Jan. 31, 2026

Blaming younger doctors for setting boundaries ignores the broken system

Palliative care physician and certified physician development coach Christie Mulholland discusses her article "5 things health care must stop doing to improve physician well-being." Christie challenges the pervasive narrative that younger physicians lack work ethic and argues that their boundary-setting is a rational response to an untenable system. The conversation explores why well-being initiatives fail when they are treated as volunteer hobbies without budget or authority. Christie explains the double standard where new technology is an investment but physician wellness is expected to prove immediate financial return. She also critiques the rigid employment models that punish part-time work and warns against implementing new tools without considering the downstream impact on doctor workload. Learn how true cultural change requires shifting the focus from individual resilience to institutional accountability.

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