Jack Ma, the former CEO of Alibaba, recently made the press over his support of work days from 9 am to 9 pm and 6 days a week. This is so strongly criticized in the press calling this 996 mentality terrible for the workers. I had to sit down with myself and realize I am normally 776+ (7 am to 7 pm 6 days a week) to get my work done, the plus being some work that can remain to do on Sundays. Medical school in most instances selects very hard workers in college that can obtain good grades in a pre-med environment. That work ethic or obsession or drive gets you through the next decade of medical school, internship, residency and starting a practice. It is the doctor's basic personality which greatly rewards the doctor financially and emotionally. But, over the years, that work ethic can beat you down. The burn out rate of doctors is extremely high today. The demands in my mind seem less related to patient care and more related to paperwork and other expectations. Before the business takeover of medicine which started over 30 years ago, and has only gotten worse, my practice of medicine was 80% patient care, 10% research, and 10% paperwork (865+). Now my practice of medicine is 50% patient care, 50% paperwork (or computer work), and research or blogging is left the time I really should be relaxing. I have no solution, but the next time you see your doctor, give them a little hug if you are inclined (we hug in San Francisco).
