“Shame on you for glorifying people leaving such a noble profession.”
That’s a little … intense.
I was jolted but, unfortunately, not surprised by this negative comment on my LinkedIn post—a post sharing my story of resigning from residency.
Backlash like this is not new to me. Anytime I speak publicly about leaving clinical medicine, I am met with an odd mix of “That’s so brave of you to share” and “How dare you!”
Why is it “brave” to share about a career pivot?
Why does choosing to leave a profession spark such outrage and judgment?
But the disturbing trends don’t end there.
When I wrote my book, Residency Drop Out, dozens of people who also left clinical medicine reached out to me. Many of them had made their departure years ago but never talked about it. They only shared their story with close friends and family.
Why is there such a culture of shame and silence around leaving?
Why is it so taboo to discuss openly?
And we’re still not done.
In physician Facebook groups, when a trainee posts about wanting to leave the profession, they are bombarded with ominous comments about the consequences of leaving:
- “Do everything you can to make it through the year … but do NOT quit.”
- “You have to slog through the next five months. It’ll get better.”
It shouldn’t be such a big deal to leave a profession, especially if your mental health is suffering. Honestly, it shouldn’t be an issue to make a career pivot for any reason.
So why is it such a big deal? Why does leaving clinical medicine feel like escaping a cult?
When I looked into this question, I discovered unsettling similarities that the medical profession shares with cults and other high-control groups.
To be clear, I am not arguing that the medical profession is a cult. However, I do want us to examine how this profession—one that pledges to “do no harm”—is actually doing quite a bit of harm to its own members.
Here are five ways the medical profession is a bit culty:
1. “Expensive involvement: Participation in the group requires a significant financial investment.” Most of us go deeply into debt to become doctors. Student loans are seen as an investment in our earning potential because they come with the promise of a six-figure salary in a stable career. However, this creates an unhealthy financial dependence. We feel we must keep earning that salary to pay back our loans, even when it costs us our health and happiness.
2. “Mind-altering practices such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation, or debilitating work routines are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leaders.” No, we don’t chant or speak in tongues in the hospital, but our work routines are definitely debilitating. Chronic sleep deprivation is the norm for most physicians, impairing cognitive function, mental clarity, and emotional stability. Perceptions of reality can become distorted.
3. “Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.” Working in medicine can be all-consuming. We are expected to devote 60 to 80 hours per week during training. The time commitment and sacrifice required for the profession are justified because “this is a calling.”
4. “The illusion of hope.” Anytime I raised doubts about continuing with my training, they were dismissed. I was told some version of “just keep going; it’ll get better once you finish this rotation.” I am not alone in this experience. The illusion of hope is consistently presented to anyone struggling at any point in their journey:
- “I hated medicine when I was in your place. It gets better, I promise.”
5. “The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt to influence and control members, often through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.” Have you ever felt guilty for taking time off, even for something valid like medically necessary surgery? Have you ever stayed late on a shift to help others tie up loose ends so no one would gossip about you being “lazy”? Have you ever been pressured to pick up more shifts with language insinuating your failure to do so would harm patients? Did you want to do those things, or did you feel some level of coercion?
So what do you think? Are your eyebrows raised yet?
It’s not necessarily important to answer the question, “Is medicine a cult or not?” But there are some questions worth asking yourself:
- “Is it healthy for me to continue working in this profession?”
- “Why is it still so hard to extricate myself, even when I know it’s unhealthy?”
And the question I’m asking myself is …
“Why do I feel scared to submit this article?”
Chelsea Turgeon is a former OB/GYN resident and a physician coach.
