The Main Course: Tragic Optimism Part II, Finding your why

It’s the proverbial question. Starting from the first time you utter  an interest in medicine. Your parents, your friends, your mentors, your teachers, admissions committees- everyone asks you, “Why do you want to be a doctor?” This is not just a question you should think about before medical school, but one to revisit throughout your career. In last week's episode we introduced one facet of Victor Frankl’s idea of tragic optimism. Another part of this idea is with respect to finding your purpose. Frankl’s basic tenet is that those who are driven by purpose, rather than the pursuit of happiness, are more able to weather the storms ahead. Physician burnout is an example of one of those storms, and leading yourself and others from a place of purpose can help overcome it. In this episode we explore how to find your “why?”, what it means to be purpose driven and how to lead from a place of purpose.