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President’s Letter
Heed Your Muse
By Stephen J. Ezzo, MD
Physician burnout. Two words that all too often we see pen and paper to release the needed endorphins. (Interesting note: A
together, and when is it ever good news? The data shows new book reveals that Melville’s muse for writing “Moby Dick” was
physician burnout is not only increasing, but also beginning a married woman with whom he had an affair. I’m quite certain I
earlier, often in medical school. can find inspiration elsewhere.)
I am not an expert on the topic, nor do I pretend to be one. Surprising, 3. It connects us further to our patients. Regardless of what
your passion is, I guarantee you will discover patients who share it,
since I tend to act like I know everything about everything. There are and this will deepen your relationship with them and allow you to
provide better care.
volumes written about burnout yearly, and numerous groups are ready 4. It is a perfect lead-in for your next chapter. When it’s time to
take down your shingle, having your muse primed and ready will
to provide resources to combat this malady, including our state medical allow the transition to life after medicine go much more smoothly.
society and our two local healthcare organizations. You’ve found your muse, but now you need not only to cultivate it
but have it fit into your personal and professional life. Lucky for you,
So, while I don’t know a whole lot, I know one thing that works I have some thoughts on this.
A true muse is for me, and my bet Set aside time for your muse. It may not always be the same time
one that, when is you have a similar with our schedules, but look ahead and see when you can dedicate
you engage it, opportunity. Simply put: an hour or two.
I heed my muse.
Make your muse easy to embrace. During those “non-muse”
What exactly is a times, if an idea strikes, get it down on paper. Don’t count on
muse? It’s that recurring remembering it later. I keep a pad on my nightstand, as I find some
of my best ideas come in the nether world that leads into sleep. I also
the time passes voice in your head keep one on my office desk.
unnoticed and all telling you, “Don’t
too quickly. ignore me! Let me out! When your muse screams, act! Normally my muse comes to me
We can do wonderful on little cat feet, but those rare times when it roars, I listen. Usually
things together!” Now I the results are pretty cool.
imagine most of us have
Engage in activities that complement your muse. For me, reading
many thoughts of this infuses and informs my writing. It also allows me to steal snippets of
others’ works unabashedly, including one in the last paragraph.
type bouncing around
Practice, practice, practice. You will get better. The most
owing to our varied interests. But a true muse is one that, when you important key is to get it down so you can see/hear/feel it. Then you
can refine.
engage it, the time passes unnoticed and all too quickly. The sense
Explore the various avenues of your muse. Writing these letters
of accomplishment is deeper and more fulfilling. As Norman Bates has provided the opportunity for me to write in genres I would not
have attempted, as I was challenged to provide fresh and varied
once said in the movie Psycho, “A hobby should pass the time, not viewpoints. If you play rock, try jazz (sometimes it is not just noise).
fill it.” 1 He was talking about taxidermy, and not dressing up as his Learn to accept praise. There will be times when you and
your muse will create something that touches others. When they
dead mother. compliment you, don’t shrug it off in false modesty. Be as sincere in
your thanks as they are in their appreciation.
If you have been following along this past year, you probably can
But don’t take yourself too seriously. Enjoy this for what it is —
guess that writing is my muse. While I try to be well-rounded and a chance to grow and explore, not set the world on fire. Whenever I
feel like I am writing well, I go back to Flannery O’Connor and see
engage in a lot of activities, none of the others challenges me more, how it’s really done.
frustrates me more, yet, ultimately, rewards me more than writing. Consider using your talents as gifts. I cannot think of a better
way to tell those close to us what role they play in our lives, whether
It has been this way for as long as I can remember (a trait of a true through a story or poem or song or painting or basket.
muse is that it chooses you and not the other way around). Early on, Embrace technology. Or not. My neighbor spent almost one full
year researching online how to create a woodworking shop. The
it was finding satisfaction in arranging words in the proper sequence
that I felt best conveyed my ideas. Later came the storylines and
dialogues running their soundtracks through me, and I couldn’t turn it
off if I wanted to. Had I found a way, I would be a lesser man today.
So, how does a muse help with physician burnout? There are
myriad ways, but here are four key ones for me.
1. It breaks the grip of delayed gratification. You don’t need me
to tell you that physicians are the champs when it comes to this.
(My wife and I decided to buy a new couch three years ago. We’ve
yet to go shopping.) Unleashing this side of me almost serves as a
guilty pleasure.
2. It alleviates stress and the blues. Whenever I experience what
Melville called the “damp, drizzly November in my soul”2, I turn to
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