Being a physician is only one facet of our identity, and it’s not even the dominant aspect of who we are. Identity goes much deeper than one’s vocation and also deeper than our roles as an adult son or daughter, a parent or aunt or uncle, a spouse, etc. I see my primary identity as a child of God but also as a person with a story of perseverance. The better we know our own backstories, to use a fiction term, the more we know who we are. If we see our identities as mostly being physicians, our sense of who we are can be threatened by our own retirement or health problems or a medical mistake or a lawsuit. If we see our identities as rich, complex, and multi-faceted, our career does not greatly or excessively factor in to our sense of worth.
Physician, Get Healed 