When the Work You Loved Starts to Feel Empty
I used to think my purpose was crystal clear: save lives, show up strong, do the work. As a trauma surgeon, it felt noble—and it was. But somewhere along the way, I started losing myself in the process.
The long hours, the rotating shifts, the nonstop adrenaline... they changed me. And not always for the better. I stopped asking myself what I needed. What lit me up. What made the work matter beyond the title and the paycheck.
The truth is, when purpose becomes performance, burnout isn’t far behind.
You might recognize this too—when your job title starts to define your identity more than your personal values, or when the work that once fulfilled you now only leaves you feeling depleted. For many of us in medicine, the pressure to keep pushing, to “not let the team down,” can be so loud that we forget we are allowed to evolve.
What I realized—and what I now help other healthcare professionals uncover—is that purpose isn’t just about what you do. It’s about why you do it. And if your current environment has you running on autopilot, disconnected from that why... it's time to realign.
It is important to walk through:
How to reconnect with your original why for entering medicine
What to do when the work no longer feels aligned
How to rediscover passion through meaningful projects, advocacy, or new professional paths
How to integrate your personal and professional values without guilt
Tools for regaining clarity on what you want to be remembered for—outside your job title
Because fulfillment doesn’t have to be this rare, elusive thing. It’s something you build—when you give yourself permission to change direction.
