Doctors shouldn’t feel ashamed for wanting to protect themselves or their family

"Although I personally hope to continue to be at or near the frontlines, I understand those that are in a compromised position, and they shouldn’t feel ashamed for wanting to protect themselves or their family. There is no portion of the Hippocratic Oath that implicitly or explicitly states that physicians have a duty to patients above their own safety. Even though we’re in the midst of the pandemic, I’ve found it to be a beneficial practice to reflect and think about the way we can improve the safety and efficacy of those delivering care. While it may be commendable to rush to be directly involved in patient care, we need to take a step back and review the role that residents play: who is being put on the frontlines, how is that being decided, and how is this impacting resident burnout? This is one of the many questions I hope can be thoughtfully revisited after the emergency of the pandemic is over."

Jon Zaid is an internal medicine physician who blogs at 34justice.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Doctors shouldn’t feel ashamed for wanting to protect themselves or their family." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/04/doctors-shouldnt-feel-ashamed-for-wanting-to-protect-themselves-or-their-family.html)