October 05, 2025

122 | ER Dr. Lucas | Is it still worth becoming a physician? | Honor to being there on someone’s worst day | Don’t just do something, stand there

27 minutes

Lucas gives his pitch for why it is still worth it to be a physician - it’s one of the best jobs in the world but you have to have the ability to adapt to change over time

Being a physician still allows you a rewarding, stable and consistent job. A comfortable lifestyle. Job portability

As a PA, this can be even better because you can switch between specialties

Our variable schedule in the ED has its cons but it has a lot of pros as well

We talk about things that we find rewarding in emergency medicine

Even the non-work-related rewards when we often do nothing at all but reassure our family, our friends is fulfilling

The cascade from relieving anxiety and saying “you are okay” is powerful

A brilliant ER mind said “Don’t just do something, stand there”

If you are well, aggressive medical interventions are more likely to harm you than help you

Take care of yourself, take care of your relationships, the lone wolves die, humans need other humans to survive

In your journey in a career that is very difficult and very easy to burnout, the rewards are much more magnified on the other side. The rewards are much more in your control than you think. With the right mindset you can change how rewarding your career will be

This is an amazing setting, you have one of the coolest jobs in the whole world

What other job is there where you see people on the worst day of their lives, save a life and can allow other people’s lives to touch you

There is an honor to be there on someone’s worst day

Intentionally look for the positive, it is there

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Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn’t represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions. This is not medical advice. If you have personal health concerns, please seek professional care.

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