The Tension of Good Work

We don’t often talk about the proper context in which work should be viewed. I’m a physician and the nature of my job inherently encompasses aspects that are presumed noble and virtuous.

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Most of us physicians hold childhood dreams of changing lives, using our minds and hands to advocate and heal. Dare I say it, some of us even have the audacity to believe we can change the world. The very nature of our occupation allows us into a sphere of audacity and profound privilege. We are trained to have a skillset, one that takes years to develop, decades to master, and heavily sought after. It’s actually quite incredible. And quite honestly, specific interactions with my patients, remind me that I have the best job on this planet.

With that said, I noticed the evolution of the tension between idealism and cynicism quite early in my training (A Good Endeavor- Timothy Keller) as it pertained to my dreams and expectations of the job.

The cynicism is held within the disposition that our job is just a job. We come in, see our patients, complete all the redundant, administrative duties that plague our hospital systems. Our passion is caged, and our mindset lacks hope. Authentic interactions with patients become infrequent because of the burden of having to get things done. And the glory and the satisfaction that validate your calling are few and far in between. I see this daily within some of my favourite colleagues as well as within myself.

The idealism is that young medical student still within us. That young doctor, excited to learn, amazed by the surgery and full of hope and naivety. This is the dreamer within all of us that still wants to save lives and change the world. The truth is that most of us are somewhere in the middle of cynicism and idealism. The burden of our administrative duties, the long work hours and the unneeded repetitiveness of the system contribute to our cynicism whereas the good outcomes, and the appreciation from our patients make us idealists.

This is exactly the beauty of the job. The frustration between our cynicism and our idealism. It’s this tension that keeps even the best job in perspective. As a student, when I thought about my future as a physician, I never imagined all the things that would come to frustrate me about this job. I also couldn’t have imagined the moments the things that have made me full. Nonetheless, there is an appreciation of both. This is exactly the beauty of the job. It’s a beautiful tension.