Your Impact: Online Therapy for Physicians

What you do matters. Taking care of people may not seem significant to you but it is. If you don’t do it, who will? You know there is a physician shortage going on right? With that said, it may feel like what you do doesn’t matter. It may feel small and insignificant. If it’s not on the biggest scale, does it even matter? Your contributions matter, no matter how small it may feel.

Last year, I went to the American Academy of Pediatrics conference in Orlando. One of the keynote speakers talked about how you, the physician, make a difference and where those differences can be felt. The speaker broke it down into three different areas. Those three areas are the national, state, and local level.

The National Level

The national level is the biggest stage. What you do here affects the entire nation. This includes getting involved with national professional organizations like the AAP or the American Medical Association, advocacy and lobbying, conducting and publishing research in peer-reviewed journals, or even running for public office. One can influence policy and healthcare systems.

The State Level

On the state level, you can shape the policies that directly impact healthcare practices in your state. You could take on a leadership role with your state level organization. You could work with state legislators to influence bills related to healthcare. You could even run for state government positions. You can also get on advisory boards or task forces that guide public health policy. 

The Local Level

On the local level, most physicians focus on improving the health of the community they live in. You can be a leader at the local public health department or community organizations. You can be involved with school and youth activities. You participate in health screenings, lead educational workshops, and run wellness fairs. You could mentor the next generation of medical students and early-career physicians.

Many physicians that I work with only focus on the local level and working within their community. And that is okay. Many of the physicians I work with actually only focus on the direct care of their patients. And that is okay. You don’t need to make an impact on the national and state level when you are making an impact on the local community. 

A big challenge many physicians face is staying in their lane. Many have been trained to go above and beyond. Many physicians want to make that biggest change on a bigger scale but don’t have the bandwidth to make that a reality. Many physicians are spreading themselves too thin and don’t have realistic expectations of themselves. 

You don’t need to spread yourself thin. You don’t need to stretch yourself to the point of breaking. What you do need to hear is that what you are doing is making a difference, no matter what level you are contributing to. What you do matters.

Give yourself grace. Keep going. You got this. 

Reach out for Online Therapy

If you’re ready to explore how online therapy can help you make meaningful changes in your life, reach out for a free consultation with Chris Rabanera. Offering online therapy in California, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, and Utah, I specialize in addressing physician burnout, grief counseling, anxiety, depression and providing tailored mental health treatment for men. Let’s get to work to make lasting positive changes.