Santina Wheat is a family physician.
In December 2019, I reached out to the grief counselors at the hospice organization that cared for my mother as she passed. It had been almost a year since her death, and I was running out of time to seek help. I had spent so much energy ensuring my daughters were OK, believing, as I was taught in medical school, that grief just passes. Back then, I learned grief lasted …
The American Medical Association recently reported a decline in physician burnout rates, which is fantastic news. Decreasing burnout means happier doctors, improved patient care, and healthier relationships with family and friends. Yet, even with this progress, burnout rates in my own specialty, family medicine, along with other primary care specialties, remain staggeringly high—over 50 percent. As primary care providers, we are often the first point of contact in the health …
I believe in the practice of medicine and enjoy teaching others this amazing art. However, after experiencing nine months of interactions through medicine as the daughter of a sick patient, I struggle with my pride in the profession and fear of the health care system.
My mother would proudly tell all her physicians that her daughter was a doctor. I knew she was proud, but I didn’t believe in using my …
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