Margarita Mode
I told you recently that I was itching to write this post. Any hard worker would enjoy a true, well-deserved vacation.
A bonus doesn’t hurt either, but everyone knows that we don’t care about the pay.
We just want to make sure that our patients get the best, most comprehensive care at all times; even if it means we have no lunch, work overtime, and spend our off hours buried in calls and paperwork.
We love being burnt out too.
However, there will come a time when we decide to go into “margarita mode” and poof!
Live It Up
Vacation time is precious because we’re tired and need a break. It’s that simple. We want a few days (or weeks) to not have a scalpel in hand, or be glued to a computer screen, or hear the beeps of machines or the incessant calls from that one patient we regret giving our mobile number to.
So we give notices that we’ll be out of the office until whenever. Then we’re off to live it up a little.
Disclaimer
I’m putting my little disclaimer in this confession because for some odd reason, people think that we’re filthy rich.
After paying student loans, license fees, bills, office staff and malpractice insurance, in addition to family/household obligations, we don’t always get to save as much money as we should.
So unless we’re these doctors doing mostly niche surgeries and working in the entertainment industry, or owning patents or healthcare empires, money is not something we’re swimming in.
Living it up requires planning. In addition to having to save up for a vacation, we don’t always have the flexibility to leave whenever we want to. Time is money, and for doctors in private practice especially, staying away means cutting your pay.
So we have to budget just like everyone else. Then we have to strategize the best time to take a break, and arrange coverage for patients (and colleagues). We also leave emergency contacts, and pray we don’t get called.
The LAST thing we want during a vacation, is to have it interrupted by anything work-related.
We Ignore Stuff
However, not everyone gets the memo. For those of us who work for institutions or busy group practices, we will still get the mass messages. Some of us use that lovely “vacation” setting, but who wants to come back to 100+ emails? It’s more trouble than it’s worth, unless you decide to ignore some of the messages (I’ve sorta done that ).
Something else I’ve ignored? Calls from patients who I’ve told that I’m going on vacation. You know better. You know how to seek attention for an emergency. And you know to send a quick text if necessary. So you’re just being mean. You can’t see it, but I’m giving you the side eye.
Away…
We sometimes end up taking a staycation, a guaranteed way to feel like we were never off.
There are errands to run, spring cleaning to start (in the summer), medical reading to catch up on, family to spend quality time with. If we’re lucky, we get to sleep in until midday (guilty).
Nevertheless, whether we’re drinking wine from an IV bag (this is real), soaking up some sun in an infinity pool, curling up with a good book, stuffing bills into someone’s thong, or having a serene family picnic in the park, we’re away from work.
And away from funky lab coats that smell like hospital.
And away from you (insert interpretation here).
And yes, we’re absolutely loving it.
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