AAHPM Spring Quarterly : Page 14Figure 1. Career Satisfaction in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied: 3% Dissatisfied: 1% Figure 2. Likeliness to Recommend a Career in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Neither Likely nor Unlikely: 6% Unlikely: 1% Satisfied: 30% Very Satisfied: 66% Likely: 29% Very Likely: 64% Extremely Dissatisfied: 0% Extremely Unlikely: 0% From Physician Compensation and Benefits Survey—2010 Report. © 2011 by AAHPM. Michelle Weckmann, MD, physician and assistant profes-sor at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), has an unusual background, with board certifications in family medicine and psychiatry as well as hospice and palliative medicine. She dedicates 70% of her working hours to research, with a particular focus on delirium in cancer patients. The rest of her time is divided between hospice associate medical director duties at Iowa City Hospice and staffing the UIHC inpatient palliative care service 4 days a month. “I’ve always been interested in hospice and palliative medicine,” she says. “I struggled to figure out my identity, but now I’m a hospice and palliative physician who just happens to do research. I wanted to be able to impact more people,” she explains. Research offers more flexible scheduling than her days on service, which can be diffi-cult with two young children at home. “I’m not sure I could do palliative care in this setting full time. It’s incredibly rewarding—but also exhausting.” It should be possible to work compassionately, without tak-ing on patients’ suffering, Dr. Weckmann says. “But you are exposed to so many raw emotions. Plus, as a consul-tant, I’m not always able to advocate for what I believe is best for the patient, because that’s not what the referring physician wants, and that doctor, ultimately, is my client,” she points out. “I have the privilege of working with patients at very inti-mate times in their lives and asking them very intimate questions. It’s a source of awe and wonder that people let me in. It’s a huge responsibility, but the fact that I can come in at these times and potentially make things bet-ter for them is incredible,” Dr. Weckmann says. “Having that attitude can make this work incredibly rewarding, not stressful. Yes, some patients really touch me, but it makes me cherish the things I have in my life.” Publication List Using a screen reader? Click Here |
