5 reasons why physicians still have the best profession

Editor’s Note: Welcome to “Eye Catching: Let's Chat,” a blog series featuring contributions from members of the ophthalmic community. These blogs are an opportunity for ophthalmic bloggers to engage with readers with about a topic that is top of mind, whether it is practice management, experiences with patients, the industry, medicine in general, or healthcare reform. The series continues with this blog by Joshua Mali, MD, a vitreoretinal surgeon at The Eye Associates, a private multispecialty ophthalmology practice in Sarasota, FL. The views expressed in these blogs are those of their respective contributors and do not represent the views of Ophthalmology Times or UBM Medica.

As I sat in the physician lounge waiting for my next surgical case, I could not help but notice an older doctor sitting across the room in front of a computer, frantically trying to type up his progress note on EMR while simultaneously getting paged. It was at this point that he turned to his friend and said, “I am definitely telling my kids not to go into the medical field.” Given bureaucratic insurance companies and government regulations on healthcare, this type of attitude seems to represent a pervasive mindset that has started to creep into our medical community. I feel inspired to defend our profession and provide evidence that proves that being a physician is still the greatest and most rewarding job on the planet.

I must disclose that I am completely biased given I am an ophthalmologist/retinal surgeon. I come from a family of physicians as my father is a urologist, my brother is a pain management specialist, and my wife is currently finishing up her residency training in ophthalmology. All that being said, here we go with the top five reasons that being a physician is still the best:

 

1) Service to Humanity

     

Since the time of Hippocrates, doctors have dedicated their lives to serving humanity and providing medical care to all those in need. As a retinal surgeon, saving a patient’s vision from a sight threatening condition is an amazing feeling. The impact we can have on someone’s life is immeasurable. For example, I was having a conversation with one of my patients that I have been treating for macular degeneration and I began asking about his occupation. As an artist/sculptor, he was so happy and thankful that I had helped him by saving his vision so that he can maintain the ability to create his artistic masterpieces. To me, this is the greatest reward to a physician: the ability to heal and inspire people to live their lives to the highest potential.

 

2) Job Security

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