Page 5 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_March-2019

President’s Letter

A Place at the Table

By Elizabeth B. Moran, MD concerns are heard in the public forum. “Mecklenburg Medicine”
is sent to about 4,000 practicing physicians each month, not
F or those of you who graciously read my last editorial, all of whom are members. Each of you should consider active
you’ll recall I reviewed six “fundamental needs” that participation in your Medical Society.
govern human happiness and behavior. This was based
on guru Tony Robbins’ “6 Core Human Needs,” in Please send me your thoughts — we really are listening. My
which he proposes that each and every person is influenced to email is elizabeth.moran@premiergynclt.com and my office
some degree by all these elements. They are Certainty, in our mailing address is Premier Gynecology, 2310 Randolph Road,
jobs, homes and relationships; Variety in our lives and our jobs; suite B, Charlotte, NC 28207.
Significant and Meaningful Work; Connection, especially to the
people around us; Growth in both personal and professional life; Those of you who are not yet members of the MCMS or have
and lifelong Learning. let your membership lapse, please consider this most important
way to engage in our local community.
I discussed how medicine as a career is uniquely positioned
to fulfill all these needs, although it has been easy to forget that
in recent times. I proposed we each should look at our own
situations and examine what — in our job and profession — is
hindering the fulfillment of these needs. In addition, we each
should strive to understand not only what negative changes have
occurred, but what we can do to effect reversal or positive change
in each area.

Blogs, editorials and forums frequently outline what is
dissatisfying or broken, but rarely are any realistic and achievable
solutions proposed. The choice to become an involved and active
participant in change must be an intentional one. After all, “If
you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu” (Mike Enzi).

Therefore, I am asking you, the membership, to react in
some way to one or more of the needs outlined above and in
the previous article. Please send me your response — perhaps
answering these questions or others you have. Has this need
ever been fulfilled in your practice of medicine and is it still
being fulfilled as abundantly? Why do you think the difference
occurred? And most important, what should you, or your partners
and coworkers, or all of us together as a medical society, begin to
do to make the changes we need? Please communicate with me
via email, phone, or mail. In the next few articles, I would like to
take a closer look at reader input (anonymously, of course) and
these concepts relating your thoughts on both the causes and the
cures of our increasing physician dissatisfaction.

On paper, it makes sense that professional associations have
declined in membership over recent decades. There are many
reasons: We are a much larger medical community; physicians
do not see patients in all hospital facilities; and we have online
access to training material and endless social networking.
However, if we look at this list of human needs, I am convinced
we still have all these in common. Many of the causes of the lack
of fulfillment exist across all practice venues and situations. We
may not agree on the solutions to the issues that are increasing
our burnout. We are, however, thoughtful and caring people, who
are trained in problem-solving. Let’s use these skills to devise
possible solutions and use our collective voice to make sure our

Mecklenburg Medicine • March 2019 | 5