Primary Care Doctors Report Burn Out

With flu season surging, RSV sending many sick children to the hospital, and Covid-19 still very present, primary care physicians are feeling run down. NBC Medical Fellow Dr. Akshay Syal reports on how doctors are combatting their emotional and physical distress as fears grow over a “tripledemic.”
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#NBCNews #Doctor #Burnout

[@ShapewearUSA]

Everyone needs rest. I can understand the burnout. I have been burned out before and I don't even work in health care. I hope these doctors get some relief.

[@swsarah]

I'm a counselor in a primary care facility. It's not just the physicians burnt out. It's the nurse/ nurse practitioner, the medical assistant, the front desk, the case manager, even the volunteer. It's waiting months to be seen after the initial referral, and we get to hear the complaints.

[@deborahwhit118]

Then find a different job cry baby 🍼

[@dicktipton5912]

Rightfully so. You guys get paid ridiculous amounts. Poor care, Don't listen and absurd patient costs. Cry harder.

[@darrensmith4394]

Just keep taking your booster shots and shut up

[@billyyank5807]

Probably because you make people wait months to be seen.

[@annat6249]

@@billyyank5807 although it may or not be related to this topic but what you said is true. My son doctor appointment is 2 months out. If he get sick, they tell him to go to urgent care who have no history of him. Urgent care have an attitude to fix it without any history. My son was given strong antibiotics which later 3 other doctors against that decision

[@salmahke670]

Thank you Nbc for speaking for us health care workers. Health care system in US is collapsing in front of our eyes So many leeches and parasites not involved in direct patient care are destroying health care.

[@jimdoe3288]

Thank you NBC for lying about the RNA vaccine and how it doesn't stop covid or the spread... You got vaccinated and kept your job right ? . Others got laid off or quit over the fake vaccine...

[@cesspooljunkie1573]

All democrats serve the Antichrist, sweetie The number of the beast in scripture is unfolding

[@barbaram5787]

My area has been losing Dentists and Eye Care doctors too. I've asked at the offices about it and have been told they are over worked and stressed. A very sad situation for all.

[@brailrice]

@@barbaram5787 is this the results of vaccine mandates and the loss of jobs for those who didn’t comply?

[@barbaram5787]

@@brailrice No one at the offices I asked at said anything about those mandates. I have family members that work in places that had mandates and it wasn't a problem for them.

[@celestedemure9800]

Another symptom of how awful the for-profit healthcare system is. You have to overbooked yourself to account for any cancellations or any mishap with planning etc. because these companies are actually for-profit businesses, and the goal is to always turn a profit. The people that do the actual physical labor are always the ones that suffer. It’s just these aren’t coal mines or factories. These laborers being overworked could actually cause life and death consequences due to being rushed to get to the next patient or just plain tired. Let’s not forget doctors have some of the highest student debt. And while they make more money typically, they also spend a lot of money in their certifications and recertification training licenses, malpractice insurance both individual as well as whatever their company might pay. Also a lot of people that are doctors are expected to keep a certain appearance as well and that can also be financially burdening. Being spread thin is also why would we go to her appointment sometime we can end up spending an hour in the waiting room after our appointment time for them to catch up. My primary care doctor not telling me about my first mammogram results in which I had lumps. Thank God we found out they were just in completely benign. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be leaving this comment most likely.

[@LL-bl8hd]

We need universal healthcare NOW. No more millionaire insurance and hospital CEOs.

[@mimi-ur8pc]

We had the greatest health care in the world until Obama Care made it socialist.

[@Colt-ii4qn]

I’m off Obamacare soon thank God , I’ve had to pay some big out of pockets. Don’t have any hospital stays you’ll max out quick 👎

[@guillermoelnino]

I would like to introduce y ou to the wonderful program that will be coming to the US... MAiD.

[@mikeslife5941]

I work in healthcare these doctors and nurses and cna’s work so hard it’s good to see them get credit and recognition

[@Machistmo]

And people are angry about others wearing masks. How did we get here?

[@carolinallado9012]

The problem is management short staffed scheduling, 15 min for appointments for complexity is ridiculous, its all about money, never finding solutions to problems, not allowing time off, healthcare work deserve free healthcare and free mental health and mental health accessible, there are multi layered issues with healthcare but a big root of the problem starts with management

[@ribsandbbqbeef]

All physicians are burned out (esp ER docs, hospitalists, & intensivists in addition to primary care) ! They’re retiring early if they can, or quitting to do something else. Good luck seeing a real physician in the future. You’ll probably end up seeing some mid level nurse practitioner.

