"The pandemic's been really tough, and I've had some issues with burnout. And to be honest with you, what's helped me the most is adding some diversity to my clinical practice.
Recently, I've been doing more telemedicine and I've had some really awesome interactions with patients -- specifically some patients that had a lot of vaccine hesitancy. I've been able to have some really great conversations and really meet the patient where they've been at and listen to their concerns and tailor my counseling to why I think the vaccine is a good idea for them. And it's been incredibly well received, and that has provided a lot of energy for me. That even somebody that is hesitant or initially even a little bit abrasive about hearing about the vaccine, they've generally softened.
These [patient] interactions have added a lot of fuel to my tank we really can make a difference by taking the time to educate our patients.
The other thing that I found really important is to talk with my colleagues when I'm having a hard time and sharing my stories with them and getting support for them.
So, hang in there. I am just thankful to be an emergency physician and have such great colleagues."
