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Academic I.D. in jeopardy: the erosion of time, professional values, and physician satisfaction

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Abstract

The American public entrusts academic medicine with a varied portfolio of critical responsibilities: the thoughtful mentoring of future generations of doctors, the engagement of cutting edge discoveries, and the empathic treatment of patients with complicated illnesses. The erosion of time to perform these duties has led to an estrangement of our key professional values and thus a loss of public trust, the inability to recognize new diseases, reduced communication in our ranks, and physician dissatisfaction. Much of this is driven by an unbalanced focus on the business model of medicine, highlighting rapid patient transactions linked to professional income with financial incentives for high-volume care. Reversing the current trends requires a new type of leadership committed to long-held professional values and a recognition of what drives professional excellence. As internists and infectious diseases specialists without procedures in our practice, we are especially vulnerable to these trends.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Deirdra McAfee and Kay Vose for carefully reviewing the manuscript and offering critical advice. It is a pleasure to contribute to the Festschrift in Gerd Fätkenheuers honor, and the manuscript is an American perspective for his comments. Having spent time with Gerd on the clinical wards and in personal conversations, I am honored to have his friendship. He has high standards, a broad view of Medicine and of life itself, and he is committed to excellence in all the academic missions of teaching, service and research. No formal funding supported this work.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, 830 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Richmond, VA, 23219, USA

    Richard P. Wenzel

  2. University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa, IA, USA

    Michael B. Edmond

Authors
  1. Richard P. Wenzel
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  2. Michael B. Edmond
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Correspondence to Richard P. Wenzel.

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Wenzel, R.P., Edmond, M.B. Academic I.D. in jeopardy: the erosion of time, professional values, and physician satisfaction. Infection 43, 141–144 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-015-0744-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-015-0744-3

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