45: There's a Shortage of Us. So Why are We Still Practicing From Scarcity?

Why do physicians continue to accept practice models that require them to be available all the time, even when those models no longer fit the lives they want to live?

In this episode of Navigating Possibility, I'm talking about the intersection of physician burnout, people pleasing, and scarcity mindset, using a familiar challenge in OB/GYN as a starting point: the expectation that physicians should deliver their own patients, even when they're not scheduled to work.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to deliver your own patients. Continuity of care can be meaningful, and being present for a patient's delivery can be an incredibly rewarding part of practicing medicine. But what happens when that expectation becomes an obligation rather than a choice?

What happens when we accept a particular way of practicing because everyone else in town does it, because we're afraid patients will leave, or because we worry that asking for something different will make us seem difficult?

We start making career decisions based on fear instead of what we actually want.

In this episode, we'll explore how people pleasing and scarcity mindset influence the way physicians approach their careers, why being a good doctor doesn't require being endlessly available, and how we can begin questioning the assumptions that keep us stuck in unsustainable work arrangements.

Because the opposite of scarcity isn't certainty. It's possibility.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why physicians accept practice models they may not actually want.

• How scarcity mindset shows up in career decisions, from compensation and call schedules to job negotiations.

• The connection between people pleasing and the fear of disappointing patients, colleagues, and employers.

• The hidden cost of being "potentially available," even when you're technically off work.

• Why continuity of care doesn't have to mean one physician is responsible 24/7.

• The difference between being a good colleague and being endlessly accommodating.

• How to approach career negotiations from a place of choice rather than fear.

• Why "everyone else does it this way" is not a good enough reason to accept a particular work arrangement.

• How to identify the tradeoffs you're willing to make and begin designing a career that supports the life you want.

A coaching question to consider

Think about something in your current job that you've been telling yourself you have to do.

Maybe it's taking extra call, answering messages after hours, accepting a schedule that doesn't work for your family, or being available when you're not technically working.

Now replace "I have to" with "I've chosen to."

Does that still feel true?

Sometimes you'll realize that you are making a conscious choice and you're comfortable with the tradeoff. Other times, you may discover that you've been accepting something because you've never considered that another option might be possible.

That realization is where change can begin.

Ready to explore what's possible in your career?

You don't have to figure it all out on your own. If you're a woman physician who is feeling burned out, questioning your current career path, or wondering whether there's a different way to practice medicine, I'd love to help you explore your options.

Through physician career coaching, we can work together to clarify what matters to you, challenge the beliefs keeping you stuck, and identify practical next steps toward a more sustainable and satisfying professional life.

Schedule a free introductory coaching call:
https://calendly.com/christinaadamsmd/free-introductory-call

Explore my course, From Overwhelm to Empowerment, for additional tools to help you move from feeling stuck to making intentional choices about your life and career.  Find in on my website here.

Final thought

There is a shortage of us. There is not a shortage of patients who need us.

Maybe it's time we stopped assuming we have to accept the way things have always been done.

What would you ask for if you stopped assuming you had to accept the status quo?

Thanks for listening to Navigating Possibility, a podcast for women physicians who are ready to move from overwhelm to empowerment and create careers that work for them.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another physician who might need the reminder that she has choices, too.

Keywords:  Physician burnout, women physicians, OB/GYN burnout, physician career coaching, scarcity mindset, people pleasing, physician work-life balance, career change for physicians, physician boundaries, physician career satisfaction