Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Finding contentment in rural emergency medicine

Mitchel Schwindt, MD
Physician
March 17, 2017
Share
Tweet
Share

The frenetic pace and chaos of working in an urban trauma center are addicting — at least for a while. Interesting, unusual, and tragic patients test the mettle of even seasoned physicians. For some, the lure is too strong to step away.

For others, the attraction of a quieter life and promise of a more sane existence is too powerful to resist.

My story

After training in one of the busiest level 1 urban trauma centers, serving as chief resident and working as a flight physician, my first several jobs as a newly minted EM attending were also in urban and suburban emergency departments. I loved the constant challenge and enjoyed being part of a larger team of specialists providing cutting edge care.

As my youth faded and our family grew, the joy of a late night resuscitation or early morning patient save began to lose its luster. While I still love caring for critical patients, I love my family more. The road forked in front of me as my career plowed ahead, and I took the less traveled.

I left an urban area of 3.5 million and embraced life up north. I don’t actually live in a town or city but rather find myself surrounded by the pristine beauty of nature. My clinical practice went from a multispecialty team sport to one often consisting of a nurse or two and only myself.

The last ten years has been incredible and humbling. The face of rural emergency medicine was vastly different and required a shift in mindset. A few of my former colleagues have joined me for a shift or two, but none found the lack of resources tenable. I discovered just the opposite and want to share a few thoughts and questions.

The camaraderie grows quickly. The team is small and trust, combined with friendship and mutual respect, diffuse tensions and foster cohesive patient care. I have consistently worked with a handful of talented nurses and delivered life-saving care in seemingly unsavable cases. Being able to intuit each other’s actions has proven critical on many occasions.

Working in a resource-limited facility forces you to learn several steps beyond what is typically expected in an ED, with vast resources and every specialty available with residents trolling through the hospital looking for the next cool procedure or interesting case.

Weather and ambulances rarely cooperate. I’ve found myself managing critical cases well through the night and next morning on a 36-hour shift, praying the skies cleared for a flight or the roads opened for even a BLS ambulance to get through. You do your best, rely on training and education and provide the care you’d want your family members to receive.

Be prepared to wear many hats. When a hospital has a grand total of ten physicians on staff, you will be given opportunities to shape the landscape of local care and asked to step up to do more than you are comfortable doing. Embrace this as a chance for exploration and growth. Also, accept that you are human and saying no or stepping down is essential for the preservation of your family life and health.

You will be rewarded with knowing the intimate details of your patients’ lives. Many patients will become familiar friends and consider you their doctor, no matter how many times you encourage them to pick a primary care provider. You will help them through illness and comfort them when death comes calling. The anonymous face of urban trauma will be washed away, and you need to learn how to cope when caring for those who play on your softball team or gather at your house for weekend fun. It will be horrific at times, but you will be relied upon and lauded for your caring and skills. The rewards of working in a rural environment will last a lifetime.

This choice has made all the difference in my life from a personal and professional viewpoint, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Mitchel Schwindt is an emergency physician. This article originally appeared in the Healthcare Career Resources Blog.

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Today's version of the Hippocratic oath

March 16, 2017 Kevin 3
…
Next

How hospital executives wish their hospitalists would act

March 17, 2017 Kevin 3
…

Tagged as: Emergency Medicine

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Today's version of the Hippocratic oath
Next Post >
How hospital executives wish their hospitalists would act

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Mitchel Schwindt, MD

  • Practical thoughts on pursuing a partnership track

    Mitchel Schwindt, MD
  • What to do next if your physician dream job isn’t available

    Mitchel Schwindt, MD
  • 5 hidden symptoms of physician burnout

    Mitchel Schwindt, MD

Related Posts

  • Medicine is failing rural Americans

    Michael McCarthy
  • A scribe’s haunting view of emergency medicine

    Nicole Russell
  • How social media can advance humanism in medicine

    Pooja Lakshmin, MD
  • Denying payment for emergency care: a physician defends insurers

    Michael Kirsch, MD
  • A prayer from an emergency physician

    Edwin Leap, MD
  • The climate crisis as viewed by an emergency physician

    Elizabeth M. Barreras-Rivest, MD

More in Physician

  • Why so many physicians struggle to feel proud—even when they should

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • If I had to choose: Choosing the patient over the protocol

    Patrick Hudson, MD
  • How a TV drama exposed the hidden grief of doctors

    Lauren Weintraub, MD
  • Why adults need to rediscover the power of play

    Anthony Fleg, MD
  • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

    Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD
  • The child within: a grown woman’s quiet grief

    Dr. Damane Zehra
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • The hidden cost of becoming a doctor: a South Asian perspective

      Momeina Aslam | Education
    • Why fixing health care’s data quality is crucial for AI success [PODCAST]

      Jay Anders, MD | Podcast
    • Closing the gap in respiratory care: How robotics can expand access in underserved communities

      Evgeny Ignatov, MD, RRT | Tech
    • Reclaiming trust in online health advice [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why fixing health care’s data quality is crucial for AI success [PODCAST]

      Jay Anders, MD | Podcast
    • Why so many physicians struggle to feel proud—even when they should

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • If I had to choose: Choosing the patient over the protocol

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • How a TV drama exposed the hidden grief of doctors

      Lauren Weintraub, MD | Physician
    • Why adults need to rediscover the power of play

      Anthony Fleg, MD | Physician
    • How collaboration across medical disciplines and patient advocacy cured a rare disease [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • The hidden cost of becoming a doctor: a South Asian perspective

      Momeina Aslam | Education
    • Why fixing health care’s data quality is crucial for AI success [PODCAST]

      Jay Anders, MD | Podcast
    • Closing the gap in respiratory care: How robotics can expand access in underserved communities

      Evgeny Ignatov, MD, RRT | Tech
    • Reclaiming trust in online health advice [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why fixing health care’s data quality is crucial for AI success [PODCAST]

      Jay Anders, MD | Podcast
    • Why so many physicians struggle to feel proud—even when they should

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • If I had to choose: Choosing the patient over the protocol

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • How a TV drama exposed the hidden grief of doctors

      Lauren Weintraub, MD | Physician
    • Why adults need to rediscover the power of play

      Anthony Fleg, MD | Physician
    • How collaboration across medical disciplines and patient advocacy cured a rare disease [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Finding contentment in rural emergency medicine
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...