#208: PA's for Global Health President, Lyndsey Milcarek, MPH, PA-C Kept Saying Yes Until Burnout Forced her to Learn Boundaries, Say No to Extra Shifts, and Reprioritize Her Goals for the Future

Published: Aug. 22, 2024, 10:06 a.m.

Lyndsey uses the word "propelled" to describe how she got two bachelor's degrees, two master's degrees AND held down a part-time job while being involved in global health. She got her MPH and worked part-time while in PA school! Lyndsey is very involved in global health and worked for a year in South Africa teaching PA students (called Clinical Associates there). After years of working 6 days a week she finally hit a wall, becoming frustrated with patients, a clue for her that she was experiencing burnout.

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Before we get to the take-home points of the interview, group coaching is now starting after Labor Day (9/13), so if you haven't signed up, it's not too late.

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Show notes:

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  1. What are you giving up (for your future) with the decisions you\u2019re making in the present?

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  3. Figure out what kind of framework you want for your life in 5 years and ask yourself what decisions you can make right now that\u2019ll set you up for that

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  5. Notice if you\u2019re getting frustrated with patients, this is often an early sign of burnout.\xa0 Can you find a way to deal with that frustration that empowers both you and your patients like educating them about their condition?

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  7. Ask \u201cwho takes care of me?\u201d\xa0 Are your needs getting met?\xa0 How can you show up for yourself and meet those needs?

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  9. Boundaries:\xa0 Just because you can doesn\u2019t mean you should.\xa0 Ask yourself why you\u2019re saying yes when you really mean no.\xa0 Are you saying yes because you feel obligated?\xa0 Will saying yes sacrifice your needs or your ability to provide good patient care?

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  11. Ask if the money is worth it?\xa0 What are you giving up for the money?

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  13. Think of your time in terms of a scale.\xa0 Sometimes adding in things that you\u2019re passionate about helps tip the scale away from burnout, but it\u2019s a conscious choice and requires stepping back and looking at how you\u2019re spending your time.\xa0

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Burnout book Lyndsey mentions, here

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PAs for Global Health website, IG

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Lyndsey's IG here