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

Encouragement is far from easy

Sasha K. Shillcutt, MD
Physician
September 25, 2018
Share
Tweet
Share

I looked at my life through the lens of an outsider: It looked pretty good. Funding. Presentations. Publications. Great job, and a great family. Check, check, check.

I looked at my life through my own lens, an insider: a mess. Exhaustion. Absent from my closest relationships. Chronically feeling like I was dropping the ball, because I was. Unhealthy. Not enough sleep, or exercise, or joy. Apathy.

This was me, four years ago, before burnout was really something I understood or knew about.

It took me a year of hard work, of establishing boundaries, of saying no, of rearranging my life to get back to my health and my professional joy.

It took me a year of figuring out my new normal, and realizing that part of that was understanding that I needed friends, and other women to support me — and frankly: encouragement.

So I started a group, a small group, with other women like me, to encourage one another.

That group grew. It’s 8,000 strong now … and very, very, powerful.

The funny thing is, this group has immense power. It helps women back on their feet, empowers them to negotiate, helps them navigate parenthood and working in medicine, and gives them an opportunity to amplify their research and work.

And it gets criticism, daily.

I hear “Your group is so flowery and nice.” Or “I hear your group is so positive, it must be fake.”

Or my favorite, as I was discussing with a leader in medicine last week, who told me “Well, of course, your group is encouraging, encouragement is easy.”

Wait, excuse me?

Encouraging people, truly stepping outside of your own skin and lifting someone else up, regardless of how you feel … is far from easy.

Finding the positive even amidst the negative, is far from easy.

Encouraging someone to be honest with himself or herself, is not easy.

ADVERTISEMENT

Encouraging someone even though you may not feel encouraged, is not easy.

Encouraging someone to face his or her fears and failures is not easy.

Encouraging someone to try for the promotion, even though the odds are stacked against them, is not easy.

Encouraging someone by giving them tools, things you have learned from your past failures, is not easy.

Encouraging others in the midst of a negative worldview, where it is more popular to be critical and to tear others down, is, well, not easy.

I am really proud to be part of a group of 8,000 women who do what is hard. Who encourage each other — every day.

Who listen and support, who despite what is going on in their own lives, or despite having the hardest day, stop and offer words to uplift, instruct, and encourage.

It’s far from easy.

But it is the right thing to do.

So the perception of the encouragement is not what matters; what matters is the power that exists when we encourage one another.

And as such, we continue.

Sasha K. Shillcutt is an anesthesiologist who blogs at Brave Enough.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

When should insurance companies be held responsible for medical malpractice?

September 25, 2018 Kevin 35
…
Next

The influence of a physician's father

September 25, 2018 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
When should insurance companies be held responsible for medical malpractice?
Next Post >
The influence of a physician's father

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Sasha K. Shillcutt, MD

  • The inspiring women physicians of the COVID-19 pandemic

    Sasha K. Shillcutt, MD
  • An anesthesiologist’s message to her community

    Sasha K. Shillcutt, MD
  • A physician’s plea to patients

    Sasha K. Shillcutt, MD

Related Posts

  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • Telemedicine should be easy. Here’s why it’s not.

    Dennis Wichern
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD
  • The black physician’s burden

    Naomi Tweyo Nkinsi
  • Why this physician supports Medicare for all

    Thad Salmon, MD

More in Physician

  • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

    Maureen Gibbons, MD
  • Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire

    Andy Lazris, MD and Alan Roth, DO
  • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

    Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD
  • International doctors blocked by visa delays as U.S. faces physician shortage

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • How I redesigned my life as a physician without abandoning medicine

    Ben Reinking, MD
  • Why even the best employees are silently quitting health care

    Dr. Suhaib J. S. Ahmad
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders

      Noah Weinberg | Conditions
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Would The Pitts’ Dr. Robby Robinavitch welcome a new colleague? Yes. Especially if their initials were AI.

      Gabe Jones, MBA | Tech
    • Why medicine must stop worshipping burnout and start valuing humanity

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire

      Andy Lazris, MD and Alan Roth, DO | Physician
    • How organizational culture drives top talent away [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why perinatal mental health is the top cause of maternal death in the U.S.

      Sheila Noon | Conditions

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

Leave a Comment

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

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders

      Noah Weinberg | Conditions
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Would The Pitts’ Dr. Robby Robinavitch welcome a new colleague? Yes. Especially if their initials were AI.

      Gabe Jones, MBA | Tech
    • Why medicine must stop worshipping burnout and start valuing humanity

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire

      Andy Lazris, MD and Alan Roth, DO | Physician
    • How organizational culture drives top talent away [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why perinatal mental health is the top cause of maternal death in the U.S.

      Sheila Noon | Conditions

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

Leave a Comment

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

Loading Comments...