3 answers
Aroma
Student
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
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What would help you have a better balance between work and personal life as a cardiologist ?
e.g more staff, less paperwork etc. please explain in detail. thank you :)
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3 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1870
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Aroma any field of medicine requires a tremendous amount of time and dedication to providing quality care to patients, and cardiology is no exception. The hardest part of achieving a decent work-life balance is managing the conflicting pressure from patients and families. It’s not impossible, but it requires dedication and flexibility to ensure you can be your best for everyone you interact with. Here are some tips to help cardiologists reach and maintain a good balance.
HOW TO ATTAIN WORK-LIFE BALANCE:
When your a cardiologists fresh out of fellowship you'll have a variety of options for the next phase of your career to dictate the type of work life balance your want to attain. Here's a more detailed breakdown:
• HOSPITAL-BASED: May involve longer hours, on-call responsibilities, and a mix of emergency and long-term care. Some hospitals prioritize work-life balance and offer flexible scheduling options, while others may have a culture that prioritizes workload over personal time.
• PRIVATE PRACTICE: Can offer more flexibility in scheduling and potentially less on-call time, but involves a higher workload managing a business. Some cardiologists may prioritize higher earnings over work-life balance, leading to longer hours and more on-call responsibilities.
• ACADEMIC: May involve research, teaching, and clinical duties, potentially impacting work-life balance depending on the workload and priorities. May offer a more balanced workload, but still requires long hours.
LESS DEMANDING CARDIOLOGIST CAREERS
While all cardiology subspecialties can be demanding, general cardiology and electrophysiology (EP), particularly when practicing in a large group or part-time, may offer better work-life balance.
• GENERAL CARDIOLOGY: May involve a mix of outpatient clinic work, inpatient consultations, and some call responsibilities, regarded as generally less demanding. Can be a good option for those seeking a more balanced approach to patient care and personal life. Some general cardiologists find satisfaction in a more traditional, less procedure-role.
• ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY (EP): EP cardiologists focus on the electrical activity of the heart and may have less on-call responsibilities than interventional cardiologists. Can be a good option for those who enjoy a more specialized, less procedure-oriented role. May offer opportunities for part-time work or reduced-time schedules.
ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES
It can be tempting to bring work home, especially with the convenience of remote access. However, it’s important to establish boundaries and try to leave work at work. This is especially important for cardiologists, who may feel pressure to use their time at home to catch up on clerical tasks.
HOW TO ATTAIN WORK-LIFE BALANCE:
When your a cardiologists fresh out of fellowship you'll have a variety of options for the next phase of your career to dictate the type of work life balance your want to attain. Here's a more detailed breakdown:
• HOSPITAL-BASED: May involve longer hours, on-call responsibilities, and a mix of emergency and long-term care. Some hospitals prioritize work-life balance and offer flexible scheduling options, while others may have a culture that prioritizes workload over personal time.
• PRIVATE PRACTICE: Can offer more flexibility in scheduling and potentially less on-call time, but involves a higher workload managing a business. Some cardiologists may prioritize higher earnings over work-life balance, leading to longer hours and more on-call responsibilities.
• ACADEMIC: May involve research, teaching, and clinical duties, potentially impacting work-life balance depending on the workload and priorities. May offer a more balanced workload, but still requires long hours.
LESS DEMANDING CARDIOLOGIST CAREERS
While all cardiology subspecialties can be demanding, general cardiology and electrophysiology (EP), particularly when practicing in a large group or part-time, may offer better work-life balance.
• GENERAL CARDIOLOGY: May involve a mix of outpatient clinic work, inpatient consultations, and some call responsibilities, regarded as generally less demanding. Can be a good option for those seeking a more balanced approach to patient care and personal life. Some general cardiologists find satisfaction in a more traditional, less procedure-role.
• ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY (EP): EP cardiologists focus on the electrical activity of the heart and may have less on-call responsibilities than interventional cardiologists. Can be a good option for those who enjoy a more specialized, less procedure-oriented role. May offer opportunities for part-time work or reduced-time schedules.
ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES
It can be tempting to bring work home, especially with the convenience of remote access. However, it’s important to establish boundaries and try to leave work at work. This is especially important for cardiologists, who may feel pressure to use their time at home to catch up on clerical tasks.
I will use this advice as I prepare for my career. Thank you so much for your time!
Aroma
Daniel Kivel-Goldstein, CHIA, MBA
Sommelier
7
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Daniel’s Answer
If you want to have a work life balance, cardiology/any medical career is one of the top three worst possible choices along with lawyer and accountant
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Aroma
Natasha Rieder
Occupational Health Nurse
48
Answers
Wentzville, Missouri
Updated
Natasha’s Answer
While I can't speak specifically for a cardiologist, there are some steps you can take to help ensure a healthy work/life balance regardless of the career:
- Make personal time a priority. Whether that means scheduling alone time every other Thursday, taking the whole family on a trip for the weekend instead of working or telling yourself you're only going to work 60 hours this week vs 70 , making time for yourself and/or your family is important to deter burn out. Also keep in mind that occasionally that personal time needs to exclude the family. Being a girlfriend/wife/partner/parent has their own set of responsibilities and expectations that people sometimes need a reprieve from, especially if work stress is taking over. So maybe your personal time is extra time at the gym or an afternoon at the spa! Just be sure to communicate these needs with your partner so everyone is on the same page. This brings me to the next tip:
- Have a support system! Whether that is a spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, a group of friends or just one or two close friends you can vent to. Having an outlet to release some steam, physically, mentally and emotionally, is critical to a good work/life balance. And again, keep in communication. If you're taking time for yourself, let your loved ones know that things are getting stressful so you're just taking some time to yourself. This will help keep everyone on the same page and also help deter hurt feelings if you decline an invite out somewhere or end up deciding to cancel plans. Just be careful if you find yourself constantly preferring to be alone and always canceling plans, as these could be signs of a more serious mental health issue creeping up as a result of stress or poor work/life balance (more on that below).
