Doctors look miserable

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
D

doraxplorer

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
59
Reaction score
3
Members do not see this ad.
Ok so I just started volunteering at a hospital. And from day 1 I've noticed that all the doctors look miserable. Their smiles don't reach their eyes, they look dead tired. There's this common aura of concentration and misery about them. Even in the cafeteria they seem miserable. There will be a whole table of them, and they will all look miserable. I'm just thinking...will I go from cheerful/normal --> miserable if I continue along this path?

On the other hand, docs at private practices seem much more lively in general.

So my question is, is it the hospital setting that makes docs miserable, or is it the profession itself?
 
doraxplorer said:
Ok so I just started volunteering at a hospital. And from day 1 I've noticed that all the doctors look miserable. Their smiles don't reach their eyes, they look dead tired. There's this common aura of concentration and misery about them. Even in the cafeteria they seem miserable. There will be a whole table of them, and they will all look miserable. I'm just thinking...will I go from cheerful/normal --> miserable if I continue along this path?

On the other hand, docs at private practices seem much more lively in general.

So my question is, is it the hospital setting that makes docs miserable, or is it the profession itself?
Click to expand...

Why do they look miserable? Cause they don't smile all day like a schmuck with Bermuda shorts and an ice cream cone somewhere in a mall?

38_BermudaShorts_Shaw.jpg


Most men don't constantly wear a smile or laugh at everything. In fact, doing so is the mark of a very weak, placative little boy.
 
Last edited:
I've spent some time trying to figure this out. The results... Most people hate their jobs. Not to mention being a doctor usually does tend to have harder hours. If your working in a private clinic you'll probably have a better life overall. But again they still tend to not to smile because it's a job.
 
At the place I go, half of the people look serious. Others seem pleasant.

Cafeteria. Are they supposed to put on a happy face for the random strangers there?
 
doraxplorer said:
Ok so I just started volunteering at a hospital. And from day 1 I've noticed that all the doctors look miserable. Their smiles don't reach their eyes, they look dead tired. There's this common aura of concentration and misery about them. Even in the cafeteria they seem miserable. There will be a whole table of them, and they will all look miserable. I'm just thinking...will I go from cheerful/normal --> miserable if I continue along this path?
Click to expand...
There are definitely some very happy and satisfied people in medicine, but I do think that there are a lot of people in the career who truly are unhappy.
There is a reason that non-clinical specialties like radiology and easy hour specialties like derm are the most competitive ones. The long hours and the stress of dealing with patients can be a grind for many people. This is why a lot of us will say that you should only go to med school if you can't picture yourself being happy and satisfied with anything else.
 
Interestingly enough the doctors at the Children's Hospital that I volunteer at seem to actually be relatively happy even though they're working long hours in the ER...
 
doraxplorer said:
Ok so I just started volunteering at a hospital. And from day 1 I've noticed that all the doctors look miserable. Their smiles don't reach their eyes, they look dead tired. There's this common aura of concentration and misery about them. Even in the cafeteria they seem miserable. There will be a whole table of them, and they will all look miserable. I'm just thinking...will I go from cheerful/normal --> miserable if I continue along this path?

On the other hand, docs at private practices seem much more lively in general.

So my question is, is it the hospital setting that makes docs miserable, or is it the profession itself?
Click to expand...

A lot of doctors ARE miserable. So what? If you love medicine and don't mind that life might be less "perfect" than you imagined it would be as a physician, you'll be fine. All that matters is that you're ready for this career...if you know what you're getting yourself into and still want it, you'll be happy.
 
that's funny..at the hospital where I volunteered, the doctors all seemed pretty happy and jovial...

On that note, all my cousins, with the exception of one, appear to be very happy at work. The other night, my cousin and I were talking and he mentioned "granted, there are some days when I just want to curse that patient to hell or hope they die so I'm not so miserable with him/her...but on most days, I am genuinely happy seeing my patients and knowing I make a difference in their lives..."
 
Just because you don't smile doesn't mean you're unhappy.
 
doraxplorer said:
On the other hand, docs at private practices seem much more lively in general.

So my question is, is it the hospital setting that makes docs miserable, or is it the profession itself?
Click to expand...

Remember - most private practices do not have residents. Hospitals are filled with them. Long hours, not so great pay, student loans calling, unpleasable attendings, SOs complaing of the long hours, so I can see why they may come across as unhappy.

