Cancer surgeons' distress and well-being

There are two recent articles in the Ann Surg Oncol titled, "Cancer surgeons' distress and well-being." Some interesting findings regarding career-related stress, coping mechanisms, and work-life balance.

Cancer surgeons' distress and well-being, I: the tension between a culture of productivity and the need for self-care.

Among the 72 surgeons who responded (response rate of 73%), we found that 42% of surgeons reported burnout and 27% psychiatric levels of distress, while 30% used alcohol and 13% used sleep medications as a possible means to cope. Only one third of surgeons reported high quality of life across physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual domains.

Cancer surgeons' distress and well-being, II: modifiable factors and the potential for organizational interventions.

Among the 72 surgeons who responded (response rate of 73%), surgeons identified high stress from medical lawsuits, pressure to succeed in research, financial worries, negative attitudes to gender, and ability to cope with patients' suffering and death. Workplace features requiring greatest change were the reimbursement system, administrative support, and schedule. Work-life balance and relationship issues with spouse or partner caused high stress. Strongest correlations with distress were a desire to change communication with patients and the tension between the time devoted to work versus time available to be with family. Surgeons' preferences for interventions favored a fitness program, nutrition consultation, and increased socialization with colleagues, with less interest in interventions conventionally used to address psychological distress.

CareerBliss: Company Salaries and Reviews

Do you love your job? Are you thinking about finding a new job? CareerBliss.com is a website that has salary data for millions of companies and job titles nationwide. Plus, CareerBliss provides company reviews so that you can research what others are saying about their own companies (anonymously, I'm sure).

So, what are the Best Bliss Companies? The Top 3 companies are:

1. Google
2. USAF
3. Johnson & Johnson

What's your dream job?

The other day, I had to do a little bit of painting around the house. Unlike many other people out there, I actually enjoy painting. I find it relaxing. We've hired professional painters in the past. I began wondering: what would my life be like if I were a professional painter?

When I think about a "dream job," I remove money out of the equation. What would be your dream job if money weren't an issue? Would you even choose to work if you didn't have to? How much job satisfaction would you have if you were working (but you really didn't have to work)?

If money weren't an issue, you could set your own schedule. You could choose to work as little (or as much) as you like. I think I could be a painter. I wouldn't work 40 hours each week, but I'd work enough to prevent boredom. I think I would also enjoy life as a carpenter. Ever since I was a child, I enjoyed building things with my hands. Too bad I didn't pursue a career as a model builder. I could be making model ships and airplanes all day.

I would also love to have a job as a teacher, instructor, or tutor. Just today, I saw someone advertising services as a "computer tutor." I've spent a significant amount of time teaching and tutoring. I enjoy that level of interaction and I could see myself doing that part-time.

I would also love to be a professional counselor. Not necessarily a psychotherapist. Rather, I think I would enjoy working as a career counselor, a guidance counselor, etc. I like the feeling that you're helping someone. I suppose this ties in very closely with teaching and the medical profession. Perhaps that's why I ended up in medical school. Perhaps this is why I spend time counseling and coaching physicians about non-clinical career opportunities. Perhaps this is why I blog about non-clinical jobs.

So those are just a few of my examples. How about you? What would be your dream job if money were not an issue?

What are the best jobs in America?

What are the best jobs in America? I suppose the answer really depends on who you ask. According to CNN Money.com, the best jobs are those that provide "great pay and growth prospects." Care to see the list of 50 jobs? Let's start with the top 10:

1 Systems Engineer
2 Physician Assistant
3 College Professor
4 Nurse Practitioner
5 Information Technology Project Manager
6 Certified Public Accountant
7 Physical Therapist
8 Computer/Network Security Consultant
9 Intelligence Analyst
10 Sales Director

Notice how 3 out of the 10 are in the health care field? If you continue down the list, you'll also see Anesthesiologist (#11), Pharmacist (#13), Occupational Therapist (#14), Nurse Anesthetist (#15), Physician/General Practice (#19), Physician/Obstetrician/Gynecologist (#22), Clinical Psychologist (#23), Psychiatrist (#24), and the list just goes on...

To see the complete list of the "best jobs in America," click here.

Do you feel like you have a "best job?" How is your job satisfaction? You could have a nice salary and you could even have growth potential, but that doesn't define a great job in my opinion. You need to find satisfaction in your work and you also need to consider your stress level and the impact on your personal life. How important is work-life balance to you?

One of the biggest reasons why physicians are choosing to leave clinical medicine is because they want to reduce stress and improve their work-life balance. Many are even willing to reduce their potential income if they can be happier.

Tough market for non-clinical jobs

It's a tough job market all over the country. The non-clinical sector of health care has been hit harder than the clinical sector. After all, we'll always have sick patients who need medical care. Hospitals will always need workers.

Corporate jobs have disappeared as companies have merged and reorganized. More non-clinical jobs have been lost as companies close and shut their doors. Unemployment is rising and even seasoned executives are being laid off. Sometimes you may see several jobs being consolidated into a single job. Current employees are being asked to reapply for their existing positions.

There's no doubt that the clinical side of health care offers more long-term job stability. However, does it offer you job satisfaction? Are you happy with your current job?

In some ways, I see 2010 as a great year for people to transition from the clinical side to the non-clinical side. You may not get a job in 2010, but you may in 2011. This type of career transition can easily take over 12 months, so it's important to maintain a stable source of income while you prepare for the career switch. Once you leave the clinical side of medicine, it can be very difficult to re-enter. There are formal re-entry programs for physicians who have been out of clinical medicine for several years, but that requires an investment of time, energy, and money. You would not want to repeat a year of residency, would you?