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

Yeah, all that college education and they have to quit....too bad

[@ashvandal5697]

Good luck seeing a real nurse practitioner in the future too many of them are doing everything they can to cut back and get out too. Good luck having a real nurse in a hospital take care of you many of them are doing everything they can to either get out, get an office job, or go be a nurse practitioner. Good luck getting a real CNA to help you out literally no one wants to do that job for the money they make anymore. Good luck getting … you know what… just good luck getting health care in the future. Cooperate greed, waste, and terrible policy regarding the entire system is incredibly broken, and the whole system will probably collapse into a third world health care system, except for the super rich. Probably as intended.

[@ccharles848]

I’m a respiratory therapist at a Children’s hospital in SoCal. We are so burned out and cold/flu/RSV/COVID is out of control! We are short staffed and the census is very high! Our ER has a 6-8 hour wait all the time now and people are leaving without care for their children due to these awful wait times!

[@Loveandkindness33]

Are you at CHOC? I’m in Laguna Niguel and just had to recently take my newborn into the one by MV mall. It was a war zone!

[@ccharles848]

@@Loveandkindness33 nope. Not CHOC. I sure hope your kiddo is doing better. 🥰

[@BabyBang17datruth]

Any crisis RT contracts on the horizon?

[@reneedaniel2881]

Sounds like a IHS facility on the reservations, long waits and bare minimum.

[@ccharles848]

@@BabyBang17datruth definitely!

[@drtij_dzienz]

Getting therapy sounds like a great way to double your malpractice premiums, be denied life insurance, take on new stigmata like that

[@jeanetteschock4744]

I broke my humerus couldn't see a Dr for 36 hours because of non vaccinated patients. And trolls stay away.

[@genxx2724]

Nobody should have to wait behind non-vaccinated patients or obese patients. They cause their own illness.

[@jeanetteschock4744]

@@genxx2724 thank you. I'm doing well, fortunately. Have a safe holiday season

[@genxx2724]

@@jeanetteschock4744 In 2013 I was hit by a car and broke my hip. I had to wait 24 hours for a 15-minute surgery, in agony and full of morphine. They wouldn’t prioritize a trauma over a hip replacement. The hospital is a business with a full schedule of elective surgeries, and they forced me to endure third-world suffering.

[@jeanetteschock4744]

@@genxx2724 I hope your better. I joked that after my surgery with my beautiful new scar I'd get the Halloween fake blood and zombie make-up

[@genxx2724]

@@jeanetteschock4744 I recovered, thank you. I hope you’re fine and have a beautiful holiday season.

[@rongracilla6164]

More than therapy, we need to gut the Insurance Companies and All for Profit Hospital Systems who sacrifice compassion, human limits and care for the almighty dollar. End Health Care For Profit NOW!!!

[@truth4tufftimes705]

The chimes are extremely cringy!!! Can’t watch this show!!!!

[@raykahn455]

Imagine what would happen if you let people whom want to be doctors study for free or even let them pay it back gradually rather than suffer the burdens of cost upfront. It's almost as we need as many of these people as possible but we don't make it any easier for them to get there.

[@20D0D0]

I work at Starbucks and experience burnout out when someone orders 8 frappaccinos, but I never stopped to consider that someone would be experiencing burnout from performing 8 heart transplants😢

[@InTheNameOfLife1]

Well that’s perspective for you lol

[@genxx2724]

It’s the sugary frappuccinos that contribute to people’s hearts being ruined. You’re part of the corporate processed food-medical industrial complex. Diabesity is big business.

[@LL-bl8hd]

😆🤭

[@genxx2724]

A glass of iced coffee with cream and stevia is harmless. But it doesn’t taste like a Frappuccino.

[@robfreeman5783]

Volume. Volume RAMMED down our throats. The visits, the documentation, the messages, the lab results, the prior auths. Oh yea, and the imaging results, death certs, refills, and disability forms. The nursing home forms. All of it hundreds of items per day. Every day. Whether we're "on vacation" or not. Come back from a week off and it's piled high to the ceiling. I listen to the triage nurse down the hall, when I have an open spot on my schedule and a chance to catch up on notes/messages. "Sure we can see you for your toenail fungus Dr. ___ has an opening at 1 PM we'll plug you right in." Goodbye break. Our companies are paid based on volume. Just ram them in. No one comprehends what it is like outside of primary care and those in primary care who are bought into it don't want to admit how bad and ridiculous it is because of the cognitive dissonance. It's a charade. A farce. A travesty. Owned by corporations and insurance companies and governments. This is not "burnout." It is MORAL INJURY. Look it up. We're good people and we work hard, but this is not compatible with our principles. It has to change.

