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What helps you to treat each patient as if they were your first ever patient vs the 50th person you have seen that day ?

People in medicine:
I want to keep my humanity as I go along this lifelong career and fight the urge to be complacent due to burnout.

#Spring26

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Elizabeth’s Answer

Hi Vanessa I have found one of the unexpected (for me anyway) benefits of being a doctor is getting to know people from all walks of life - people you’d never cross paths with if you were working in finance for example. I really enjoy getting to know all kinds of people and hearing about their lives. Also we see some medical diagnoses very commonly because lots of people have them (think about diabetes or high blood pressure for example). But each patient’s journey with a disease - even a common one is unique in terms of their symptoms, how it impacts their life, how they cope, what treatments work or don’t work etc. That’s what keeps each encounter like the first one of the day.
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Maria’s Answer

I remind myself that even if I’ve heard similar stories before, this is their first time telling it to me. Staying curious, really listening, and remembering why I chose nursing helps me stay present instead of going on autopilot
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Vanessa’s Answer

Burnout happens when effort never meets recovery. To prevent it, start with self‑compassion (Dr. Kristin Neff): treat yourself like a supportive coach, not a harsh critic—mistakes are part of learning, not personal failures. From Joe Dispenza’s Supernatural, adopt the idea of intentionally shifting your mindset: step out of stress‑based habits and practice gratitude, visualization, or short mindfulness breaks to reset your nervous system. Finally, connect your hard work to serving something bigger than yourself—helping others, contributing to a cause, or being a role model. Purpose, kindness toward yourself, and mental reset protect energy and motivation. I also enjoy the Hidden Brain podcast. It shows burnout isn’t weakness—it stems from chronic stress, lack of control, and nonstop pressure, which exhaust motivation circuits and reduce performance over time. Prioritize you, do not expend energy on things that are out of your control. I do not watch news, but rather spend that time in nature, in conversation with a friend, or activity that gives me joy- I love movies and music

Vanessa recommends the following next steps:

https://self-compassion.org/
https://www.youtube.com/drjoedispenza/videos
https://www.hiddenbrain.org/
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Judith’s Answer

Remember that you are being entrusted with the most important, intimate details of a person’s health.

They are not merely “diagnoses” or diseases but people with feelings, strengths, weaknesses and their own stories- and they are coming to you for help.

Get to know each person a little bit before dealing with their medical issues. Provide a human touch.

Think about how you or a family member or close friend would want to be treated. If you do that, your experiences as a physician will be even more rewarding.
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Danielle’s Answer

Remember, you can learn something from everyone you meet. Treat each person like they are a part of your close family, and aim to give them the best care possible. Imagine yourself as a patient in the future. If you live a long life, you might find yourself in a hospital one day, and you would want to receive the same kind of care you give to others now. Keep this in mind, and it will guide you to do your best.
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Elizabeth’s Answer

Hi Vanessa I have found one of the unexpected (for me anyway) benefits of being a doctor is getting to know people from all walks of life - people you’d never cross paths with if you were working in finance for example. I really enjoy getting to know all kinds of people and hearing about their lives. Also we see some medical diagnoses very commonly because lots of people have them (think about diabetes or high blood pressure for example). But each patient’s journey with a disease - even a common one - is unique in terms of their symptoms, how it impacts their life, how they cope, what treatments work or don’t work etc. That’s what keeps each encounter like the first one of the day.
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