Being a doctor is a beautiful gift and the beauty lies with seeing the impact created daily in society. Doctors spend countless hours looking after people and often neglect themselves. As a doctor myself, I feel the pressure sometimes but there is always the need to keep going. Some doctors work through ill health because they have a duty of care to their patients.
To be intentional as a doctor means being purposeful and deliberate in your actions, decisions, and interactions with patients. It involves consciously considering the impact of your choices and behaviours on the well-being of your patients as well as yourself and the overall healthcare system.
However, doctors need to know that no one is indispensable. The minute you are no longer able to fulfill your duties or work your shift, the rota coordinator is out there looking for the next best fit for the role.
In this blog post, I will highlight some qualities of an intentional doctor.
- A doctor that is very health conscious: Taking time to have regular medical checks and be conscious of subtle signs of overwhelming stress is very important. Attention should also be paid to their mental health, ensuring that they are in the best state of mind to fulfil their duties
- A doctor who knows when to stop: Doctors have a duty of care to their patients but they also have a duty of care to themselves and their families. When the workload becomes too much, it is okay to take a step back, take a break and restart. Pushing yourself beyond your limit is detrimental to your health and to your patients too.
- A doctor who is able to speak up: If you feel treated unfairly or you feel the need to create change in your work environment, please speak up. It is easy to let things slide or ignore unfairness but it's better to speak up. In the best polite way, let your voice be heard, suggest ideas and let your presence be felt. Remember your opinion may not always be considered but it is okay.
- A doctor who is open to positive and negative feedback: It feels good to be acknowledged for your hard work and it doesn’t particularly sit right with everyone when they are given negative feedback. This could be from colleagues or even a complaint from a patient. Some people let the negative feedback affect them and it would somehow affect the care they give to patients. Being intentional is being able to learn from an experience, see things from a different perspective and make appropriate changes if needed. Remember the eyes sees not itself. It is often good to hear the views of others about you. Not every opinion could be right but it could be worth learning from.
- An intentional doctor is proactive: As a doctor, it is important to pass all exams to qualify in your field of choice but it never ends there. An intentional doctor is able to stay up to date, keep up with changes, be aware of organisational changes, and new guidelines.
Lastly and a little bonus point of being intentional is being able to have a good network of friends or colleagues that you could seek information from or share information with. Being isolated or staying away from people could mean that you may miss out on vital information that could help you in your career.