PERSPECTIVE

Finding Joy in Medicine: 5 Tips for Senior Residents

Dan Culhane , MD

Vice President of Operations, Emergency Medicine

Published November 05, 2025

When I finished residency, I was determined to find the perfect job — one that offered top pay, prestige, and the most challenging cases. Five years and four job changes later, I realized something important: the best job isn’t found, it’s created.

Once I took ownership of my practice environment, shaping how I showed up, collaborated, and supported my team, everything changed. My patients received better care. My colleagues became true partners. And I rediscovered the joy that brought me to medicine in the first place.

Joy in medicine isn’t just talk, it’s real, and it matters. As a Vituity partner and leader, I’ve learned that well-being isn’t separate from great care; it’s the foundation of it. Supporting physician wellness shapes how we lead, collaborate, and deliver care every day.

Here are five principles I share with physicians looking to build careers grounded in purpose, growth, and well-being.

1. Define what fulfillment looks like for you

Every physician starts their career with a “why.” Reconnect with yours. Whether it’s caring for patients on their hardest days or leading a team to better outcomes, clarity of purpose is your compass — especially when the demands of medicine feel overwhelming.

2. Leadership Decisions Shape Your Daily Experience

Confidence is important, but curiosity is critical. Every person you work with, from nurses to clerks, has something to teach you. Staying humble keeps you open to growth and connected to the people who make your work meaningful.

Ready to Redefine Care? Let’s Go.

As you move from residency to practice, choose a team that values your ideas, invests in your growth, and helps you build a fulfilling career centered on well-being and impact.

3. Make medicine a team sport

You can’t do it all alone — and you shouldn’t have to. Great care is built on collaboration. Leading with empathy, trust, and accountability doesn’t just improve outcomes; it creates a supportive environment where everyone thrives.

4. Prioritize your well-being

Medicine can be intense. Nationally, burnout rates hover around 63%. At Vituity, we take a different approach — fostering a culture of support, flexibility, and shared leadership that empowers physicians to thrive.

Small shifts can make a big difference:

Take part in peer-led initiatives or committees that give you a voice in change.
Pursue teaching, mentorship, or leadership roles that align with your passions.
Set healthy boundaries and practice self-care that sustains you beyond your shift.

Your well-being fuels your ability to care for others — and your organization should champion that.

5. Create your ideal career

No department or hospital is perfect, but you can make it better. Start by identifying what’s getting in the way of your fulfillment — then take one step toward change. Advocate for smoother workflows, more team connection, or patient-centered improvements. Every positive ripple begins with action.

Find your joy — and protect it

You can’t eliminate every challenge in medicine, but you can build a career that brings purpose and satisfaction. At Vituity, clinicians are supported, empowered, and never in it alone — because well-being isn’t a perk. It’s the foundation for exceptional care.

Partnering to improve patient lives

Vituity branding with wave pattern footer