Connect
MJA
MJA

From the Editor's Desk

Martin Van Der Weyden
Med J Aust 2002; 176 (2): 45. || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04277.x
Published online: 21 January 2002

’Tis that time of the year Once more the time for reflection and resolutions is upon us, and, for doctors, this might involve examining our private and professional personae. For many, the professional persona is caught in a spiral of despondency arising from the challenges and conflicts of modern medicine. For a few, professional despair overwhelms the private persona and ends in divorce from either medicine or partner. For others, a career is destroyed by substance abuse or by suicide.

Do the attitudes to and expectations of our profession weigh too heavily on us? Do they make us peculiarly vulnerable to the tensions between our private and professional personae. Do too many of us find ourselves unable to cope?

It seems that the solution lies in periods of solitude and introspection, during which we may explore our professional and private values and judge just how closely these are reflected in our lives — the ultimate goal being to secure individual wellness.

But how can this wellness be sustained? In her essay The 12 commandments of wellness, Shay Bintliff, a US surgeon, suggests practising quality through a commitment to learning and acquiring new expertise; fostering a healthy work environment with free communication and praise where it is due; joining professional and other support groups; participating in community activities; maintaining a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition, exercise and regular quiet times; taking meaningful time away from work for family and friends; dealing with personal anger; sharing our negative feelings with at least one trusted person; approaching each day with a positive attitude; and finally, employing self-compassion by being gentle with ourselves.

  • Martin Van Der Weyden1

  • The Medical Journal of Australia


Correspondence: 

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.