity they want you to create.

And it’s not just gamified finance stuff. It’s Stanley Cups and stationery and fancy schmancy bandaids that all doctors or teachers or whoever else must have.

You’ve seen the must-haves, must-buys, needs of the month content, haven’t you? But do you really need those items? Do you really need to pay for courses that aren’t even specifically catered to you? There’s a reason seasoned financial managers and consultants still exist. It’s because you can’t believe everything you see on TikTok. 

In case you haven’t noticed, all of the content you see online, including the products sold to you, is gamified in some way. It makes you feel like you’ve achieved something and gained points that will help you level up and compete against other, more ignorant viewers.

Your value lies in consumption.

And given how much information is dumped on you, it’s obvious that people feel suffocated by everything they’re expected to know.

While stocks, investments, savings, and retirement are necessary to learn about so you can secure your future, the overly complex delivery and knowledge gatekeeping are enough to make anyone give up. If there’s so much to do that you should’ve already done, why bother? The whole process is nothing short of exhausting.

Life Beyond Work

Doctors were the first line of defense against COVID-19 and some of the most vulnerable professionals who bore the harsh brunt of the first waves of the virus. We didn’t have vaccines yet. People regularly violated safety protocols.

Anti-masking and then anti-vaccine movements shed clarity on one glaringly obvious truth: physicians aren’t valued in our society. Our lives and those of other essential workers weren’t considered more important than someone’s idea of personal freedom, even if that freedom meant spreading a novel and dangerous virus to other people.

So you’re overworked. Undervalued. Most likely underpaid. You exist at a distance from non-physician friends and family who simply have more time and energy on their hands. Your love life’s probably doomed because who has time to date? And there’s no end in sight.

You cannot envision a life beyond the stressful work you do. Day in, day out. 

It’s enough to make anyone quit. And they do. We are suffering a shortage of healthcare professionals, educators, legal service providers, engineers, architects, etc. And not everyone can be an entrepreneur. We need doctors and surgeons.

So what happens when they quit?

Well. Fewer people choose to pursue medicine, and the ones who remain in clinical jobs bear the Atlas-esque burden of carrying the field at great personal cost. And we don’t blame them. More and more physicians are opting for non-clinical jobs.

Many turn to side hustles to make ends meet when their primary careers don’t offer enough income, which only proves how badly we need to recalibrate the treatment of physicians in American society.

The Implications of Professional Burnout

When nobody wants to work, and everybody is tired, it’s time to question the conditions that create this kind of perpetual exhaustion.

A physician’s oath to nurture and care doesn’t just apply to patients but also to themselves. Tired people make more mistakes and are likely to cause more harm than good. When job dissatisfaction arises, and you need higher recovery time, it’s a good idea to slow down.

But how do you slow down when there’s no one to pick up the slack? 

Higher attrition rates and disenchanted workers will come back to haunt us all. Burnout is a national public health issue that needs to be worked on. Trust me when I say this is our collective circus, and we should be very concerned about the monkeys.

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