Careers in Family Medicine: Key Takeaways (Part 2) Fulfillment and Joy

I’m continuing to reflect on the common themes that emerged from the first 15 stories in the Careers in Family Medicine series. Last week, we looked at career trajectory and mentorship. This week, let’s explore what our featured physicians shared about how they find or create fulfillment and joy in their careers.

Connection with Patients

Most family physicians, and frankly most physicians in general, find deep meaning in connecting with patients. That connection looks different depending on the setting, but the theme was unmistakable.

Some quotes from the series:

"(Important for me) are my continuity patients and creating those long-term relationships with multiple generations of families, understanding socio-dynamics, and being there for them when they got sick, when they got better, and when they lost a dear one."

"I get to take care of patients across the lifespan and can see them as often as they need to and without productivity-dependent time constraints."

"In the room were four generations (after delivery) of this family, all of whom were under my care. We laughed and told stories all throughout the labor. This is the beauty of family medicine."

"I have found that my desire for continuity is also fulfilled by working at a community hospital. We have many chronically ill patients that we care for repeatedly. We get to know them and their families quite well."

"The joy of medicine is in the relationships you foster with patients and their families. I find joy in my job by leaning into my relationships with the people I interact with every day."

These reflections remind us that relationships with patients, whether episodic or longitudinal, are at the heart of fulfillment in family medicine. Even when the system pressures us to rush or disconnect, this through-line remains.

Connection with Colleagues and the Power of Teams

Many physicians also emphasized the importance of connection with colleagues as a powerful and often overlooked contributor to fulfillment. This came in several forms:

• Supportive colleagues and cross-specialty relationships

• A sense of family within their department

• Teams that “always volunteer to help one another during challenges”

• Clinical teams that feel cohesive, collaborative, and emotionally safe

One physician named the joy of not having to have all the answers because of the strength of their team’s problem-solving. Another reflected on the intentionality required to build that kind of culture—whether through friendships, community networking, or mentoring others.

These connections didn’t just happen. They were created.

Bottom line:
Connection is a vital component of professional fulfillment. It's also one of the three pillars of psychological fitness: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. If we aren’t connected to patients or colleagues, our fulfillment suffers. And yet, today’s healthcare environment makes it harder than ever to prioritize this need.

This is not an optional add-on to our careers. It's essential.

Coaching Reflection:

On a scale of 1 to 10:

• How connected do you feel to your patients?

• To your colleagues?

• To your team(s)?

If any score is below a 7, what small actions might help strengthen that connection?

And if your brain immediately says, “I don’t know” or “I can’t,” don’t stop there. Those are often reflex answers. Point your attention in the direction you want to go and get curious. What’s one small next step that might help?

Other Themes That Contribute to Fulfillment and Joy

While the two kinds of connection above stood out strongly, other themes also wove through these physicians’ stories:

• Aligning career with your core values

• Finding meaning and purpose in your work

• Being part of something bigger than yourself

• Asking for what’s needed

• Cultivating joy and passion at work

• Attention to mindset and mindfulness

• Reinvigoration through professional development, contribution, teaching, leadership, advocacy, and yes, fun

Each of these deserves its own moment, but for now, let’s move to what’s next in the series.

Coming Next: Job Decisions and Career Pivots

In Part 3 of this reflection series, I’ll share the wisdom these physicians offered on choosing first jobs and navigating career pivots—what they wish they’d known and how they made the leap when things weren’t working.

Until then, I hope you have a joy-filled week. - Tonya