Editorial: The Jobs Issue

I admit at the beginning I feared the pandemic was going to be much worse: that double-digit percentages of the global population were going to die. Then in September of that first year of the pandemic some work challenges came along and I had one of my annual-or-so freak outs: Argh, I thought, I should quit my job/retire! I can’t afford to retire (I’m 59 if you’re curious) so it would have been more like becoming a minimalist and part-time freelance writer. I have a lovely boss (who occasionally has to serve a bit like a therapist for me!), and I talked to her and my friends and wisely didn’t impulse-quit my job during the pandemic. I’ll sometimes tell someone my job is that I’m the editor of a magazine and website and they will say something like, “Oh, gosh, that must be such a great job to have!” And in many ways, it is, and I’m privileged and grateful. I enjoy the “craft” parts of being a journalist. But as doctors will often say, they love the patient care and hate the paperwork—there are pluses and minuses of any job. I spent a lot of time through the pandemic reading and thinking about how we deal with the parts of our jobs we don’t like, and I think it goes like this: We want to minimize the parts of our jobs we don’t like compared to the parts we like, of course. Beyond that, when the work we do aligns with our values, it is easier to tolerate the parts we don’t care for. That is, I believe the purpose of the Medical Post is to help Canada’s doctors—through the lens of journalism. I believe helping Canada’s doctors is good for Canada and the healthcare system, and I care passionately about those things. So when I’m in the midst of the parts of my job I don’t like, I try to remember that, and it makes it easier. Shoutouts The best part of editing a magazine is working with the team of writers, and I hope the coverage in this issue helps you with your job. We look at the challenges for doctors working in healthcare today, with different physicians outlining the obstacles doctors face in having passion for their jobs. One of the great things about being a physician is the range of possible jobs one can do, and the article “Cool jobs” outlines some interesting options. Dr. Raj Waghmare’s column looks at a 14-year-old who presents with mysterious symptoms, leading to a complex diagnostic journey.

Editorial: The Jobs Issue

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