“It is not an indication of health to be well adjusted to a deeply ill society.”
– Jiddu Krishnamurti
In this quote, the esteemed philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti cautions against equating adaptation with true health. Conforming to a dysfunctional system does not inherently mean thriving within it. This reality is vividly reflected in the contemporary American medical system—a contradictory environment where individuals dedicated to healing often find themselves in need of healing as well.
The American Medical System: Suffering from Within
The healthcare system in the U.S. is rife with chronic issues, most prominently experienced on a daily basis by physicians. Far from being shielded from the ailments they address, numerous doctors are themselves victims of a system that is overstressed, profit-driven, and places more emphasis on output than on human connection.
Doctors are frequently lauded for their resilience, a result of enduring rigorous education and grueling work schedules. However, in this context, resilience can become a two-edged sword. When normalized, it risks becoming an expectation, a justification for systemic mistreatment and burnout. Consequently, a culture emerges where physicians are anticipated to withstand unimaginable stress and emotional turmoil while concealing their pain behind a façade of professionalism.
The Academic Abyss: Where Education Fades Away
In academic medicine, the ideal of lifelong learning and mentorship is often obstructed by bureaucratic demands and institutional requirements. The delight of teaching—of sharing knowledge from educator to student—is increasingly overshadowed by RVUs (relative value units), publication mandates, and the benchmarks necessary for tenure.
Research, once fundamental to innovation and discovery, has devolved into a contest of quantity over quality. Faculty are frequently compelled to publish hastily rather than thoughtfully. The “publish or perish” mentality not only undermines the essence of academic research—it cultivates intellectual depletion. Seminars often turn into echo chambers of trivial findings masquerading as breakthroughs, disconnected from the practical requirements of patient care.
Even more concerning is that much of this effort rarely benefits patients directly. Instead, it perpetuates an environment focused on prestige rather than actual progress.
Physician Health: A Looming Crisis
The most telling critique of our dysfunctional system is the well-being of its physicians. Research continually reveals heightened instances of depression, anxiety, hypertension, and obesity within medical professionals. These statistics are not mere figures—they mirror the real lives of individuals expected to provide compassionate care amidst relentless pressures.
The irony is undeniable: those advising patients on work-life balance, stress management, and preventive health often neglect—or deny themselves—these same guidelines. Whether it’s enduring residency on stimulants, skipping meals to accommodate patients, or sacrificing sleep for electronic medical record (EMR) documentation, doctors are exhausting themselves at both ends—only to be urged to shine even brighter.
Relationships Burdened by Ceaseless Labor
The toll of this professional survivalist mindset extends beyond hospital boundaries. Many physicians grapple with unrealistic work-life balance, with repercussions that extend outward. Personal relationships falter or disintegrate under the strain of long, unpredictable hours combined with emotional fatigue. Discussions in online forums among isolated doctors serve as stark reminders that the system isolates us not only in our careers but personally as well.
It is not unusual for physicians to postpone or abandon dreams of parenthood, marriage, and even friendships—not out of preference but because the rhythm of medicine in America leaves scant opportunity for life outside work. Residency, often romanticized as a rite of passage, frequently resembles an emotional trial. The weight of constant caregiving and exposure to pain erodes one’s ability to form meaningful connections with others.
The Culture of Medication Over Mindfulness
Possibly the most unsettling reflection of the system’s failings is its default response to distress: medication instead of reform. When doctors experience burnout, they are prescribed SSRIs. When they are fatigued, they receive stimulants. Challenging this approach, as the author found early in their career, is viewed as subversive—even perilous.
This tendency to medicate rather than heal illustrates a broader trend in American medicine: an obsession with managing symptoms rather than addressing root causes. Just as chronic illnesses are often managed rather than cured, the system oversees broken physicians rather than genuinely healing them.
A Call for Transformative Change: Restoring Medicine from Within
This is a model that cannot be sustained.
Physician burnout, emotional exhaustion, and suicide are not unavoidable consequences of practicing medicine—they underscore significant dysfunction in how medicine is conducted, organized, and valued. Genuine transformation requires more than meditation apps and physician wellness retreats. It necessitates a reformation of values:
– Shift from volume to value: Cease rewarding mere productivity and begin acknowledging genuine impact.
– Rekindle curiosity: Create room for authentic intellectual engagement rather than academic gamesmanship.
– Prioritize humanity: Recognize physicians as individuals first—caregivers with limits, families, and needs.
– Revamp training culture: End the glorification of exhaustive work hours and emotional detachment.
– Dismantle the