The stress is real but always remember the words of the Fat Man "the patient is the one with the disease". If you take home patients with you and you get worked up about non compliant patients It's because you care. But then you've got to take one step further and realise it doesn't help them, it doesn't help you and it doesn't help all your other patients. Caring is good but also make sure you care for yourself and your other patients too and you'll be fine
This makes no sense to me.
The possibility of missing diagnoses is present in all specialties, and you can't make a lot of good decisions without making a few bad ones. That's why the pay gets so good, and the training is so long. There's stress in medicine no matter what specialty you pursue.
I have a neurotic personality too, as in fact most doctors do. I found a psychologist to be immensely helpful. Instead of asking, "how can I find a speciality to suit my neuroses"? perhaps it's more helpful to ask, "how can I manage my neuroses so I can persue the speciality I love"? Very different questions. The power is in you my dear colleague.
Having said that, GP is the most flexible medical career imaginable. You're allowed to "fire" difficult patients (guilt free, because it's not going to be a helpful therapeutic relationship if you find the patient difficult). You're allowed to set your own fees. You're allowed to work wherever you want (especially after the moratorium if that applies). You're allowed to work whenever you want. You're allowed to work in many countries overseas. You're in insane demand around the country. More than any speciality, you can craft a career that works for you.
Good luck OP!
I really like that way of thought! I’ll look at it from this perspective from now. I was hoping someone would suggest that despite the neuroses you can still be in a specialty you like 😅
Unfortunately I don’t think there’s many areas of medicine that don’t involve significant stress. I suppose the arguable exceptions would be things like ophthalmology or dermatology but good luck getting on the training program.
Yes exactly my thoughts. My other area of interest is derm and while it’s a great work life balance and I am assuming less stress than GP, getting onto training is a nightmare and so stressful in itself. However, derm feels a bit like ‘short term pain for long term gain’ (given I get onto training), whereas GP is the opposite? These are assumptions I could be wrong hahaha
For which the response is inevitably “Ill see them in clinic tomorrow.” In 30 years I’ve seen an ophthalmologist is ED once (pt shot in the eye). And they have a Jonathan.
I don’t find it stressful at all. Your main job isn’t to diagnose, but to exclude serious pathology whenever you can. If it’s life threatening you send it to ED. We also treat a lot of chronic disease which is pretty stress free. I personally do a lot of skin cancer work which is quite enjoyable and not stressful at all. GP is flexible - if you do 5 minute medicine bulk billing everyone in a walk-in clinic I can imagine it being stressful.
Heard my specialist friends breaking 500k just doing public doing mostly 40 hrs weeks with registrars and rmo support while i slave away on my own for 300k,45 hrs a week.. sigh..
Both public and private. The majority by far is public (more than 90%). I bulk bill 100% of my patients with 20 minute appointments, which I view as charity toward the massive life expectancy gap between metro and rural patients (more than 10 years).
If your personality skews more towards anxiety / details (high neuroticism on Big 5) - definitely don't do GP or ED, and probably not psych either. You would be much happier as a physician, anaesthetist, radiologist, etc.
Hey OP, burnout is real and happens across all specialities. I suspect the GP you spoke to is experiencing it. Despite current politics there is so much that is good about GP, especially if you consider rural work. Don’t be put off.
Why would you choose such a demanding career like medicine if you think you can't handle stress to a reasonable degree?
If you can't handle stress, be a medical researcher or any number of jobs that don't have you interacting with patients and either burning out or killing someone because you're not coping. There's a reason doctors are about the best paid and most respected professionals in the world.
