Learning When to Resign: Warning Signs of Unaddressed Workplace Burnout

Recently, I read a Forbes article that predicted that 75 percent of current health care workers will leave the medical profession by 2025.¹ There was an array of factors leading to this prediction, from overwhelming COVID-19 fatigue to changes in job expectations. After reading this article, I reflected on how the dynamics of practicing podiatric medicine and surgery have significantly changed since 2020. I even spoke to some of my colleagues who decided to leave their current practice, which wasn’t productive for their career, or their physical, emotional, or mental health. For this month’s Forum, I invited my good friend and colleague, Kinna Patel, DPM, who decided it was time for a change based on multiple factors at one of her former practices. I think as young physicians, we are instructed or even, at times, condemned for expressing our dissatisfaction with our current employer. This mainly stems from fear of being labeled as entitled or demanding, but I genuinely think it’s a way to silence such discourse. Dr. Patel will give insight on identifying when it is time to resign to protect yourself from further unaddressed burnout in the workplace.

Kinna Patel, DPM: Chronic stress levels exhibit links to comorbidities such as heart disease.² We as providers are typically aware of the potential stress load when deciding to embark on this path in health care. It is no surprise that medical school is a stressful process, followed by residency, then full-time practice, which is also stressful. However, there are some stressors that we can control and some that we cannot. We must become proficient advocates for ourselves to manage stress effectively.

I have practiced for seven years in various parts of the country. At this time, I am extremely satisfied with my work experiences overall. Yes, there were days that I felt highly stressed. I can also recall plenty of moments of improvement. Broadly speaking, I felt like I could always treat patients in the way I wanted to care for them, enjoy a remarkable work-life balance, and come into work excited to be there, which is why I signed up for this career path.

However, one work setting experience in particular stands out. Thankfully, I wasn’t a novice physician when I joined this practice, so I was well equipped to notice some distinct signs causing chronic stress at the workplace. Young physicians specifically, please adhere to the following sentence as best as possible: Your gut is usually right; if you feel like you are being taken advantage of, do not be afraid to stand up for yourself or resign!

I was in a practice where continuous mistruths were common; there was a high turnover rate of support staff, bonus structures were not appropriately tracked, and even not dispensed at times. There was often a lack of assistance where I became not only the physician, but also the medical assistant. This included turning over my rooms, answering calls, and scheduling my patient appointments. I was afraid to ask for vacation days owed to me because the owner would find reasons to deny my requests. I did not receive reimbursement for continuing medical education despite stipulations as such in my contract. During a critical need, I found my health insurance canceled without any notification. As a practice, the electronic medical records system changed three times in less than a two-year period, which often led to delays in billings and payouts.

These factors made it unpleasant to work, which slipped into me not enjoying personal time outside of work anymore because the stress carried over. That’s when I knew I had to resign. Over the course of my last year at the practice, I continuously and politely voiced my concerns, asked for help, began to bring up breached contractual obligations, even discussing these issues with my malpractice insurance. Their recommendation was to leave as soon as legally possible. I love being a podiatrist. That environment had taken that simple pleasure away from me. However, it was not my profession that caused the stress. Rather, the culture of that specific practice caused me increased anxiety about practicing podiatric medicine and surgery. I needed to break the cycle. This experience is now in my past, and I am proud to share this with readers so that others can identify signs of unaddressed workplace burnout.

My favorite quote is, “If you’re not happy where you are, move! You’re not a tree.” Unlike trees, our roots are not so deep that we cannot remove a specific person or job that is diminishing our mental or physical health daily. That doesn’t mean that you leave the moment something goes wrong. That means you actively take steps to correct the wrongs, whether that means speaking up, talking to your malpractice insurance or colleagues for further insight, or being persistent about the changes you require to practice in a healthy environment. You have to give it time to correct, and if it doesn’t, at least you can say you tried everything before leaving. 

Dr. Johnson is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes-Podiatry (MEND) at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Kinna Patel, DPM, currently practices in Atlanta, GA, and enjoys mentoring young professionals. One may contact her at drkinnapatel@gmail.com or @drkaypatel.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Podiatry Today or HMP Global, their employees and affiliates. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, association, organization, company, individual, anyone or anything.

References

1. Kelly J. Unless we future-proof healthcare, study shows that by 2025, 75% of healthcare workers will leave the profession. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/03/15/unless-we-future-proof-healthcare-study-shows-that-by-2025-75-of-healthcare-workers-will-leave-the-profession/?sh=7a2d98c52bcb. Published March 16, 2022. Accessed April 29, 2022.

2. Tawakol A, Ishai A, Takx RA, et al. Relation between resting amygdalar activity and cardiovascular events: a longitudinal and cohort study. Lancet. 2017;389(10071):834-845