Practicing medicine now, in this day and age, may be another kind of traumatic stress, and one that is new to a younger generation of doctors. Imagine not knowing how you will get financed two years from now and if the government will cut your funding. A lot of us can relate.

Remember the oxygen mask and get your needs taken care of first. Take exquisite care of yourself as the foundation for taking care of others. This is the only way you can be emotionally available for your patients and your family and avoid even deeper levels of burnout.

Despite the difficulties of staying hale and hearty during the busiest few years of a physician's career, medical residents not only have a personal responsibility for their well-being but also an obligation to their patients to engage in the same healthy behaviors that they recommend.