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In “Burnout, illness, and return in the twilight,” Dr. Kevin Altman describes the progression of his emotional transitions over the past 40 years as a neurologist from (1) the 1980s as a resident who was enthusiastic about his low-pressure “fabulous learning experience” to (2) a private practice neurologist who grappled with the financial challenges imposed by insurance companies, to (3) a hospital consultant who felt burdened by the demands of documentation and productivity, and then to (4) a patient with leukemia who marveled at the compassion and attention his doctor showed him. He notes that his own experience as a patient allowed him to see the world through new eyes and that, as he returns to work, he will not allow himself to fall victim to burnout again and will remain focused on his priority as a physician—patient care. As Dr. Nitin Sethi notes in response to Dr. Altman's essay, burnout has become a mounting problem in all professions, and it is necessary to develop constructive coping strategies. We have noted that many institutions are doing a number of things to promote wellness for faculty and trainees such as holding exercise events and meditation programs and trying to lessen the burden of electronic medical records by improving their efficiency.
In “Burnout, illness, and return in the twilight,” Dr. Kevin Altman describes the progression of his emotional transitions over the past 40 years as a neurologist from (1) the 1980s as a resident who was enthusiastic about his low-pressure “fabulous learning experience” to (2) a private practice neurologist who grappled with the financial challenges imposed by insurance companies, to (3) a hospital consultant who felt burdened by the demands of documentation and productivity, and then to (4) a patient with leukemia who marveled at the compassion and attention his doctor showed him.
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- © 2019 American Academy of Neurology
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