A physician's poem on burnout and end-of-life care

Summary: Dr. Nisha Punatar, a hospitalist, wrote a touching poem about the hidden weight of being a doctor. She explains that burnout isn't a sudden fire. Instead, it slowly creeps in when doctors have to balance hope with the harsh reality of end-of-life care. People tell doctors to "practice self-care," but no one teaches them how to leave the sadness of dying patients at work. She learns to cope by setting emotional boundaries—caring deeply without giving away all of herself. She calls this "presence with edges," allowing her to support grieving families and still show up the next day to do it all again.

Source: rssapp-kevinmd-com URL: kevinmd.com/2026/04/a-physicians-poem-on-burnout-and-end-of-life-care.html (opens in new tab)