Takeaway
On challenging days, wise quotations on letting go of worry help me remain grounded. Staying present and collaborating with colleagues lightens the mental load and improves care.
Passion in the Medical Profession | December 18, 2025 | 2 min read
By Carey Roesler, PA, Johns Hopkins Medicine
For many providers, patient volumes are growing. Clinic block times are increasing and tools like AI scribes help increase this capacity. The economic reality we face is that in order to care for one, we must care for more. Money keeps the doors open. But the human reality is that patients are people and not RVUs.
Each patient takes up space in our hearts and minds. Some will take bigger parts for longer periods, like the ones with questionable courses or complex social dynamics. Then some will offload, when the concerning fracture heals, the antibiotic worked, or insurance company denial is overturned. We often hold them in our headspace, think of these complex souls outside of the hospital setting, and carry these concerns through our days. The bandwidth for this mental demand doesn’t always match the increasing census. As we add patient volumes, we add to the psychological load we carry.
I keep these three quotations in mind to help lighten the load:
1. “You cannot change your past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about your future.”—Roy Bennett, “The Light in the Heart”
Worrying won’t make the fracture heal more quickly or the antibiotic work better. Worrying will only steal from the present and can’t change outcomes. For our patients, our families, and ourselves, we need to do our best to stay in the present moment.
2. “Trust in your training.”—Peter Vidmar, Olympic gymnast
We’ve all spent hundreds of hours to become healthcare professionals. Trust your training AND continue to learn. Use colleagues for shared knowledge—the medical model should be collaborative. Sharing challenging situations with peers can improve clinical decision making and lighten mental loads.
3. The most important patient is the one sitting in front of me.”—Richi Bancels, head athletic trainer for the Baltimore Orioles 1984-2017
When Mr. Bancels was asked “Who’s the most important person you’ve ever taken care of?” he replied: “The patient sitting in front of me.”
Give all your focus and energy to the soul sitting before you. The more you can be in that moment, really hear the patient, the better the evaluation and plan, and the less concern you’ll have as you reflect on the encounter. The more practice on this concept the more confident we can be that we’re on the right course.
As clinical demands creep, provider mental load increases. Sophisticated tools to fill beds and speed billing and documentation can help with volumes, but not with the psychological burden. Staying in the moment and pulling on your training can help. Ultimately, working to find a level of sustainable empathy and reaching out to colleagues and peers for help will make us better providers and help mitigate burnout.
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This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.