Physicians and the weight of expectations

"What exactly is my obligation to medicine? Am I supposed to practice medicine forever? Is it my duty? Do I have to continue serving my patients, the hospital, and society because of these expectations?

The answer is simple: You get to decide. Most physicians I know love practicing medicine. It is and has always been a calling. The problem lies only in the thought that you should practice medicine. When used in this way, the word should is a cognitive distortion. A cognitive distortion is a pattern of thinking that is generally false or inaccurate and carries the potential to cause psychological harm. When you use the word should, there is often an accompanying shift in focus from what you want to what others might think."

Michael Hersh is a gastroenterologist.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Stop 'shoulding' all over yourself."

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