The Covenant

Burnout among doctors appears to be at epidemic proportions these days, with concomitant gushing prescriptions for wellness and resilience. But in reality, most doctors are not burned out in the traditional sense of the word: Most love taking care of patients and want nothing more than to be able to do just that. The source of the agony is the profession-or rather the corporatization of the profession-that has so impinged upon doctors' ability to practice medicine. Doctors placed their trust in the medical profession, but that trust has been roundly trounced. So, rather than prescribe Pilates classes for overstressed doctors, it is time for the medical profession-and the health care industry that has subsumed it-to get a checkup.