- Have a hobby (preferably hobbies) outside of work. Having something that you enjoy doing that you can look forward to when you're not in "work mode" will help keep your home life healthy and exciting. This could be an exercise class, reading, volunteering, organizing a part of your home, cooking, a craft you enjoy doing, a particular trail you like to walk, listening to murder mystery podcasts while you clean your kitchen. As long as it's healthy, safe and brings you happiness!
- Keep a watchful eye on your mental health. If you find you're not sleeping well (either sleeping too much or too little), you're eating too much or not enough, feeling hopeless/down more often than not, or of course having thoughts of hurting yourself, those, and many other subtle things, are all potentially signs of depression. That's not to say that being a cardiologist is likely to give you depression, but as Daniel mentioned, it is a high demand job and with that comes a toll on one's mental health. Keeping an eye on these things can help ensure you get the help you need sooner rather than later so your personal and work lives remain safe.
- Learn to set boundaries; it's okay to give guidance to colleges on the weekends if they really need it even when you're not on call, but if your personal time is constantly being bombarded with work then you never truly get out of "work mode", and that's a fast track to getting burnt out. It's also okay to tell your manager no. From a business perspective, while you're starting out you may want to ensure you're "paying your dues" by taking the less desirable shifts and picking up the over time when asked, but if it's getting to be too much, don't be afraid to decline. Over worked employees are some of the fastest to have imbalance with work life and home life, which leads to burn out quickly.
- Watch for signs of burnout; dreading going to work, not doing your best when you're there, being short tempered with co-workers, patients and even your loved ones. If you're getting burnt out you'll not only be miserable at work but you'll also be putting your patients in danger which is unethical.
I hope these few small tips help. Be sure to come back with any other questions!
- Make personal time a priority. Whether that means scheduling alone time every other Thursday, taking the whole family on a trip for the weekend instead of working or telling yourself you're only going to work 60 hours this week vs 70 , making time for yourself and/or your family is important to deter burn out. Also keep in mind that occasionally that personal time needs to exclude the family. Being a girlfriend/wife/partner/parent has their own set of responsibilities and expectations that people sometimes need a reprieve from, especially if work stress is taking over. So maybe your personal time is extra time at the gym or an afternoon at the spa! Just be sure to communicate these needs with your partner so everyone is on the same page. This brings me to the next tip:
- Have a support system! Whether that is a spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, a group of friends or just one or two close friends you can vent to. Having an outlet to release some steam, physically, mentally and emotionally, is critical to a good work/life balance. And again, keep in communication. If you're taking time for yourself, let your loved ones know that things are getting stressful so you're just taking some time to yourself. This will help keep everyone on the same page and also help deter hurt feelings if you decline an invite out somewhere or end up deciding to cancel plans. Just be careful if you find yourself constantly preferring to be alone and always canceling plans, as these could be signs of a more serious mental health issue creeping up as a result of stress or poor work/life balance (more on that below).
- Have a hobby (preferably hobbies) outside of work. Having something that you enjoy doing that you can look forward to when you're not in "work mode" will help keep your home life healthy and exciting. This could be an exercise class, reading, volunteering, organizing a part of your home, cooking, a craft you enjoy doing, a particular trail you like to walk, listening to murder mystery podcasts while you clean your kitchen. As long as it's healthy, safe and brings you happiness!
- Keep a watchful eye on your mental health. If you find you're not sleeping well (either sleeping too much or too little), you're eating too much or not enough, feeling hopeless/down more often than not, or of course having thoughts of hurting yourself, those, and many other subtle things, are all potentially signs of depression. That's not to say that being a cardiologist is likely to give you depression, but as Daniel mentioned, it is a high demand job and with that comes a toll on one's mental health. Keeping an eye on these things can help ensure you get the help you need sooner rather than later so your personal and work lives remain safe.
- Learn to set boundaries; it's okay to give guidance to colleges on the weekends if they really need it even when you're not on call, but if your personal time is constantly being bombarded with work then you never truly get out of "work mode", and that's a fast track to getting burnt out. It's also okay to tell your manager no. From a business perspective, while you're starting out you may want to ensure you're "paying your dues" by taking the less desirable shifts and picking up the over time when asked, but if it's getting to be too much, don't be afraid to decline. Over worked employees are some of the fastest to have imbalance with work life and home life, which leads to burn out quickly.
- Watch for signs of burnout; dreading going to work, not doing your best when you're there, being short tempered with co-workers, patients and even your loved ones. If you're getting burnt out you'll not only be miserable at work but you'll also be putting your patients in danger which is unethical.
I hope these few small tips help. Be sure to come back with any other questions!
Thank you so much, Natasha!
Aroma