Hello, and welcome to Old Doc, New Tricks!
First of all, I’d like to thank you for visiting my site. This is my first foray into the world of WordPress. It’s going to be a learning experience, and the site is obviously still under construction, but your support means a great deal.
If you’re reading this, you’re most likely a first-time visitor, so I’ve provided some answers to some frequently asked questions below.
Who are you, and what do you do?
Defining who I am is an entire blog post in itself, and I’m in the process of writing it. But it’s a long story, and the definition is constantly in flux. For now, I’ll tell you who I’ve been and what I’ve done in the past.
From 2003-2014, I was a family doctor practicing full-time clinical medicine. During that time, medicine gradually morphed from “the only thing I ever wanted to do for the rest of my life” to “the only thing I couldn’t see myself doing for the rest of my life.” The stresses of medicine had started to take a toll on my health, both physical and emotional. After burning out for the second time in 3 years, I decided some serious life changes– and maybe an entirely new career—were in order.
As I started my journey, I fell back on the one true passion I’d held in my heart since the age of five: writing. Writing had been my joy in elementary school, my romantic fantasy wish-fulfillment in high school, my escape during college and med school, and my coping mechanism throughout a three-year family practice residency. It won me friends and awards. It made people laugh. Unlike the daily grind of medicine, it came easily to me. And like the best of friends, it never abandoned me.
Thus, I am a physician by training, and a writer by calling. Anton Chekov (the great doctor/writer/playwright) once said, “Medicine is my lawful wife and literature is my mistress.” So if I follow this analogy through to its logical conclusion, I guess I’m currently going through a divorce.
What is your blog about?
I started writing the blog posts on Old Doc, New Tricks with the following intentions:
- To resurrect the writer within me.
- To process the events, experiences, and traumas of my 10-year career in clinical medicine.
- To begin to heal from burnout.
- To explore, through the process of writing, what aspects of my personality and today’s current medical climate led to my burnout—and through this analysis, to protect myself from burnout in any future career.
- To learn to accept myself and my imperfections.
- To find a new personal direction in life.
At some point, I realized these reasons, though personally therapeutic, weren’t enough. I wanted to connect and empathize with others going through the same process. So my list continued:
- To share any humble insights I can gain along the path of recovery and re-invention.
- To share instructive, inspirational stories from others who have had the courage to step away from un-inspiring lives and careers to follow their dreams.
- To share the (sometimes very funny!) stories from my medical training and practice.
- To provide a safe, supportive, and most of all HOPEFUL forum for others to discuss their own experiences with burnout and/or career re-direction.
This list defines the goals of Old Doc, New Tricks.
What are the different sections of your blog about?
Again, the site is still under construction, but I will be dividing the posts into several distinct categories:
Flaming Out and Roaring Back.
This section will include posts related to burnout and burnout recovery, including my personal experiences, tips, how-to’s, introspectives, and so on.
Physician as Phoenix
This section will feature interviews with doctors who have successfully risen from the ashes of burnout or made a major career transition. We’ll explore how they did it and what advice they can give to others.
The Ulnar Nerve.*
(*For anyone who doesn’t know, this is the scientific name for the funny bone.)
Medicine can be a very funny profession. Any doctor who doesn’t get at least one good belly laugh per day is either a) burnt-out, or b) not paying enough attention. We’ll honor this side of medicine here.
Continuous Improvement.
My dad loves to say, “There’s always room for improvement,” and I’ve taken this to heart over the years. This section will include general posts on self-improvement and personal development—breaking bad habits, overcoming procrastination, fighting perfectionism, avoiding negative self-talk, and more.
And last, but not least…
On Writing
I’ve reserved this section for posts related to the triumphs and travails of my writing ventures. Take a look here to see my progress toward my dream of writing a novel and earning a living from writing.
Thanks again for visiting!
Again, thank you for visiting my site. If you like what you see so far, or if you want to join in the conversation, please feel free to leave a comment. I’m excited that you’re joining me on this journey of re-invention, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you.
Let’s roll!
I am so excited about your website! Doctors and other healthcare professionals need a place such as this to come and find community, insight, healing and humor. I love the names of your different blog sections. Can’t wait to read them, especially the “Ulnar Nerve.” Congratulations to you on following this passion for writing that you’ve had since you were 5! I am sure you will be an inspiration to many. Rock on Doc!