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Physician Burnout: Don’t Let it Happen to You!

By Gregory Hanker, MD

Life is wonderful!  Make certain that you have time to enjoy it.  As we enter the “golden years,” slow down and eventually retirement looms just over the horizon.  As physicians, we are dedicated to our career and tend to work hard long into our senior years.  But a slowdown will inevitably arrive and desirous leisure time will be available.

I have found that as I got older- 71 now – practice slowdown was necessitated by medical issues.  Instead of the usual 75-hour work week, presently 35 hours is much more enjoyable.  There is more time for my patients, my family, a nd a return to a passion that I enjoyed before medicine – aviation.

 

 

In the 1970s I was a USAF pilot flying aeromedical evacuation missions in Europe before I entered a career in medicine.  Then four years as a USAF Reserve pilot while in medical school.  Next came residency, followed by building a private practice, both of which took their toll on my time.  Recently, with more free time, I rediscovered flying.  I’ve been able to mix medicine with aviation.  I became an Aviation Medical Examiner with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and returned to active general aviation flying.

As a “Second Act” flying keeps you engaged – with the aviation community, the education of future aviators, aeronautical decision making, and developing and maintaining cognitive and manual skills to be a safe and proficient pilot.

Whether you slow down your practice or fully retire, continuing to be “who you are and how you live” is critical to your well-being.  As Jonathan Livingston Seagull discovered: “You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self…and nothing can stand in your way.”  And most importantly – as Jonathan Livingston Seagull would certainly agree – flying is great fun!

 

Gregory Hanker, MD
Orthopedic Hand Surgical Specialist
Southern California Orthopedic Institute
Van Nuys, California

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