Dr Isis Maitland-Scott Medical Co-Editor

Now, this seemed a cruelly appropriate accompaniment to my day, after my six-month-old had learnt to roll from back to front gleefully( but not back again) a week ago, and had been doing some excellent practice and then calling for help all night long for a position reset.

It also made me wonder: Is‘ Never Resting’ really so appealing that it sells cars?

I mean sex, money, humour I get, but NEVER RESTING?

But in saying that, it is true that this incessant need to be busy has become a cultural obsession.

Ask a colleague how their day has been— busy.

Ask a fellow parent at drop-off how they are— busy.

There appears a particular pride, a badge of honour in being the busiest person around.

We congratulate each other on our ridiculous programs:“ I don’ t know how you do it? You’ re amazing.”

But this addiction is clearly not good for us. As our to-do lists spiral out of control, evidence grows for the slow movement.

Taking time, being mindful, spending time connecting— all of this promotes health and happiness.

Rest, it would seem, is actually

quite good for you, whether it sells cars or not.

This busyness obsession reaches even greater heights, or greater speeds, within medicine.

The question is— workload issues aside— is it really necessary?

I was recently at a wedding and having a conversation with a bunch of surgeons( what is the collective noun for a group of surgeons? A pride?) about part-time training.

Much was being made of the UK’ s move a few years ago to restrict

surgical trainees’ weekly hours, which, some say, have led to insufficient training. There were concerns among the‘ pride’ that if similar controls were introduced here, it would lead to poorer surgical outcomes in the long-term.

But surely, the long-held adage“ there is no such thing as a parttime doctor” is an out-dated concept? Many doctors are part-time and do an excellent job.

I suspect the main concerns raised are all subject to a much greater issue within medicine, which plays

out like this:“ We had to do it tough and so do you”,“ Doctors are busy, important people” and“ If you don’ t like the heat, get out of the kitchen”.

And although our medical colleges offer part-time fellowship options, many don’ t encourage it— some even ask part-time trainees to pay full-year fees.

But when you actually explore this though, medicine is really wellplaced to support part-time work. It’ s simple really— consult fewer days, operate fewer days, job share,

GIVEN THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS WE FACE AS A PROFESSION... SURELY, NOW IS THE TIME TO CONSIDER CHANGE?

handover.

If training is the concern, then let’ s explore that. If it takes a certain number of hours to get good enough to become a specialist— and we have decided it is— say six years full-time, then why can’ t it take 12 years part-time? Train two people, in a staggered fashion, and you have the same number of people achieving fellowship.

You could even argue that these people may end up with better skills as their brains are not so tired that they can lay down some good-quality

neural connections, and maybe even have the capacity at the end of the week for some reflection and professional growth, instead of falling in a heap or drowning in a glass of wine.

The corporate world has known for years that flexibility, part-time work and looking after its workers are recipes for success.

Silicon Valley is known for its Duvet Days— leave days incorporated into the workplace where an employee can simply stay at home because they don’ t feel like coming in. So it offers flexible hours, childcare support, protected time for creativity and non-pressured working environments. It claims much greater efficiency and innovation is the result.

In the past decade, multiple studies have confirmed that people working flexible hours and parttime are often much more effective and have fewer sick days.

Given the mental health crisis we face as a profession— as explored in this week’ s magazine— surely, now is the time to consider change?

It is not good enough to state: this is how it has always been done.

We, as an evidence-guided profession, must consider other ways to train our numbers. We must learn from other industries. And maybe we could consider taking our own advice and aim for a healthier, more restful and balanced lifestyle.

Dr Maitland-Scott is a GP in Sydney, NSW.