As for docs being miserable - I've heard that rates of suicide for male physicians is 1.7 x that of the population and female physicians is 2.5 x. I also heard a huge number of interns (like 60%) have a major depressive episode. Is that a reflection of the field or the people that go into the field? Probably a little bit of both. While future doctors of america are growing up, most tended to be the over achieving best person they could be. Now they are surrounded by similar people and what used to make them 'special', is no longer that significance as everyone is like them. And there is definitely a lot of arrogance in the field. From everyone thinking they are important, or special, to people thinking their specialty is more important than yours, or that you call them on a consult that they deem unworthy of their time. Or that you must be more dumb than them as you called them for their opinion.
 
doraxplorer said:
Ok so I just started volunteering at a hospital. And from day 1 I've noticed that all the doctors look miserable. Their smiles don't reach their eyes, they look dead tired. There's this common aura of concentration and misery about them. Even in the cafeteria they seem miserable. There will be a whole table of them, and they will all look miserable. I'm just thinking...will I go from cheerful/normal --> miserable if I continue along this path?

On the other hand, docs at private practices seem much more lively in general.

So my question is, is it the hospital setting that makes docs miserable, or is it the profession itself?
Click to expand...

Do you see the same looks at the nearest Children's Hospital or in the pediatric wing of the University Hospital?
 
Did you try approaching them? Where I volunteer, many doctors "appear miserable" by your definition, but many of them are approachable, nice and friendly once you start talking to them. It doesn't necessarily mean they are all happy, but most of them certainly aren't miserable.
 
I think it also depends on where you work. I know some hospitals in my area are known to have better benefits, people are more lenient on hours, more physician teamwork, etc etc and doctors seem much happier there, compared to other places that have a less enjoyable atmosphere.
 
I just started working in a new ER in a ritzy suburb after coming from one in the city. I hate the show, but literally all of the docs look like theyre from Greys Anatomy or something. Theyre great doctors, but can still joke around and have a good time. Every time i send this one doc a phone call he gets all serious, stares at me and says "Bring it!" all hardcore, its hilarious.
 
Most of the docs I know seem pretty happy! And all of the ones I know work at hospitals....so it probably depends very much on how well the hospital is to its providers
 
oldbearprofessor said:
Do you see the same looks at the nearest Children's Hospital or in the pediatric wing of the University Hospital?
Click to expand...

Beat me to it.

I volunteer/shadow at a children's hospital and the docs/nurses always seem to be pretty upbeat. Even the residents I talked to were satisfied with their jobs and loved their patients.

As a volunteer I interact with nurses a lot and they always have been really friendly and have great rapport with the kids, I figure happy nurses probably leads to happy physicians.
 
Maybe you've only run into russian docs at the hospital so far 😛

Not everyone wears their emotion on their sleeve. A doc can be serious but also very comforting and understanding of their patients' fears at the same time...no smile required and it doesn't mean that he/she is miserable.

That being said....I am one of those people who genuinely smiles 90% of the time, the other 10% I am either hungry, grumpy or zoned out. We are a mixed bunch.
 
FirefighterDoc said:
I just started working in a new ER in a ritzy suburb after coming from one in the city. I hate the show, but literally all of the docs look like theyre from Greys Anatomy or something. Theyre great doctors, but can still joke around and have a good time. Every time i send this one doc a phone call he gets all serious, stares at me and says "Bring it!" all hardcore, its hilarious.
Click to expand...
I did an internship and one of the residents routinely brought a juice box on rounds that he would sip loudly. It was hilarious cause he was a pretty macho looking guy too.
 
doraxplorer said:
Ok so I just started volunteering at a hospital. And from day 1 I've noticed that all the doctors look miserable. Their smiles don't reach their eyes, they look dead tired. There's this common aura of concentration and misery about them. Even in the cafeteria they seem miserable. There will be a whole table of them, and they will all look miserable. I'm just thinking...will I go from cheerful/normal --> miserable if I continue along this path?

On the other hand, docs at private practices seem much more lively in general.

So my question is, is it the hospital setting that makes docs miserable, or is it the profession itself?
Click to expand...

That is not my experience with doctors at all. I suppose it depends on your region and the individual hospital. Some places have awful working environments (a situation not unique to medicine at all.)
 
I'm a peds resident, I love my job, but I work between 65 and 85 hours a week. I'm tired, I probably don't look like I'm enjoying myself even when I am.
 
I think it largely depends on the hospital.

The hospital where I shadow, the large majority of the doctors are happy. They smile at people passing by, wave, say hello, and are generally pleasant.