[@judithjermark3367]

If primary care doctors feel burned out, how do they think their patients feel?

[@mikemiers2580]

You think this is just doctors. Lmao. Im in medical field. Some patients are some of the nastiest people. You go to work and try to be kind and are confronted by mean people and have to put a smile on your face. I hate my job. Im tired of taking care of people that are rude.

[@amandahuginkiss627]

Very true!

[@erikborg5497]

Amen. I can't wait to quit. System was broken before the pandemic. It is too much to bear for everyone.

[@nothereyetlost]

The demonism of Conservatives

[@elizabethbrauer1118]

As you know, it works both ways. Mean doctors (and nurses) taught me to fight back. And I know more about it than you - I was raised by the meanest nurse you could imagine. And she hated doctors, too.

[@hmxr715]

@@elizabethbrauer1118 yes, I know. I met her.👺

[@zeeprince9879]

Just think a $2 mask could have saved millions 😷

[@RoyelNotRoyal]

Common sense isn’t common now a days. Just think dude I’m a respiratory therapist and people say there’s more then two genders and society promotes it and suppresses free speech. Trust me we know

[@genxx2724]

Closing the borders back then, too. As well as actually enforcing stay-at-home.

[@darrensmith4394]

@@genxx2724 and getting them pesky homeless virus spreading people off the streets. If you're going to go full blown Hitler go all the way.

[@genxx2724]

@@darrensmith4394 That’s exactly what California did. It put them up in hotels, one to a room, with food delivered. It’s sad that you see pandemic measures as Nazi, Snowflake. You’re going to have a hard life.

[@darrensmith4394]

@@genxx2724 I'm 57, retired, unvaxed and have a great immune system. Immune system, know what that is? Didn't think so. It's nice that California has solved its homeless problem. Out country is doomed with creatures like you inhabiting our society. You poor clueless soul

[@florinafernandes9276]

Thank you NBC for recognizing caregiver burnout in healthcare. Therapy is helpful, but only when you have time to get it.

[@MG-jj3pn]

Nurses are as well Barely up for air after pandemic over crowding

[@fahdh]

So for physicians, it isn't so much the patients complaining which leads to burnout; that is just the cherry on top. I would say it is mostly the sheer amount of work. After 4 years of college and 4 years of medical school, we have 3-7+ years of residency, during which we work 60-100+ hours a week (surgeons usually 70-120ish, at least in the first few years); and this is while making 50-90k per year, which is the equivalent of minimum wage or below minimum wage on a per hours basis. After that, we get our post-residency jobs, saddled with an average of $2-300,000 in debt. In primary care, generally hours are not as bad (35-45 hours per week of clinic), but the issue is the after hours work. Many go home and work for a few more hours every day, so in reality it might be 45-55 hours per week. This amount of work is unique to physicians, in particular residency; no other profession in healthcare requires 60-100+ hours of work at that salary for 3-7+ years.

[@yoyoschmo1]

I’m beyond burned out

[@roadhousepress]

Seriously? They do not work in hospitals .. that is a hospitalist. And its the nurse and nurse practitioners and physicians assistants that do the hands on and get burned out. I can’t even see my PC without 3-6 month wait.

[@7Karis]

Lord Jesus, please give these workers all of your strength to carry on until they alleviate their burdens .

[@fadmap9676]

Now they know how nurses feel 24/7 365

[@b.robins7305]

Absolutely normalizing going to therapy is important and necessary to help everyone cope with recent years.

[@robfreeman5783]

yea. therapy. that'll fix it.

[@Kevin_geekgineering]

we should help doctors and nurses they are all we have for our health care

[@jakkeni7212]

What a shock!

[@michaelSlick50]

Very understandable. Be considerate to your doctors or they may not be there for you later. But in reality, any person working in a field that they are good at can be in that same situation, not just doctors. We should all be mindful of saying no and keeping a reasonable workload to continue to be there for others by not suffering burnout.

[@billyyank5807]

I have no sympathy for them. Apparently they wanted a cake job and no workload....now they have to work and are whining. Go figure.

[@mastabali]

This is a hilarious take. It's called greed and entitlement of priveleged people. The average GP Salary in this area is $419k/yr. Cry me a river that they might have to actually work for it.

[@victoriamahon3765]

It’s not just doctors as many of your essential in front line workers. Caregivers and other similar positions are also burnt out right now. It’s a bad situation with no easy solution in some cases. These jobs can be stressful to begin with, I have been running nonstop since 2020, and there are staffing issues leaving the employees that are there to take on more work in the same amount of time. It hasn’t stopped for two years straight. :(

[@thomaskim5008]

Just work less hours.

