I love going to work each day. Many things make work a pleasure, while others are best described as “irritating.” In the end, the positive items far outweigh the negative ones. This editorial will outline the 10 things that make my work days pleasant but, unlike the Letterman list, ranked in the order of their importance. Next month I will describe the 10 irritants that accompany my job. I would be happy to hear from others about the positive or negative events in their daily work routine.
Number 1: Personal interactions before, during, and after work with family members and friends. E-mail makes it possible to stay in touch with family and friends with rapid communications that do not interfere with the usually hectic work schedule.
Number 2: Because I work at a university hospital, I have contact throughout the day with young, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable students, residents, and fellows. Every one of these interactions, usually involving patient care but, at times, related to manuscript preparation, is a sheer delight. These contacts convince me that the next generation of physicians will grow and increase our profession’s contributions to society in the future.
Number 3: I am often the attending physician of record on our coronary care unit, cardiology consult, and internal medicine ward services. It is no surprise that many of our patients are critically ill. The recovery of a patient whose life was in real jeopardy brings a moment of joy into my life and the lives of the trainees with whom I work.
To read this article in its entirety, please visit our website.
— Joseph S. Alpert, MD, editor-in-chief, The American Journal of Medicine
This article originally appeared in the August 2011 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
