More physicians than ever are reaching out for support after being labeled disruptive, inefficient, delinquent, reactive, or poor communicators.

These are highly skilled, deeply committed professionals being written up for professionalism concerns, communication issues, behavior, and “reactivity.” These cases span every specialty, gender, and stage of career.

This is not a reflection of declining professionalism. It is a predictable outcome of practicing in an untenable and broken system. It is an expected human response to burnout, moral injury, unreasonable expectations, the undermining of science, and ongoing political tension.

The cost of a broken system

We are being asked to work in ways that conflict with our training and values. Under these conditions, even the most grounded among us become reactive. Communication becomes clipped. Emotional reserves run dry. Patience thins.

This is rarely a sign of poor character or lack of commitment. The physicians being reported are often among the most competent and caring. They are not failing at professionalism; they are operating from a place of depletion.

We must stop treating symptoms of systemic dysfunction as individual failings.

If we want to preserve the integrity and humanity of the profession, institutions must take responsibility for supporting the physicians they rely on. That includes access to and support of meaningful learning, skilled coaching, and protected space to grow, not just after a complaint, but before one ever occurs.

Supporting physicians in this way is not a luxury. It is essential. It is how we ensure that those who care for others have the capacity to continue doing so with clarity, compassion, and presence.

Coaching over punishment

There are evidence-based approaches that help, even while systemic reform remains elusive. A sustainable path begins with supporting physicians to recognize their own warning signs and respond thoughtfully rather than reactively. These skills can be learned. In particular, through coaching offered by a trained physician, outside the walls of the health care system.

When institutions provide this kind of support, the impact is felt far beyond the individual. Teams are healthier. Conflict and professionalism complaints are less. Culture and retention improve.

When physicians are well, present, and emotionally regulated, clinical care improves. Communication is clearer. Empathy is more accessible. Relationships are stronger. Healing happens more easily. All of this benefits institutions.

The path forward

There is a lot at stake. We cannot afford to lose compassionate, capable physicians to burnout, resignation, or preventable professionalism issues. The financial and operational cost of replacing a physician is immense. The human cost is greater still.

Shame, isolation, and the belief that one has “failed” are common among physicians facing these concerns. Some struggle to see any way forward at all. Supporting physicians before they reach this breaking point is not optional. It is essential for the stability of the system, and for the safety and well-being of every patient in it.

The system still needs fixing. That remains true. But until that happens, institutions have a clear responsibility: to support physicians, not report them. And to support them with something that works.

What might shift if physicians were given the support they deserve, so they could keep practicing medicine with the clarity, intention, and compassion that brought them here in the first place?

Jessie Mahoney is a board-certified pediatrician, certified coach, mindfulness and yoga teacher, and the founder of Pause & Presence Coaching & Retreats. After nearly two decades as a physician leader at the Permanente Medical Group/Kaiser, she stepped outside the traditional medical model to reimagine what sustainable well-being in health care could look like. She can also be reached on Facebook and Instagram.

Dr. Mahoney’s work challenges the culture of overwork and self-sacrifice in medicine. She helps physicians and leaders cultivate clarity, intention, and balance—leveraging mindfulness, coaching, yoga, and lifestyle medicine to create deep and lasting change. Her CME retreats offer a transformative space for healing, self-discovery, and renewal.

As co-host of the podcast, Healing Medicine, she brings self-compassion and presence into the conversation around modern medical practice. A sought-after speaker and consultant, she partners with organizations to build more human-centered, sustainable, and inspired medical cultures.

Dr. Mahoney is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.