As a journalist, I am naturally curious. The first thing we learn when writing a news story is to answer the questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and if you can—How.
That is why I love writing about infectious diseases. The field is fascinating, and those questions are constantly being asked and answered, and in some cases repeatedly because something about the organism or condition changed.
I've loved talking to ID specialists because they have been uniformly excited and intellectually stimulated by their field. Your excitement for ID is contagious.
But burnout is infecting that enthusiasm. Some of you have lost your joie de vivre. It is understandable and is happening to many healthcare professionals, especially after COVID-19. It’s hard to maintain joy for your work if you are underappreciated, underpaid and overutilized.
Your societies, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Society for Microbiology, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and the HIV Medicines Association, are working on the big issues confronting you—like compensation and student debt.
But there are steps we can take to improve our own situations. Although it's important to take better care of your own health and well-being, Drs. Stuart Ray and Paul Pottinger advised to remember you are not alone.
I hope that at IDWeek you had an opportunity to meet up with an old friend, colleague or mentor or went to a session that had nothing to do with your current position just because you were curious. Did the activities like morning yoga. Got away for a couple of hours and spent some time checking out Los Angeles or the surrounding neighborhood. Did something for yourself.
Remember—you are valued, and your work is invaluable. “ID never sits still. We make such a difference in the lives of our patients, and it is so fascinating,” Dr. Pottinger told me, and he’s right. You are, and it is.
The views expressed here belong to the editor and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.
This article is from the October 2024 print issue.