The darker side of being a doctor
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
A surgeon details how administrative overload and loss of control fuel burnout and despair.
Surgeon Eric Levi describes three causes of his dark seasons: loss of control (24/7 on-call for 12 of 14 days, sleeping in his car), loss of support (impossible schedules, overbooked lists, 70 calls in 24 hours), and loss of meaning (medicine reduced to business metrics like 14-minute tonsillectomy timers). He notes doctors who seek help risk practice restrictions or probation. The article references the suicide of Brisbane gastroenterologist Dr. Andrew Bryant.
What commenters are saying
Commenters debate privatization's role: some argue healthcare should not be profit-driven, others note that Australia has mixed public/private systems yet a doctor still died. Several criticize the 'hero mentality' that lets hospitals understaff. A commenter highlights the system's hyperoptimization, citing the 14-minute tonsillectomy billed at $10,000, and questions the safety of sleep-deprived surgeons.