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WOMEN IN
MEDICINE

PHYSICIAN

BURNOUT

Breaking the Cycle

By Emmalind Aponte, MD

L ike most female physicians, I have a busy life. Every day is flexibility to work from home. I have learned that this tool is a dou-

a rush of completed tasks, new ones to complete, and
ble-edged sword that can perpetuate the cycle of non-stop working.
some that I can never get to. It is very easy for any physi-
cian to forget about their health and wellbeing. It is very easy to suf- We are always connected somehow to work, it can be via e-mails,
texting, phone calls, or electronic records. It is my opinion that the
fer from burnout when we live in a cycle of work, home chores, more accessible we make ourselves through our mobile devices, the
family, and everything else that can happen in a given day. The 2018 more likely we are of burning out.
Survey of America’s Physicians: Practice Patterns and Perspectives As a mom, I want to spend quality time with my son and I want
reported that 78 percent of physicians at least often feel burned to give him my utmost attention. I worry about his school perform-
out. This same survey reports that 80 percent of physicians work ance and his extra-curricular activities; I want to make sure that he
to their full capacity or over extend it. (1) grows out to be a well-rounded man. As a wife, I want to make sure
As a working mom, I struggle with finding time for my family that I am sharing the best of me with my life partner and that we
and myself. The electronic medical records have facilitated our work keep our common goals.
by making patient’s information more available and giving us the As physician, I worry about my patients like I would worry about

26 San Antonio Medicine • November 2018