One time when I shadowed a doctor, he mentioned the general atmosphere of the hospital and how it was bright and homey, in contrast to a hospital where many of the doctors also work. At the other hospital, people seem more depressed and reserved, even though much of the staff (the contracted Docs, at least) is the same.
 
rxlea said:
Hey, those juice boxes are one of the world's best inventions.
Click to expand...

Sure a hell a lot easier than trying to poke open a Capri sun.

Then again I saw they've much improved the design. Either that, or I was just clumsy in the 80s/early90s.
 
Longshanks said:
Sure a hell a lot easier than trying to poke open a Capri sun.

Then again I saw they've much improved the design. Either that, or I was just clumsy in the 80s/early90s.
Click to expand...

Haha, you're right...they redesigned them. I have poked a hole straight through a Capri sun a few times in my life 🙂
 
doraxplorer said:
Ok so I just started volunteering at a hospital. And from day 1 I've noticed that all the doctors look miserable. Their smiles don't reach their eyes, they look dead tired. There's this common aura of concentration and misery about them. Even in the cafeteria they seem miserable. There will be a whole table of them, and they will all look miserable. I'm just thinking...will I go from cheerful/normal --> miserable if I continue along this path?

On the other hand, docs at private practices seem much more lively in general.

So my question is, is it the hospital setting that makes docs miserable, or is it the profession itself?
Click to expand...

How many other non-hospital jobs have you had?

It isn't just doctors.....MOST people hate their jobs.

Go work construction for awhile, and report back.

Also....
getright said:
Just because you don't smile doesn't mean you're unhappy.
Click to expand...
+1000
 
I hate to break it to you, but I'd be willing to bet that most people are not satisfied with their job/life. FYI, there are a few depression drugs in the top 200.
 
Last edited:
Nobody smiles because everybody wants to be like Dr. House. Duh
 
Longshanks said:
Sure a hell a lot easier than trying to poke open a Capri sun.

Then again I saw they've much improved the design. Either that, or I was just clumsy in the 80s/early90s.
Click to expand...

Well, you can stack juice boxes easily too. And that's a huge plus, I sure that the doctors working at hospitals mush have a stash of snacks and juice boxes just to help them get through the day.
 
If you ask me, the OP made a great observation...

Not sure why everyone is either denying it, citing happy pediatricians, simply stating most people in life are unhappy, or that smiles don't correlate with happiness.

Truth is, it's a hard & stressful life - especially the training...much more difficult your average job, which is why you see alot of 🙁😡😕:scared:😱.

But, that doesn't mean it's not rewarding. 🙂
 
People always tell me that they thought I was "really unhappy" or "scary" before they got to know me. Evidently I just look that way, but I can assure you I'm not. Most people laugh about it with me later on. It is not intentional, it is just how I am I guess. My point; just like others have said, just because someone is not walking around with a goofball smile all the time does not mean they are unhappy. Now, if you talk to them and they are an a** or don't want to talk or something, then that's a different story.
 
Agreed that you don't know what people are thinking just by looking at their faces. Apparently, I have a really bored look on my face whenever I'm interested and people think I don't like talking to them when I'm actually enjoying the conversation. My fake smile somehow comes out even when I'm happy. Not to say that those doctors aren't in fact tired/unhappy but just saying you can't really tell without long term observation and conversation.
 
chman said:
People always tell me that they thought I was "really unhappy" or "scary" before they got to know me. Evidently I just look that way, but I can assure you I'm not. Most people laugh about it with me later on. It is not intentional, it is just how I am I guess. My point; just like others have said, just because someone is not walking around with a goofball smile all the time does not mean they are unhappy. Now, if you talk to them and they are an a** or don't want to talk or something, then that's a different story.
Click to expand...

lol. They say the same thing to me. I have no idea why though; I don't think I look unhappy or mean.
 
The fact that they "look" miserable doesn't mean that they are miserable. they may enjoy doing what they do for 80 hours a week but they can still look drained and exhausted, which I don't doubt they actually are. Anyone doing/working 80+ hours a week will NOT look amazingly happy about anything even if they do enjoy doing what they do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

kaytea
Second look dilemma
Replies
3
Views
1K
AJS59
AJS59
E
do med schools require a doctors note?
Replies
2
Views
648
Goro
Goro
C
Is it a bad look to not attend a second look day?
Replies
8
Views
2K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
M
Take Second Look impressions with a grain of salt?
Replies
7
Views
2K
medai23
M
nielsbohr123
Will leaving my PhD program to pursue med school look bad?
Replies
3
Views
805
Goro
Goro
Top