Myth: The Patient Always Comes First
I saw a post recently on LinkedIn that said:
“If you get hit by a bus and die tomorrow, your employer will find a replacement for your position next week. Your family won’t. Take the damn PTO!”
This really struck me because it was such a harsh truth. So many people get so caught up in their careers and office culture that it takes priority over their own families.
Now to reframe this to self-employed health clinicians…
How many of you have been told or have been operating under the belief that the patient always comes first? Kind of all of us, right? I actually believe that this mentality is incredibly damaging to doctors.
Now to clarify, this does not mean that you should be putting the patient in danger in order to save your own ass. Or that you should be giving anything less than the best possible care for the benefit of your own bottom line or selfish needs. That’s just straight-up unethical. The patient always coming first can be the following:
Taking appointments outside of your established hours because it works better for the patient’s schedule.
Giving discounts that aren’t sustainable to your bottom line.
Accepting low-paying insurance reimbursement.
Holding high overhead expenses because you think your patients will like the extras that you offer.
Not taking days off or vacations because you are afraid to disrupt continuance of care. Etc…
It’s natural to want to bend over backwards for your patients, but not if it’s going to break your back (or your bank).
Using the analogy of oxygen masks on an airplane in the event of an emergency: You always put your own mask on first before helping others. Because if you pass out from hypoxia then no one gets help.
You need to take care of yourself first. And I’m not just talking about making time for self-care or taking vacations, though those are a part of it. Putting yourself first starts with really understanding what you want out of life, then reverse engineering from there. Building everything with intention and within the values of your ideal life. If you’re clear on that, then the boundaries you need to protect yourself will naturally be drawn up.
Once you take care of yourself first, you’ll be able to take better care of your patients. Your patients deserve to have a doctor who shows up present, rested, and fulfilled. And you deserve to be that kind of doctor.