Medical culture: How it affects general practitioners' wellbeing and what needs to change

Among the contributors to the wellbeing crisis facing medicine, a leading and somewhat hidden factor is medical culture.

This article seeks to highlight how certain aspects of medical culture are hazardous to doctors' health, and offer guidance for how general practitioners (GPs) can support cultural reform.

The fundamental values of medicine are noble and worth preserving; however, they have become unrealistic. Specifically, expectations of excellence have become demands for perfection, while altruistic intentions have become self-sacrificial. The effects of these cultural shifts are evident in how doctors treat themselves, particularly in comparison to non-medical groups. Medical culture needs re-balancing. A useful approach for GPs to take is that of self-compassion, which advocates for kinder treatment of oneself. Embodying such a philosophy will not only support one's own wellbeing, but also serve as a catalyst for the cultural change necessary to bolster the sustainability of the profession.