The Hypocritical Culture of Medicine

While our healthcare system publicly advocates for healing and encourages individuals to prioritize their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, the actual professional culture promotes fatigue, stress, depression, and burnout. Medical institutions reward healthcare providers who work excessive hours and prioritizing work above all other needs, including their own mental health and wellbeing. There is a profound disconnect between what we say we value in the medical field and what our actual behaviors look like in hospitals. I recently came across an insightful article under Mayo Clinic written by several doctors and medical specialists on the hypocritical culture of modern medicine:

“As physicians, we tend to overwork, imply that normal human limitations do not apply to us, and often assume the role of a hero. We inculcate future physicians with a mindset of perfectionism, lack of vulnerability, and low self-compassion. We teach them that they should always defer self-care and personal relationships as long as needed to meet professional demands. We espouse the importance of prevention, self-care, and personal behaviors to promote health for our patients, but often do not engage in these behaviors ourselves. We prioritize professional life above all, even if it means we are working in a manner that is not sustainable or that renders our medical decision making suboptimal...These incongruities between stated values and organizational behavior are clear to physicians and create cognitive dissonance that breeds cynicism and a sense of misalignment between the organization’s goals and the altruistic aims of the profession.”

The medical system often boasts their priority and commitment to providing the highest quality care, compassion, and empathy for patients, yet mistreats and overworks their own employees who are struggling to meet the impossible demands of the workforce. Healthcare advocates for the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of their patients. However, a healthy diet, consistent exercise, enough sleep, and other important preventative health measures become last place in the professional culture of medicine. Being a "good doctor" is associated with always going the extra mile to care for their patients, often at the expense of their own health and boundaries. These harmful behaviors indicate that our medical system value short term productivity more than the sustainability and life of our doctors. The toxic professional culture, over-load of administrative tasks, and lack of support for healthcare providers have alarming and distressing consequences. Studies show that 42% of physicians in America are severely burned out and that doctors have the highest suicide rate of any profession. 300 to 400 doctors commit suicide every single year. How can we expect physicians to provide outstanding care for their patients if they are not provided the opportunities and environment to take care of themselves?

In order to tackle the increasing burnout of physicians, med school students, and even pre-med students, our health care delivery system has to acknowledge the cultural norms that perpetuate detrimental behaviors and commit to drastic systemic and corporate changes. We have to take an honest look at the current work environment for the greater wellbeing of healthcare workers, the quality of care for patients, and the advancement of the professional field. By redefining the responsibilities and boundaries of physicians and re-vamping the professional culture of medicine, these behavioral changes can lead to happier, healthier, and more productive physicians who are better able to address their patient needs. We must "walk the talk" by aligning our professed values and morals with our actual behaviors and actions, and dedicate ourselves and the entire healthcare system to healing the culture of medicine.

In order for doctors to provide the highest-quality care for their patients, the medical system has to start showing up for them, too.