[@HeartDocAndrew]

"Primary Care Doctors Report Burn Out" so let's otherwise "Convince It Forward"

[@krys1075]

My psychology professor says ppl in this type of service work field (medical/lawyers/etc) need to seek a positive coping mechanism like therapy and such in order to handle staying long in this field .

[@dianeyoung8068]

It would make sense that a psychology professor might think that therapy is the cure all for burnout but it is not everyone's solution.

[@genxx2724]

I bet he does.

[@user9b2]

Blame the government, blame yourself for have such a crazy poor healthcare system in the country.

[@AustinJones-r9n]

It's a lot of sick families in the United states

[@BL-no7jp]

I’m seeing a shortage crisis of professional workers in general past a 4 year degree because of the drop in college enrollment largely due to predatory loans for college. We have no one but ourselves to blame for voting for this country’s crisis without foresight. Im 65 and I can’t wait for Generation Z to take over our government. Just reinstate the CETA program to give everyone the opportunity to achieve their highest goals. It worked for me in the 1970’s and it also increased my tax contributions with higher income.

[@PaulHo]

I want to feel for them, but my surgeon barely spends 5 minutes with me.

[@hatchetman3662]

I'm burned out from not being able to afford to see a doctor for multiple illnesses that I can't even get a diagnosis for. Meanwhile, I struggle to have food and other basic necessities. I'm sure they're really struggling inside their luxury cars, parked in the 10 car garage behind their mansions. Excuse me, while I cry for their plight.

[@savedbygrace5977]

Oh! What the power of prayer can do! Seek God and all these things will be added to you.

[@amysteele9778]

You are a special person.hang in there.

[@MrHailteam]

probably sick and tired of having to lie to everybody

[@TaxReligionNow]

Theres never enough doctors or RNs and the cost of training/educating has been ever on the rise. It's really done a lot of damage to the overall expertise. PC doctors don't even want to collaborate on complex conditions. More often than not you leave with no diagnosis at all. They only want to focus on the _easy to treat_ and disregard severe long term disparities. So much goes unresolved. I have so many complaints about my care its hard to know who to talk to. Specialists are often overpriced parodies of medicine now(they literally call yoga and wellness programs "pain management"). Its lead to a lot of waste and abuse. Overtly privatized for profits that only go to administration isn't encouraging for doctors to be thorough or professional. They just want as many appts as possible rather than actually examining severe or long term conditions. They've chosen quantity over quality and something tells me that wasn't by the choice of doctors or nurses.

[@js6728]

You mean EM Doctors. Hospice Doctors. Why there is still a shortage. Body, and lots of reasons why, kinda like bread and other stuff.

[@AustinJones-r9n]

Also to it's a lot of sick people cus there unaware of what's going on

[@jaklg7905]

Too many babies are getting RSV now. Babies should be at home and not exposed to all of these illnesses so early in life. The US is failing our children in so many ways. We need paid parental leave and more support for new parents. Love the fetus, hate the child seems to be the mentality here.

[@robertbolton9450]

Bad diet

[@christasixx2369]

Not to take away from the medical field at all but is anyone not burned out on work???

[@Mando_Trucker]

Respiratory infections will wipe out humans one day.

[@jzisers]

They should let the U.S. Army combat medic take over so they can let the doc take a break.

[@RussInGA]

Drs no longer make the crazy money they used to. Sure good money but there are LOTS of other ways to make that much. And it is getting worse. The big healthcare groups are contributing to this greatly. And our overly burdensome insurance, torte and regulatory system makes it nearly impossible to operate an independent practice. Not to mention monopolistic practices by the big healthcare organizations. Completely broken system. We are becoming the most expensive and least effective medical system on the planet. It is like we got all the bad parts of a socialized healthcare system and none of the good parts. Failure. Make an appointment. They can see you in a couple months about that growth. Maybe

[@ritsukoakagi2000]

They should be paid more. Increase salaries by $100,000, they’re worth that and more. You’ll see more interest in the field if the pay is adjusted. This 1% holding the majority of the wealth isn’t working anymore it’s draining the world like pulling a plug from a bath. We need reform.

