Invited Commentary

Commentary on “Where Joy May Find Us”

Authors: Elizabeth MacDonald, MD, Andrew Elder, MD

Abstract

The capacity for joy is intrinsic to human nature, but physicians may not be finding it in their work like they once did. In a thought-provoking piece in this issue of the Southern Medical Journal, Timothy Daaleman reflects on joy in contemporary medical practice and asks whether we are looking for it in the right places, or whether we should not look for it at all and simply wait for it to find us.1

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References

1. Daaleman T. Where joy may find us. South Med J 2016;109:391-392.
 
2. Shanafelt TD, Hasan O, Dyrbye LN, et al. Changes in burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance in physicians and the general US working population between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Clin Proc 2015;90:1600-1613.
 
3. Dyrbye LN, Varkey P, Boone SL, et al. Physician satisfaction and burnout at different career stages. Mayo Clin Proc 2013;88:1358-1367.
 
4. Pejuskovic B, Lecic-Tosevski D, Priebe S, et al. Burnout syndrome among physicians-the role of personality dimensions and coping strategies. Psychiatr Danub 2011;23:389-395.
 
5. Miller J. You can’ believe the joy! A biological theological view of suffering. http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/verbum/vol3/iss2/6. Published 2014. Accessed April 25, 2016.