If you are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).
In this moving poem and accompanying reflection, Dr. Todd R. Otten shares his personal journey through burnout and the tragic loss of physician colleagues to suicide. He meaningfully conveys the grief and frustration of a career in medicine, while also calling for systemic change to protect healthcare workers’ mental health. It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of boundaries, self-care, and reaching out for help.
Reflections from the Author
I wrote this poem approximately two years after surviving burnout. You read correctly: SURVIVING. Clearly my tone indicates sadness and frustration as seen by the eyes of a seasoned family physician. During those 20 years, I have known four physician colleagues who died by suicide. A classmate. A fellow. An ED physician. An office partner. What were their stories? What pain and desperation existed, to see suicide as the final answer?
Unpacking those traumatic events has been difficult. Stuffing your emotions into a box and never addressing them is a fools’ errand. Eventually, processing is required. There is no shame in asking for help. If you are struggling, I implore you to reach out. Coaching, therapy, and counseling are all incredible resources.
This epidemic of physician suicide must change. The current cohorts of bright young minds in medical school and residency are desperately needed to lead the collective out of the despair that is so pervasive in healthcare. We need courageous leaders to assist in unlearning “learned helplessness.”
But how? I often challenge others to share their time, talent, or treasure in service to others. However, self care is paramount. Look in the mirror first. Learn to set boundaries. If you are saying yes to something, you are saying no to something else. The negative ripple effects of a burned-out physician can be disastrous. Just being more resilient is not necessarily the answer. Balance is essential.
Fortunately, there is hope. Organizations like the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, the Medical Society of Virginia, the Kern National Network for Flourishing in Medicine, and Medicine Forward (to name a few) are working towards positive systemic change. What positive ripple of change are you working on?
—Todd R. Otten, MD
Related Topics
- Supporting Healthcare Heroes: Introducing the Clinician Burnout Foundation & Its Founder
- How to Not Burn Out: Insights from a Licensed Therapist
- Navigating Stress in Medicine: Specialties with the Highest & Lowest Rates of Burnout
- The 75% Rule: Sustainable Practices to Combat Burnout in Healthcare
- How to Deal with Physician Burnout
- Recognizing the Symptoms of Physician Burnout & How to Fix Them
Todd R. Otten
M.D.
