• (Photo : Marcelo Leal via Unsplash)

The Covid-19 pandemic has created major work culture and lifestyle shifts for everyone in the United States. In the professional world, however, the medical industry (especially physicians) is seeing a sharp increase in day-to-day stressors that they must deal with. As the country continues to wrangle the pandemic into a more controllable, less deadly state, physicians are on the frontlines trying their hardest to save as many lives as they can manage. Here are just a few of the biggest new challenges physicians are facing in 2022 amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. 

Labor Shortages

The sheer amount of labor needs that are going unmet in 2022 is already astounding. Unfortunately, this is simply a continuation of what's happened to many industries since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since healthcare workers are on the frontline of the crisis, they are often seeing some of the most severe and consequential shortages of any American industry. 

While this news could prove beneficial to those looking to make a shift into the physician profession, and for new graduates aiming for the title, it's proving to be a major challenge for those already working as a physician. With these shortages, the demands of the job are piling up at an insane rate. 

There's never been a better time to reach out to anyone you know in the healthcare industry to see if they need a helping hand. Doing so will help you help them to save lives and keep the country on a speedy track toward recovery. 

Vaccine Hesitancy

One of the most perplexing aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the concurrent rise in vaccine hesitancy and the conspiracy theories that often fuel them. After all, something as massively game-changing and frightening as Covid-19 can often be hard for most people to understand fully. Covid-19 vaccines have become especially controversial due to the massive push for them, and the mandates that have been set up (and often shot down) in different parts of the country. 

Because the vaccination rate is barely climbing after an initial surge upon the vaccine's release, the overcrowding of hospitals and doctor offices has continued to be a major problem. Physicians are finding this especially difficult to deal with at the same time as the historical labor shortages in the industry. To help physicians' workloads lighten up, getting vaccinated is one of the best routes you've got. Convincing someone who's hesitant to get the vaccine to take a leap of faith is another stellar way you can improve the country's battle against the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Longer Working Hours

The overcrowding and labor shortage combine to create a third major challenge for Physicians in 2022 - long, difficult working hours. The conditions of medical sites have been even more exhausting due to the pandemic, and that's before you account for the need for many workers to work hideously long hours. Add overtime on top of that, and you've got a recipe for exhausted, less-effective medical workers (which unfortunately puts both patients and medical staff at a larger risk of accidents or insufficient care).

With the physician field already being short-staffed, and the need for physicians who are exposed to Covid-19 to take breaks semi-frequently, the sheer amount of overtime that's been needed to keep the country going is almost heartbreaking. As more workers enter the field, or as the pandemic begins to even out, the physicians of the country will need a long, well-deserved rest to fully recover. 

Uncertain Career Paths

Because the Covid-19 pandemic has made the medical field one of the more dangerous, challenging, and demanding industries in the United States, many already within the industry are beginning to feel uncertain about the future of their career paths. Physicians, who are some of the most overworked professionals in the industry, are seeing a huge surge in retirements from older workforce veterans in particular.

That being said, this uncertainty will create more space for people new to the field, and those looking to make a shift into a physician role, to progress in their careers. Like the other challenges we've covered, this one has many aspects that become a double-edged sword for both the healthcare workers and the public they serve. For both those looking for a change and those staying firmly where they are at, the uncertainty that's abundant within the industry's professional circles becomes another huge stressor that they must deal with every single day. 

Here's to Hoping 2023 is Smoother

While the challenges physicians are facing in 2022 show no signs of slowing down, the year is just beginning. With any luck, and with lots of hard work, our country will begin to relieve the stress levels of the brave medical professionals who are keeping us afloat. Until then, it's urgent that we provide not only physicians, but all medical workers in the United States with the support systems they need to keep going strong.