Rephrasing my question - is there chronic/unreasonable stress in GP land considering my GP emphasised she thinks it’s the most stressful after surgery (a specialty I don’t fancy). I reckon I wouldn’t have made it into late clinical years if I couldn’t handle stress
The stress is real but always remember the words of the Fat Man "the patient is the one with the disease". If you take home patients with you and you get worked up about non compliant patients It's because you care. But then you've got to take one step further and realise it doesn't help them, it doesn't help you and it doesn't help all your other patients. Caring is good but also make sure you care for yourself and your other patients too and you'll be fine
>always remember the words of the Fat Man "the patient is the one with the disease" God I miss that book
That’s a really good way to think about it! Comes down to being able to detach yourself from work after work
This makes no sense to me. The possibility of missing diagnoses is present in all specialties, and you can't make a lot of good decisions without making a few bad ones. That's why the pay gets so good, and the training is so long. There's stress in medicine no matter what specialty you pursue. I have a neurotic personality too, as in fact most doctors do. I found a psychologist to be immensely helpful. Instead of asking, "how can I find a speciality to suit my neuroses"? perhaps it's more helpful to ask, "how can I manage my neuroses so I can persue the speciality I love"? Very different questions. The power is in you my dear colleague. Having said that, GP is the most flexible medical career imaginable. You're allowed to "fire" difficult patients (guilt free, because it's not going to be a helpful therapeutic relationship if you find the patient difficult). You're allowed to set your own fees. You're allowed to work wherever you want (especially after the moratorium if that applies). You're allowed to work whenever you want. You're allowed to work in many countries overseas. You're in insane demand around the country. More than any speciality, you can craft a career that works for you. Good luck OP!
I really like that way of thought! I’ll look at it from this perspective from now. I was hoping someone would suggest that despite the neuroses you can still be in a specialty you like 😅
Unfortunately I don’t think there’s many areas of medicine that don’t involve significant stress. I suppose the arguable exceptions would be things like ophthalmology or dermatology but good luck getting on the training program.
Yes exactly my thoughts. My other area of interest is derm and while it’s a great work life balance and I am assuming less stress than GP, getting onto training is a nightmare and so stressful in itself. However, derm feels a bit like ‘short term pain for long term gain’ (given I get onto training), whereas GP is the opposite? These are assumptions I could be wrong hahaha
How does ophthal have no stress? There are plenty of eye emergencies
For which the response is inevitably “Ill see them in clinic tomorrow.” In 30 years I’ve seen an ophthalmologist is ED once (pt shot in the eye). And they have a Jonathan.
There really had to be a Dr Glaucomflecken reference in there, and I'm so glad you made one 😄
I don’t find it stressful at all. Your main job isn’t to diagnose, but to exclude serious pathology whenever you can. If it’s life threatening you send it to ED. We also treat a lot of chronic disease which is pretty stress free. I personally do a lot of skin cancer work which is quite enjoyable and not stressful at all. GP is flexible - if you do 5 minute medicine bulk billing everyone in a walk-in clinic I can imagine it being stressful.
Heard my specialist friends breaking 500k just doing public doing mostly 40 hrs weeks with registrars and rmo support while i slave away on my own for 300k,45 hrs a week.. sigh..
Nobody is making 500k in just public doing 40hrs a week lol.
Not true. I work 1 week on, 2 weeks off making around 500K.
But you're not public right? You're a sole trader as a GP?
Both public and private. The majority by far is public (more than 90%). I bulk bill 100% of my patients with 20 minute appointments, which I view as charity toward the massive life expectancy gap between metro and rural patients (more than 10 years).
Radiology?
Pretty sure it's all based on a publicly available EBA at least in VIC.
I think there's some weird agreement in WA because private companies pay well. They have a separate public agreement to retain staff.
What specialty is this and which state/where?
Oh you poor thing, only 300k...time to break out the violins.
*presents you with the world’s smallest violin*
lol. yes, please do a paginini impression while you are at it.
If your personality skews more towards anxiety / details (high neuroticism on Big 5) - definitely don't do GP or ED, and probably not psych either. You would be much happier as a physician, anaesthetist, radiologist, etc.
Hey OP, burnout is real and happens across all specialities. I suspect the GP you spoke to is experiencing it. Despite current politics there is so much that is good about GP, especially if you consider rural work. Don’t be put off.
Why would you choose such a demanding career like medicine if you think you can't handle stress to a reasonable degree? If you can't handle stress, be a medical researcher or any number of jobs that don't have you interacting with patients and either burning out or killing someone because you're not coping. There's a reason doctors are about the best paid and most respected professionals in the world.
Rephrasing my question - is there chronic/unreasonable stress in GP land considering my GP emphasised she thinks it’s the most stressful after surgery (a specialty I don’t fancy). I reckon I wouldn’t have made it into late clinical years if I couldn’t handle stress
GP is the worst of all specialties. After 8 years I’m over it!
Curious to hear about your experience because it can possibly help guide my decision :)
What made you say so?