Coping With Stress as a Surgeon

Profession: Physician

Submitted On: November 4th, 2020

"I've been a practicing trauma surgeon for 15 years, and I hope to share what I do to help cope with stress. Trauma surgery is a very rewarding specialty, but it can be very harrowing and difficult at times. I've seen people die in front of me, and I, along with my colleagues, have all had moments where we question ourselves and our calling. The first thing I do when I have these moments is to take the time to breathe. Just breathe. Nothing else that just happened, and that will happen, matters to you at the moment. This is mindfulness. Next, I remind myself how fortunate I am to be in this position, where I remember my past successes and blessings in spite of everything. This is gratitude. Finally, I remind myself that I am human, and that I make mistakes. Medicine attracts a certain breed of individuals who like to be self-assured, overly confident, and almost superhuman. But to recognize that all of us are flawed, struggling, and in pain is the foremost and hardest step in helping us cope with things out of our control in life. This is humility. These three steps... mindfulness, gratitude, and humility... come together into a formula that has gotten me through years of difficult times and heartbreak as a surgeon. I hope this helps someone out there who is struggling during these dark times. Keep it up, and remind yourself that there is nothing more rewarding than a career in medicine!"

We appreciate the opportunity to share stories like these with our community, with the goal of destigmatizing the struggles faced within the medical field.