Many of us enter medical school having been top of our year group, or at least in the top few. Some of us may never have failed an exam. We start medical school, discover that we are no longer so unique, and find ourselves amongst student peers equally intelligent and high-achieving. I remember being totally … Continue reading Fear of failure. My story
Category: fear
“Control the controllables” is what an ex-professional rugby player friend told me when I confessed to feeling anxious. I was reminded of this recently when listening to Patrick McKeown. He talked about a famous Irish rugby player who would get really anxious and lose sleep before a big match, despite many years experience. So what … Continue reading Anxiety: 8 keys things that have helped me
I rediscovered this blog that I wrote a while ago when considering whether or not to return to clinical medicine. I thought it worth posting as I have now returned to clinical practice. In a very small way, but this is something that I never thought I would ever do......This was the start of me … Continue reading Medicine – should I stay or should I go?
A Poem about Recovery Burnt-out but not Washed-up For many years I did believe Medicine, was all I could achieve So when required to take ‘shore leave’ I found myself begin to grieve My fragile self-esteem was blown Denied self-worth, I felt alone Adrift beyond my comfort zone A future in a world unknown Ashamed … Continue reading Burnt-out but not Washed-up
Another post from Dr Caroline Reed O'Connor, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in south-west London. She is a co-founder of "Tea & Empathy", a Facebook group for clinicians which provides "a national, informal, peer-to-peer support network aiming to foster a compassionate and supportive atmosphere throughout the NHS." The support and compassion shown by all the members … Continue reading No more shame
On holiday recently I had a wobble. Sitting by the side of a lake with my family, I suddenly felt overwhelmed by feelings of shame and failure. I plunged into the lake. The icy water was bitingly cold. An instant tonic to my negative thoughts. As I swam, the "Wall of Achievement", that Stephanie Hopper of "The Geek … Continue reading “Imposter syndrome” & the Wall of Achievement
Some have called physician burnout a public health crisis. If you read any of Dr Pamela Wibble's work she says that "physician burnout is physician abuse". Is it just that we are not sufficiently resilient? Are some of us just too long in the tooth to change and learn and adopt a “resilience toolkit”? Given the … Continue reading Why is this happening now and what can we do about it?
