Amy Vertrees is a general surgeon and founder, BOSS Business of Surgery Series.

The truth about employee turnover: It’s inevitable (and OK!)

Physician
May 22, 2024

It is a simple idea, but we don’t think about it. Everyone will leave their job, including us. This thought occurred to me as our office was undergoing a painful turnover. I started my private practice in 2020, expecting it to be a small, close-knit office. I had the vision of practicing medicine as I thought it should be practiced, with attentive and caring staff who truly cared about the …

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The truth about employee turnover: It’s inevitable (and OK!)

A call to stop overworking

Physician
June 5, 2022

After being a coach for a couple of years now, there is an immediate danger I see right now.

Many of you are doing too much. Unsustainable, dangerous amounts of work. Dangerous to yourself and dangerous to others, which makes it dangerous for you, too.

I’m not trying to be overdramatic, but I am shocked by how much overworking we are accepting.

Everyone’s definition of “overwork” will vary. And the hustle culture and …

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A call to stop overworking

How do we embrace the plot twists in our life?

Physician
January 18, 2022

The most memorable books have twists, turns, and surprises. A plot twist is a literary technique involving a radical change in an expected outcome. It involves withholding critical information until the time is right, changing our perception of preceding or current events. There are often hints along the way, foreshadowing what is to come, but realization does not come until the twist happens, and often only appreciated in retrospect. Red …

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How do we embrace the plot twists in our life?

Stop resisting the imposter

Physician
August 15, 2021

The problem with feeling like an imposter is thinking there’s something wrong with it.

I know this is different from any way you have thought about it, but humor me. What happens when we are offered an opportunity but we feel like an imposter?

We hide.

We overwork to compensate.

We look around at our colleagues and resent them. Because why do they get to feel so secure? Why aren’t they feeling insecure? They …

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Stop resisting the imposter

Physicians need growth days

Physician
February 11, 2021

Physicians are overwhelmed and burned out. We have an epidemic of “too busy.” Many of us think we could get so much more accomplished if we had more time. Why aren’t we taking the time? Doctors need to start taking growth days. These aren’t sick days, mental health days or vacation days. Growth days are days strategically taken during the month that are specifically meant for personal growth. This could …

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Physicians need growth days