Beyond Superhuman

Doctors Need Work-Life Integration, Not Balance

I'll be honest with you—I went to medical school in the 80s, which means I've seen quite a bit in my time. And what I witnessed back then shaped not just my career, but my entire understanding of what it truly means to be a doctor.

The senior consultants I trained under were mostly men who wore their relentless dedication like armor. They worked brutal hours, were always on call, and routinely missed family dinners, birthday parties, and life's precious moments—all in service to their patients. For them, this wasn't just dedication; it was identity. This was simply what being a doctor meant.

While patients certainly appreciated their superhuman commitment, I couldn't help but notice the cost. Their children grew up with absent fathers. Their spouses carried the weight of single parenthood. And I found myself wondering: Was this really the gold standard for patient care?

"Work-life balance" wasn't even in our vocabulary back then.

When Everything Falls Apart

As a medical student and later as a trainee anaesthetist, I knew deep in my bones that I wanted to combine medicine with raising a family. The problem? I had absolutely no roadmap for how to make that work.

So I did what many of us do—I tried to do everything perfectly. I'm sure you can guess how that story ends.

Mid-career burnout hit me like a freight train.

My journey back to actually loving my life and thriving in my anesthesia practice wasn't pretty or straightforward. There was no GPS for this particular destination, no mentor to light the way—just a desperate desire to feel better and rediscover joy in the work I'd once loved.

The Shift is Happening (Sort Of)

Here's the good news: things are improving. Medical colleges and institutions are finally endorsing well-being charters and guidelines. The message is becoming crystal clear—thriving doctors provide better care. When we're empathetic and fulfilled, we're also safer and more effective.

But here's what I've learned after decades in medicine: culture shifts happen at glacial speed.

We've thankfully moved past idolizing the "superhuman" doctor model, but we've replaced it with something that's almost as problematic—the myth of perfect work-life balance. And frankly, it's not working.

How do I know? Just look around. Burnout is everywhere. Too many brilliant doctors still feel forced to choose between thriving in their careers or thriving in their personal lives. Too many are leaving the profession entirely because they can't see another path forward.

It's Time for a New Conversation

Our thinking needs to evolve. Our role models need to change. Our entire medical culture needs another significant shift.

The concept of work-life balance sets us up for failure from the start. It suggests we can—and should—split our lives into neat, separate compartments. Professional life over here, personal life over there, never the two shall meet.

But that's not how real life works, is it?

Instead, we need to start talking about work-life integration.

Integration acknowledges that our professional and personal lives don't have to compete with each other—they can actually complement and strengthen one another. It's about developing the wisdom to know when to lean into work, when to step back, and how to focus on what matters most in each moment.

This isn't about being perfect. It's about being intentional.

Creating the Culture We Need

This conversation needs to happen at every level—with medical students just starting their journeys, with trainees finding their footing, and with senior colleagues who might be stuck in old patterns. And it's not just about our own well-being (though that matters enormously). It's about creating better outcomes for our patients.

When we model integration instead of exhaustion, when we show that it's possible to be an excellent doctor AND a present parent, partner, or friend, we're not just changing our own lives—we're changing medicine itself.

The superhuman doctor was never sustainable. The perfectly balanced doctor is a myth. But the integrated doctor? That's someone who can thrive for the long haul while providing the kind of care our patients deserve.

What would it look like if we stopped trying to be superhuman and started focusing on being sustainably human instead?