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

Why does leaving medicine feel like escaping a cult?

Chelsea Turgeon, MD
Physician
February 18, 2025
Share
Tweet
Share

“Shame on you for glorifying people leaving such a noble profession.”

That’s a little … intense.

I was jolted but, unfortunately, not surprised by this negative comment on my LinkedIn post—a post sharing my story of resigning from residency.

Backlash like this is not new to me. Anytime I speak publicly about leaving clinical medicine, I am met with an odd mix of “That’s so brave of you to share” and “How dare you!”

Why is it “brave” to share about a career pivot?

Why does choosing to leave a profession spark such outrage and judgment?

But the disturbing trends don’t end there.

When I wrote my book, Residency Drop Out, dozens of people who also left clinical medicine reached out to me. Many of them had made their departure years ago but never talked about it. They only shared their story with close friends and family.

Why is there such a culture of shame and silence around leaving?
Why is it so taboo to discuss openly?

And we’re still not done.

In physician Facebook groups, when a trainee posts about wanting to leave the profession, they are bombarded with ominous comments about the consequences of leaving:

  • “Do everything you can to make it through the year … but do NOT quit.”
  • “You have to slog through the next five months. It’ll get better.”

It shouldn’t be such a big deal to leave a profession, especially if your mental health is suffering. Honestly, it shouldn’t be an issue to make a career pivot for any reason.

So why is it such a big deal? Why does leaving clinical medicine feel like escaping a cult?

ADVERTISEMENT

When I looked into this question, I discovered unsettling similarities that the medical profession shares with cults and other high-control groups.

To be clear, I am not arguing that the medical profession is a cult. However, I do want us to examine how this profession—one that pledges to “do no harm”—is actually doing quite a bit of harm to its own members.

Here are five ways the medical profession is a bit culty:

1. “Expensive involvement: Participation in the group requires a significant financial investment.” Most of us go deeply into debt to become doctors. Student loans are seen as an investment in our earning potential because they come with the promise of a six-figure salary in a stable career. However, this creates an unhealthy financial dependence. We feel we must keep earning that salary to pay back our loans, even when it costs us our health and happiness.

2. “Mind-altering practices such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation, or debilitating work routines are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leaders.” No, we don’t chant or speak in tongues in the hospital, but our work routines are definitely debilitating. Chronic sleep deprivation is the norm for most physicians, impairing cognitive function, mental clarity, and emotional stability. Perceptions of reality can become distorted.

3. “Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.” Working in medicine can be all-consuming. We are expected to devote 60 to 80 hours per week during training. The time commitment and sacrifice required for the profession are justified because “this is a calling.”

4. “The illusion of hope.” Anytime I raised doubts about continuing with my training, they were dismissed. I was told some version of “just keep going; it’ll get better once you finish this rotation.” I am not alone in this experience. The illusion of hope is consistently presented to anyone struggling at any point in their journey:

  • “I hated medicine when I was in your place. It gets better, I promise.”

5. “The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt to influence and control members, often through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.” Have you ever felt guilty for taking time off, even for something valid like medically necessary surgery? Have you ever stayed late on a shift to help others tie up loose ends so no one would gossip about you being “lazy”? Have you ever been pressured to pick up more shifts with language insinuating your failure to do so would harm patients? Did you want to do those things, or did you feel some level of coercion?

So what do you think? Are your eyebrows raised yet?

It’s not necessarily important to answer the question, “Is medicine a cult or not?” But there are some questions worth asking yourself:

  • “Is it healthy for me to continue working in this profession?”
  • “Why is it still so hard to extricate myself, even when I know it’s unhealthy?”

And the question I’m asking myself is …

“Why do I feel scared to submit this article?”

Chelsea Turgeon is a former OB/GYN resident and a physician coach.

Prev

The truth about the orgasm gap and how to bridge it

February 18, 2025 Kevin 1
…
Next

What if insurance companies were held accountable for health outcomes?

February 18, 2025 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The truth about the orgasm gap and how to bridge it
Next Post >
What if insurance companies were held accountable for health outcomes?

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Chelsea Turgeon, MD

  • How medical training indoctrinates toxic beliefs in physicians

    Chelsea Turgeon, MD
  • Putting on the mask of professionalism causes burnout

    Chelsea Turgeon, MD
  • Why do physicians stay in toxic work environments?

    Chelsea Turgeon, MD

Related Posts

  • Medicine rewards self-sacrifice often at the cost of physician happiness

    Daniella Klebaner
  • From penicillin to digital health: the impact of social media on medicine

    Homer Moutran, MD, MBA, Caline El-Khoury, PhD, and Danielle Wilson
  • Medicine won’t keep you warm at night

    Anonymous
  • Delivering unpalatable truths in medicine

    Samantha Cheng
  • How women in medicine are shaping the future of medicine [PODCAST]

    American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD
  • I was trolled by another physician on social media. I am happy I did not respond.

    Casey P. Schukow, DO

More in Physician

  • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

    Howard Smith, MD
  • The hidden chains holding doctors back

    Neil Baum, MD
  • 9 proven ways to gain cooperation in health care without commanding

    Patrick Hudson, MD
  • Why physicians deserve more than an oxygen mask

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • More than a meeting: Finding education, inspiration, and community in internal medicine [PODCAST]

    American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD
  • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

    Trisza Leann Ray, DO
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • How conflicts of interest are eroding trust in U.S. health agencies [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
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How conflicts of interest are eroding trust in U.S. health agencies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why young doctors in South Korea feel broken before they even begin

      Anonymous | Education
    • Measles is back: Why vaccination is more vital than ever

      American College of Physicians | Conditions
    • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Physician job change: Navigating your 457 plan and avoiding tax traps [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden chains holding doctors back

      Neil Baum, 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

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

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • How conflicts of interest are eroding trust in U.S. health agencies [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
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How conflicts of interest are eroding trust in U.S. health agencies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why young doctors in South Korea feel broken before they even begin

      Anonymous | Education
    • Measles is back: Why vaccination is more vital than ever

      American College of Physicians | Conditions
    • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Physician job change: Navigating your 457 plan and avoiding tax traps [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden chains holding doctors back

      Neil Baum, 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

Leave a Comment

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

Loading Comments...