We are humans first

I read Dr Chris Frank’s reflection¹ in the December 2022 issue with so much respect and empathy. His essay about our experiences with personal grief as physicians is incredibly relatable. We are our hardest critics; we suppose that since we face challenging patient situations and provide empathy, we should somehow be “immune” to sadness ourselves.

Yet, this is not nearly reality! Thank you, Dr Frank, for eloquently describing the accuracy of our humanity: we are human first, with emotions to be felt and expressed. Our careers and education as physicians should by no means make us feel as though we are not “allowed” or “supposed to” feel grief in our personal lives. I echo your sentiments: the more we practise self-compassion and are attuned to our own humanity, the easier grief becomes to acknowledge and process. Thank you for your honest and empowering reflection!