Every HCP who ever worked this crazy field had one battle they picked. This, of course, was the battle that brought them here.

                 You might have decided that you would dedicate your life to curing ills. You might have found an interest in medicine and made a personal choice to pursue it. Or you might simply have wanted the best for yourself and your loved ones. Any reason is a valid reason.

                 Regardless, there were significant trials to making it. It was almost like Don Quixote’s famous tilting with the windmill. But unlike him, you succeeded. You learned to settle into your saddle, hold your shield high, and lean in on your lance. And mostly it was watching the swirling arms of the windmill. Once you had the timing, it was only a matter of perseverance.

                 The problem is that some HCPs end up “working knights”; that is, they were so successful at one windmill that they go after every one in sight. Sure, charging one is easy, but two or three? Suddenly blades are coming at you from all sides. Sooner or later, you will be unhorsed.

                 Think of life. Think of the many windmills we face. First, there is the fight to be a HCP day in, day out. The long hours. The tough environment. And then, for most of you, there is the windmill of a personal life. We don’t want to allow our professional lives interfere with our private ones. So we end up between two windmills, trying to engage one while avoiding the dangers of the other. Tricky. Some days it seems like Sancho was the clever one – he hung back.

                 As Don Quixote, you might be great with tactics. But now it’s time to work on your strategy.

THE EXERCISE:

                 Tilt back your visor, oh Knight! Look over the horizon of the medical profession. Think about all the things you would like to change. Some of us want Managed Care to butt out of our lives and are willing to fight for that. Some of us want better care for our patients. We want to vanquish the malpractice crisis. What to do with the uninsured working poor? Some of us think of the neglect we’ve given our families and wish to ride against that fearsome monster.

                 Below, list seven windmills. For each one, write down one of the big battles facing you (as a HCP and a person). They are the wrongs you would like to right. They might be for the betterment of you, your family, or your society.

                 Now here’s the point. If you try to face them all at once, you will be picking grass out of your visor. If you choose to fight them all, you will be defeated by them all. If you choose none of them, you will continue to burn with anger about the decay of medicine. So you need to choose one.

                 I chose to make doctors better. Ever since I myself became burned-out by tilting at too many windmills simultaneously, I felt that someone had to teach HCPs to Turn Care Inwardä, to help other HCPs who might be losing their way. It was my mission; it is why I am here.

                 So take some time and think about it. After all, you are choosing your crusade. When you’ve figured out what your life mission will be, circle it.

                 Now figure out what you can do about it. As HCPs, society bestows a fair amount of stature on what we say. Do you want to use petitions, politics, or publicity? Letters to the editor, volunteerism…or perhaps start a business or organization? Write down your next actions, the three things you will do about your one windmill, here:

Remember, only one windmill at a time!

                 Good work. Now mount that steed, level that lance, and charge!

Patricia Raymond MD FACP FACG is a Virginia gastroenterologist who takes the personnel hemorrhage in medicine seriously, and herself lightly. Formerly fried by compassion fatigue, and a frankly cranky caregiver, Dr.Raymond writes and speaks on helping physicians and nurses to play nicely in the sandbox of medicine.

Her books, “Don’t Jettison Medicine” and the cult comedy anthology “Colonoscopy: It’ll Crack u Up” are available at www.RxForSanity.com, or you can hear her on streaming audio each Friday from 12-1 EST as she hosts NPR’s Housecalls challenging patients to step up and accept responsibility for their own health.

Contact her at PLRaymond@RxForSanity.com.

Get more on booking Dr. Raymond’s presentations for your hospital  at  Rx For Sanity

Pre and Post Colonoscopy Humor can be found at the quirky Colonoscopy: It’ll Crack u Up

Listen and call in to live streaming audio as Dr. Raymond teaches the public to accept responsibility for their own health Fridays 12-1 EST on NPR’s Housecalls with Dr. Pat Raymond

Dr Raymond’s patient-centered gastro practice