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

Has your physician persona crowded out other aspects of yourself?

Francis Yoo, DO
Physician
May 7, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

Imagine you went to a heavy metal concert with me, and whenever we met someone new, I introduced myself in this way: “Hi, my name is Dr. Yoo.” Your immediate reaction would probably be, “That was irrelevant! (or strange, or funny).”

And you’d be right. People frequently adopt different personas, images, or versions of themselves to fit a given situation. They may do this by making dramatic changes in their posture, facial expressions, choice of words, or mannerisms, and this ultimately affects their role. For example, when I am seeing patients in the office, I am usually “Dr. Yoo” to the staff and patients, but when I am visiting my parents, I am the “only son” who eats a lot of home-cooked food and is spoiled, and when I am eating at a sushi restaurant with my sushi interest group, I am the “sushi king” who decided to visit Japan, primarily to eat sushi there!

But what if we put on a persona that’s not quite right for the situation? It would not seem all that strange if a physician cooed and played with a young child during an examination, but it would if they did the same thing with an adult patient. It might not seem strange for a sports fan to wear gear displaying their preferred team’s logo and cheer for them at a game, but it would almost certainly be strange if they did the same thing at the burial of a family member who had no interest in sports. Such instances can rightly be described as inappropriate, odd, or even comedic.

Despite this, physicians do this a lot of the time in our lives. You may be home with your family but feel strange for not being on call, or on vacation but feel guilty for not checking your EMR inbox or work email. You may even introduce yourself as “Dr. So and So” at a heavy metal concert. You talk about medicine and work all the time, even when you’re around people who aren’t in healthcare themselves. Yes, you are a physician and have a medical degree, but you do not have to be, nor should you be identifying with your physician persona all of the time. This overidentification with the physician persona is unhealthy, even if it is a great persona characterized by being hard-working, empathetic, intelligent, thorough, leading, and thoughtful. Even with all of that, it is unhealthy to only live in this persona because of the imbalance and limitations doing such imposes on one’s whole self.

Imagine a policy officer, someone whose work persona has to do with enforcing the law as an authority figure. This position sometimes requires sternness and physical force. When this persona is challenged, someone like this may try to protect this persona by using more violence than necessary when dealing with someone who is being uncooperative. Now let’s say this person is at home with their family. If they over-identify with their persona, they may always correct or chastise children who are being out of line, even with minute matters. You can see how living like this is unbalanced, limiting, and unhealthy.

Most physicians have spent years developing and honing our physician personas, even before we even had a license to practice medicine (remember all of those mock patients, and standardized tests like the COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE and USMLE Step 2 CS?). A significant aspect of clinical rotations and residencies is to help you develop and be comfortable in the physician persona. Society’s expectations do not help either, and lifestyle creep is so prevalent when physicians start making that “attending money”; show up in a car or clothing that aren’t fancy, and people may start to doubt your physician persona. All of this makes it easy to over-identify with your physician persona.

Do you over-identify with your physician persona? How has your physician persona overreached into different aspects of your life and caused an imbalance? Has your physician persona crowded out other aspects of yourself? You are a whole and present person, not just a physician; Don’t let anyone, even yourself, tell you otherwise.

Francis Yoo is a family physician turned entrepreneur and is the author of Physician Freedom: Living Your Authentic Physician Life. He can be reached at his self-titled site, Dr. Francis Yoo.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Scientists predicted remdesivir's success with a simulation. Here's how.

May 7, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

Nurses do not get paid extra for being pharmacists

May 7, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Scientists predicted remdesivir's success with a simulation. Here's how.
Next Post >
Nurses do not get paid extra for being pharmacists

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Francis Yoo, DO

  • A physician’s search for meaning

    Francis Yoo, DO
  • Psychoanalysis for physician wellness

    Francis Yoo, DO
  • Personal development and growth during COVID times

    Francis Yoo, DO

Related Posts

  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • 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
  • Embrace the teamwork involved in becoming a physician

    Nathaniel Fleming

More in Physician

  • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • Why judgment is hurting doctors—and how mindfulness can heal

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • The gift we keep giving: How medicine demands everything—even our holidays

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • From burnout to balance: a neurosurgeon’s bold career redesign

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Why working in Hawai’i health care isn’t all paradise

    Clayton Foster, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

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

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • 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
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

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 2 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

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

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

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • 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
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

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

Has your physician persona crowded out other aspects of yourself?
2 comments

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

Loading Comments...