The Balance of Work and Life

Is a myth. It’s something we all talk about, something institutions promise, something we tell ourselves we’ll figure out once the next stage of training is over. And yet, the deeper we get, the more elusive it seems. There’s always one more patient to see, one more note to write, one more research project to finish. The idea of a neat separation between work and life feels almost laughable when the job demands so much of who we are.

But maybe that’s the problem: thinking of it as a balance, as if work and life are two opposing forces fighting for our time. Maybe it’s less about splitting things evenly and more about learning how to integrate them in a way that feels sustainable. Some days, work will take more, and other days, life outside of medicine will push back. Maybe fulfillment comes not from perfect equilibrium but from knowing when to lean in and when to step away. And yet, even with that perspective, the question remains—can we really achieve a true work-life balance in medicine? Can we learn to learn into and out of work at the right times? Or is it just something we’re always chasing, hoping to get close enough to make it feel real?

Written by Anonymous