The medical profession can be a tremendously rewarding one. You’re able to intervene in people’s lives, and make a real positive difference. In some cases, you’re able to prevent a person from dying – but often, the reassurance you can provide, and the smiles you can put on the faces of your patients, are just as rewarding. And that’s before we even mention the financial perks of the profession.
With all of that said, being a doctor is not without its challenges, especially in the modern era, where new practices and technologies are constantly being refined and introduced, and new specialisations are always opening up. Doctors report higher rates of stress than the general population, and when you consider the problems they contend with, it’s easy to see why.
New drugs and therapies
Medicine is a field that’s constantly evolving. Part of the job of a doctor is to remain apprised of the academic research in a given field, and to remain receptive to new technologies and methods. This applies especially to fields like nutrition, where the advice is notoriously vulnerable to change.
Medical Negligence Claims
Medical professionals (and organisations) owe a duty of care to their patients. If this care is not provided, and the patient suffers as a result, then the practitioner may find themselves vulnerable to a claim of medical negligence. Claims of this sort cost the NHS billions – but they’re the only mechanism through which patients can seek a remedy when things don’t go well.
Time Constraints
There’s never a shortage of patients to see, and only a finite amount of time in which to see them. This means that you might not always have the resources to deal with everyone as you’d like. Over time, doctors might learn how to use their time more effectively – but if the time pressure is extremely severe, then the standard of care will inevitably slip. This is where good administration and remote care can make a huge difference to outcomes.
Paperwork
Doctors spend a great deal of their time filling out paperwork. This might be considered a frustration – after all, time you spend making records is time that might be spent administering care. But if you need to prove that you’ve taken a particular action, any particular piece of paperwork might be crucial. If you’ve failed to document a prescription, for example, you might be unable to defend yourself from an accusation of medical negligence.
