Dike Drummond MD

Recent Posts

New Year's Resolutions Do Not Work - Here's what can

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

That magical time of the year, when we all make resolutions we know we won't keep.

Here's the rub:

  • Everyone wants to change something
  • Very few go further than the magical thinking exercise of the "New Year's Resolution". 

You are probably in that frame of mind right now.

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The 2021 Breakthrough Worksheet is Here 
Our 6th Year - 558 downloads in last two weeks
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Here's the truth

A Resolution without an Action Plan is a Pipe Dream, Wishful Thinking, a Fib and a Fable.

Tags: stop physician burnout

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Physicians On Purpose Podcast 003 What is Burnout

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

Physicians on Purpose Podcast 003
What Is "Physician Burnout"

  • The 3 Cardinal Signs of Physician Burnout
  • The words that Little Voice in your head will whisper to you when you are in the downward spiral.
  • Gender Differences in Burnout
  • How to reach out to a Colleague in Distress

You must be able to recognize the beast BEFORE you can smell his breath.

Tags: stop physician burnout, physicians on purpose, Podcast

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The Danger Inherent in "The Patient Comes First"

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

The primary risk to all Lightworkers is built into our first Prime Directive.

Healthcare's Prime Directive #1:

The patient comes first

In this blog post:

  • Let me show you the nature of this fundamental risk
  • The toll it takes on all healthcare workers
  • An image that captures this dynamic in a way you won't forget
  • And a tool to recharge we have proven effective in our physician coaching practice.

Tags: stop physician burnout, Covid19

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A Sign for Our Times

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

I saw this lobby sign for a hospital in Indiana this week on LinkedIn and had to share it with you.

In these divisive and politicized times, all of us coping with a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, this language and sentiment seemed to cut straight to the point.

This is a place of healing and, if healing is not possible, a space where we all deal with disease, suffering, death and dying.

Please be intentional with your energy. 

This sign feels like a little cosmic mirror at the front door of the hospital. Take a quick look in the mirror and make sure your attitude is adjusted before you walk into this sacred space.

Tags: stop physician burnout, Covid19

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Healthcare Leaders - 3 Questions on Physician Wellbeing

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

These 3 Questions for Senior Healthcare Leaders will reveal their opinions on the importance of Physician Wellbeing.

Sometimes it is darn difficult to tell whether your leaders understand and/or care about the stresses you are under.

  • The impact of COVID-19 - either blowing up or shutting down your practice.
  • The pandemic induced losses of 2020 Q2 forcing you to take a pay cut and laying off your essential support staff.
  • The daily death by a thousand EMR clicks and keystrokes.
  • The weekly struggle to carve out some meaning from your practice whirlwind and build in some family time and life balance. 

If you can catch your CMO or CEO in a quiet moment, here are three questions that will reveal how they view your professional quality of life.

Tags: Physician Leadership, stop physician burnout

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Lightworker Forum Resources Page

Posted by Dike Drummond MD


Lightworker Forum Resources Page
- Crowd-sourced from our Weekend Lightworker Forum Mastermind Calls

Tags: stop physician burnout, lightworkers forum

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COVID-19 and Physician Burnout - Not Heroes or Saints - The Case Against Altruism

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

COVID-19 Stress and Physician Burnout - The Case Against Altruism

A recent article in the CMAJ exhorts doctors to "Emphasize the altruism of working in health care and serving of the greater good" in order to reconnect with purpose and make it through COVID-19.

I disagree and I am not alone. 

ALTRUISM and the HERO and SAINT PROJECTION onto healthcare workers in impossible working conditions, is dangerous and self defeating.

In this blog post let's examine the case against Altruism as a healthy core value in pandemic times.

Tags: stop physician burnout, Covid19

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COVID-19 Physician Leadership - Put This System In Place Now!

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

When the battle against the virus is raging in the ER and the ICU ...

It's all hands on deck
All power to the shields
Throw everything you've got to the front lines

And rightfully so.

That is not enough!

Staffing and supporting the front line care teams is job #1 everywhere and
we can't forget the members of those care teams who are not here today

I am not talking about the workers who are simply off shift right now. Let me show you this physician leadership blind spot.

Tags: Physician Leadership, stop physician burnout

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Micro Blessings

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

Micro Blessings

Let's restore some balance to the force with a hidden super power that is just a breath away.

Since everyone's days are sprinkled with micro-aggressions, hassles, social isolation, masks, political conflict and more - it can feel like you are only just barely keeping your lips above the floodwaters. 

It's been a tough year for all of us and there is no end in sight
... AND ...
do not forget you have a choice.
In every moment you have the ability to notice the negative, release it and swim against that current. 

Our reticular activating system and our physician programming give us a natural laser focus on what is going wrong. We are also surrounded by things going right at the very same time.

Tags: stop physician burnout, physician mindfulness

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Physician Leadership – 3 Reasons Doctors Make Naturally Lousy Leaders

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

Physician Leadership Skills – Why Doctors Make Poor Leaders and What YOU Can Do About It

In ten years of coaching physicians, I have found one thing to be constant.

All physicians work too hard.

We take on too much, do too much, worry about too much try to control too much. This overwork is a key cause of physician burnout and a direct result of our medical education.

The reason is simple. You were never taught how to lead your team effectively. Key leadership skills never made into the curriculum of your medical education.

As a result, we naturally and automatically fail to tap our team's skills and experience. We block them from sharing the workload more effectively. 

Fortunately, the leadership skills to share the load are simple and can be quickly deployed in your practice day.

Here are three ways to begin your leadership upgrade.

Tags: Physician Leadership, stop physician burnout, physician communication skills

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