Beyond the “Doctor’s Lounge”: Upgrade 2022
“Not valuing time with other physicians or allowing for informal conversations leads to a soulless efficiency and professional isolation.” John Frey, MD (feel free to substitute your own profession or “colleagues” for “physicians”)
When I first started in clinical practice, most hospitals had a “Doctor’s Lounge.” Ours was stuck in the far corner of the hospital and was connected with the medical records department. There some physicians would gather to complete charting (yes, paper charts …), watch the news or read the paper, browse a medical journal, grab a caffeinated beverage, and if the timing was right, get a snack of some sort. Though at times when I visited I would engage in a curbside consultation or informal conversation, in general the “culture” of doctors lounge (and its cousin, the physician’s dining room) mirrored the culture of medicine at that time in that it was stratified by specialty, age, gender, race, tenure, and social status. Which made most interactions polite, superficial, and often guarded.
Regardless of whether these spaces ever actually achieved their intended purpose, for the most part such professional physical gathering spaces have become long extinct, and attempts to revive them have been largely unsuccessful. Yet the need for a space that encourages and enhances regular professional connection is perhaps even more relevant and important now than ever.
If that is true, then what does an “evolved version” of the doctor’s lounge look like today? For some, it is an online forum such as Sermo, Doximity, MomMD, or various Facebook groups. Others are seeking such space through small gatherings such as Finding Meaning in Medicine or Balint groups. Mayo Clinic has attempted to promote this connection through COMPASS dinner groups (COlleagues Meeting to Promote And Sustain Satisfaction), where small groups of physicians gather together for a meal and fellowship. But for too many healthcare professionals, the answer is “there is nothing,” and we live for the most part in professional isolation, connecting very little even with those who work in our same physical space. In the process, we find ourselves caught up in the “soulless efficiency and professional isolation” that Dr. Frey references above.
And now that we have more insight into our professional past, we recognize that many of our predecessors and role models worked in relative emotional isolation as well, and that such an approach was never wise. The work we do is too challenging, too taxing to not have others traveling with us who “get it” and “get us.” We need those who can help us make sense of all we do, remind us of the reasons we do it, as well as support us as we weave it into the fabric of our lives.
PeerRxMed was created to help address this void, and exists to provide both a platform and an ongoing process to facilitate intentional professional connection. Many of us have never experienced this and there’s no better time to start than right now. We don’t need a nostalgic revival of the physical “Doctor’s Lounge” to connect. Instead, we need to embrace intentional professional connection in all the places and spaces in which we presently work. Afterall, no one should care alone. Thanks for helping to spread the word.