Physician gaslighting looks like this

As physicians, we are often collectively gaslit—made to believe that somehow, we are responsible for system failures. Many physicians are brainwashed to “drink the Kool-Aid” and accept phrases like, “This is the way things have always been done.” We are made to feel inhuman when we advocate for ourselves as if we are somehow to blame. The system uses terms like “unprofessional,” “unable to cope with the rigors of being a physician,” “not taking personal responsibility for themselves,” and the list goes on.

Sometimes, the people who gaslight us are fellow physicians, attendings, and system administrators. The term “eating their young” doesn’t just apply to other professions—it plagues medicine. The very people who are supposed to support and mentor us can be the ones who create the most angst. During my residency, one attending stands out in my memory—etched there forever. This attending had a habit of publicly shaming me in front of patients, doctors, and administrators. This person’s behavior left a lasting impact, selectively “nice” to some residents and frankly cruel to others. To this day, I haven’t spoken a word to this attending, and when I see them, I act like I don’t know them.

So, I’m speaking my truth—I’m sick and tired of hearing about fellow physicians who have died tragically by suicide. These deaths were preventable, and it breaks my heart. Physicians are dying by suicide at alarming rates, with studies showing that approximately 300 to 400 U.S. physicians die by suicide each year—a rate twice as high as the general population. Let’s stop gaslighting each other. Let’s not accept the toxic practices or culture in medicine driving physicians away from clinical practice. About 49 percent of physicians report experiencing burnout, and 40 percent consider leaving medicine within the next two years.

Read the full article on KevinMD to learn more about the impacts of physician gaslighting and the culture we must change in medicine.

Let’s do better for one another, set a compassionate standard, and foster a supportive, humane environment in medicine.

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