Caring for the tribe: From addiction to zen

Abstract

The culture of medicine is rapidly changing. The majority of primary care physicians are now employed, and the decisions that govern us are made farther and farther from the point of care. Our sense of well-being is threatened less by the demands of clinical practice than it is by the emptiness of our job: we have forgotten who we are working for, or working with, or why we are working at all. The solution lies in creating the kind of practice environment that we advocate for in each of our patients’ lives.