No PACS Past 5: Rest Ethic in Radiology

About 15 years ago, Google turned heads on social media by posting pictures of employees chatting while lounging on bean bags with free snacks in office environments that looked more like playgrounds than typical office spaces, suggesting that these spaces would be representations of the future.

Numerous benefits were ascribed to this new environment, including reduced employee fatigue or attrition and increased productivity. It sounded like the best answer, bringing life to work, although recent articles reveal the truth about Google work-life balance!

What does work-life balance mean for radiologists? According to the AMA, more than 70% of physicians report spending at least some of their personal time managing electronic health records and other work-related email while on vacation. Surveys reveal that 44%–65% of radiologists experience burnout with 14%–16% reporting symptoms so severe that they may leave their jobs. These numbers are unsurprising, as physicians are taught that their work is not just a job but a higher calling, requiring them to go above and beyond for their patients.

As physicians, many of us know what it feels like to never truly be “off” from work, even in our sleep. I was recently confronted with this reality during my interventional radiology rotation. On a grueling 6:6 schedule, I spent my waking hours charting patients for the next day and, at night, dreaming about procedures. I hated every second of it. Even when I was home, I found myself dreading the next day.

It was clear I needed to make a change, so I began focusing on self-care in small but intentional ways. I started by carving out brief moments during the day to enjoy healthy snacks — something as simple as a piece of dark chocolate or a mandarin orange gave me something to look forward to amidst the chaos. I also made it a point to stay hydrated. Over time, I became more efficient at charting, which allowed me to finish before leaving the hospital instead of bringing the work home.

I also rediscovered a long-lost habit — reading before bed. The process was gradual, but the results were transformative! The workload stayed the same, but I learned to establish boundaries and unplug fully from work. These small acts of self-care made all the difference, or at least the difference I needed at the time.

Often the answers aren’t always this simple and modular. Life responsibilities can limit our ability to reset, forcing us to shift our priorities toward family obligations or urgent crises. At times, there seems to be no way out — only a way through — by having compassion for ourselves and those around us.

Even then, the work sometimes follows us home in ways that even the most seasoned physicians might find difficult to resist, such as a text from a surgeon colleague at 8pm asking, “Can you take a quick look at these images that you read today?” Do you honor professional courtesy and respond, or do you prioritize your need for rest and say, “First thing tomorrow”?

Whatever path you choose, remember that our “every day” is in fact life-changing and profound to our patients and colleagues. As my program director likes to quote from his favorite TV show, The Bear, Season 2, Episode 7, “Every day here is the freakin’ Super Bowl.” In other words, every day we spend analyzing medical images is an extremely important day for the patients we serve.

I believe the cognitive demands of diagnostic radiology necessitate a paradigm shift, both at a personal and institutional level, of intentionally viewing the act of taking time off as a positive and necessary component of being a committed physician.