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A Little Reminder:
Stop and Smell the Roses  by Jarrod Shapiro, DPM Joined practice of John K Throckmorton,DPM,PC Lansing, Michigan July 2006 I've spent the time so far writing editorials about being a new doctor in practice. I've covered topics such as coding, surgery, and practice details, but I haven't discussed another important aspect about practice: taking the time to enjoy life.
As a new physician in practice I've had some more time to spend with my family. I have more control over my working hours and surgical schedule. I do nonemergent hospital consultations at my convenience. I study and review cases when I see fit. One suggestion I might make is that you schedule your time carefully according to your needs. For example, I do my hospital consults and rounds early in the morning before office hours. This allows me time to spend with my wife and son in the evening. If you're not a morning person, this might not work for you, though. Sit down at the beginning of each week and plan out your schedule, leaving time for relaxation, exercise, and family. Be flexible, though. Emergencies and the unexpected do occur! During residency you won't have this level of control, but don't lose heart. You will soon graduate and be in more control of your life. Even with your busy schedule right now, though, take time out to look around. For your health and happiness, every once in a while stop and smell the roses. Best wishes. Talk to me,
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I'm sure many of you are just like me, hard workers, putting in your
time learning to become the best physicians you can, and often
forgetting about the most important things in life such as family
and friends. In a sense we're trained over 7 or more years to bury
our heads in medicine and exclude those things that might take our
attention away from the vast amount of information we have to learn.
We don't work 9 to 5 jobs, obtaining our training at "alternative"
hours. Perhaps this is why the divorce rate among physicians is so
high?