[@New777World]

I disagree with you on that! look at other countries like mexico dr. are paid 4times less than the us and are more proactively caring for their patients seeking the problem without milking their options just to find the original problem. i’ve heard many stories of friend and coworkers running to mexico in the border and found their diagnosis problem when US dr.s are in their 5th visit attempt. some us dr.s have been sue due to negligence practice! paying dr. more si not the solution! i think big farmau organization have a lot to do with dr. burning out also the fear dr. being sued is a big contributor factor in the US

[@ritsukoakagi2000]

@@New777World I’m not trying to disagree, but inflation is so beyond out of control at this point in the US. Doctors salaries are really not cutting it. But I will admit i don’t know what the inflation rate in Mexico is. There are also about 335,000,000 people in the US compared to about 130,000,000 people in Mexico. So maybe the doctors are more relaxed there cause they don’t have an ridiculously large population.

[@New777World]

@@ritsukoakagi2000 so that mean’s US need more doctors per population quota not more pay because information! as inflation in itself affects the whole working population not just doctors! if you pay more money to a burned out doc that’s not gona magically give him revitalize power to do better at his job it’s only going to make it worse now because he’s expected to work harder because his paid more!

[@judithsullivan9703]

stop with the "poor" doctor routine..... they do NO direct care. they are paid very well Nurse practitioners make less and give better comprehensive care. grow up America

[@u.s.family9279]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@guillermoelnino]

Shouldn't of sold y ou r soul to pfizer.

[@WhateverIwannaupload]

I can't play RuneScape 8 hours a day and I play for fun and I am willing to play for the grind. How can doctors do that? Better yet how do adults that have worked for 20+ years wake up and go to work everyday for 8 hours a day for that long. This has to have deep consequences for the productivity of the workplace and the economy too.

[@beng4647]

I've never met a doctor who had a clue.

[@elizabethbrauer1118]

I wanted to see a PCP this week. I was given an appt with a MD who went to medical school in the Caribbean. I said no thank you - I will treat myself.

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

Why would that matter....I have a wonderful doctor from Jamaica that actually is very hands on and attentive....Dr. T

[@saprissa9]

That seems to be your problem. That doesn't mean he's dumb.

[@BabyBang17datruth]

The fact he/she was able to become a practicing MD shouldn’t matter what school they went to. They had to go through residency here.

[@genxx2724]

@@BabyBang17datruth They couldn’t get into medical school here. That’s the concern. Although these days with grade inflation and gaming the system, idk if it matters anymore. It might mean they’re less corrupt and they didn’t have helicopter parents demanding teachers and professors give them higher grades.

[@PedsDr]

Have you ever thought that some people that go to a Caribbean medical school are actually from the Caribbean?Regardless, they come to this country and they go through the same residency as US medical students (but they are required to have higher scores on their licensing exams to be accepted into residency).

[@ajax7ox729]

There just a bunch of quiet quiters

[@cheebawobanu]

I twas told Obama's ACA was going to fix everything.

[@BlackyBrownDestruction9337]

God got you all back for the abuse we patients endured during our care

[@bradleypollack5658]

They are about the only ones that can buy a track home in the United States anymore. They make too much money to be burnt out!!

[@PedsDr]

Primary care doctors (pediatrics and family medicine) do not make much money and they still have to pay for malpractice insure and repay med school loans. Adult specialists are the ones that make money.

[@JohnDoe-wy7py]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mikek545]

Everyone gets burnt out. Big deal

[@lucasnew8316]

So when the regular guy is working outside 12-15 hours a day winter summer like crazy for 50-60 years and he is not complaining making 150-200 dollars paying for launch gas Bill's not complaining and doctors inside vacation paid ac heat coffee complaining w.t.f

[@andremacgregor1396]

Yesterday I was watching CNN NEWS, Binance CEO was talking about how investors and traders can make millions. And he recommended an expert called Lawrence Hite please can someone tell me more about his trading services..?

[@wallacefelix9548]

Note I didn't invest only in one income crypto combine with bonds investment with Lawrence Hite is the best decision anyone can make.I started with $200k anyone can start with little as you can loose depends on what you want.🇱🇷

[@kahlanelaine9265]

I think I'm blessed because if not I wouldn't have met someone who is as spectacular as expert Mr Lawrence Hite I think he is the best broker I ever seen

[@cliffordoscar9043]

The crypto market is highly profitable with an expert broker just like Mr Lawrence Hite I got recommended to him and since then my financial life has been a success.

[@lisayuan8036]

WhatsApp>>>Messenger👆👆👆

[@lisayuan8036]

Oh yeah he is always active on Whats-app APK🇺🇲

[@drwhowhatwhere]

The United States pays twice the amount per person than any other industrial country and yet is 39th in overall health...?!?

[@jhhgg7318]

Yet in the worlds deadliest pandemic they had time for choreographed dances on tiktok and ellen lol

[@thomaskim5008]

Just work less hours.