“Nobody, but nobody, is going to stop breathing on me.”

Virginia Apgar, MD…

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”   Robert Frost

Most of us physicians, including myself, have had a rather linear path to becoming a doctor.  College, then straight into medical school, then residency, then practice.

Looking back, my own training journey seems so clear and regimented. Any struggles I had were in the work itself, not in the career choice.  The path was clearly marked, and the hardships (and there were a few) were strewn along that straight and narrow path.  I never had a full-time, on-my-own adult job until I was 29, as a freshly minted family doc.

But some of our colleagues took a different path, sometimes multiple paths, before their FM career…

An old Seth Thomas clock bought at a flea market.  It doesn’t work, doesn’t tell time; but it looks stately on the hallway table.  I own the clock but I don’t own what it measures.  Time is not owned.  Rather it is a gift, sometimes a burden, always in short supply.

In this December 2024 episode of the Family Doctor, Dr. White shares his personal struggles with time and time management.  As I listened to his story, I found myself muttering, “Yes! Amen! Me too!”…

On the value of connection and mentorship

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”  Dr. Albert Schweitzer.

Happy Holidays to our Family Medicine colleagues and friends.

Our August 9th, 2024 podcast is a conversation with Dr. Carson Rounds from Charlotte NC. Dr. Rounds is a longtime leader in NC Family Medicine, with over 30 years of practice experience. He has cared for patients and families in rural, suburban, and urban communities.

“Welcome to all our colleagues:  curious medical students, hard-working residents, Family Medicine faculty and teachers, FNPs, PAs, and practicing community physicians.  We dedicate our podcasts and blog messages to you.

Please visit this blog page to view our most recent messages and to find out about upcoming topics on The Family Doctor: Lessons Learned, Wisdom Shared.”