‘Glorifies burnout’: Doctor’s disgust over leaked hospital email

A leaked email from a NSW hospital has left doctors across the country horrified, with one practictioner claiming it “glorifies burnout”.

A leaked email from John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle has exposed a culture that “glorifies burnout”, according to a prominent doctor.

The email, which criticises a junior doctor for seeking a “lifestyle” balance, has been widely circulated online in recent days.

A hospital employee seemingly meant to email someone else to complain about the situation but ended up accidentally replying to the junior doctor instead.

“Seriously! I wonder if any of them realise that they are a doctor and that this is what happens,” the email read.

“Oh that is right … I forgot. Lifestyle before career. God help us in the future. We are going to have a workforce of clinical marshmallows!”

Online, the email has been widely condemned.

One person branded it “appalling behaviour”, another called it “disheartening” and someone else said, “So they basically expect junior doctors to work themselves to death?”

This email went viral. Picture: Linkedin

MORE: 9 signs you’re burnt out from work

Since the email was leaked online, a spokesperson for the Hunter New England Local Health District has apologised for any “hurt” caused.

“Junior medical officers work hard and are a vital part of our health service, and we sincerely apologise for the hurt and frustration caused by a recent email that was circulated,” a spokesperson said.

“We are committed to fostering a workplace where junior medical officers feel valued and respected. The email did not reflect this commitment or our values, and we have written to the relevant JMOs to apologise.

“The matter is being addressed appropriately.”

Many people in the medical field have hit out at the hospital over the email, with Melbourne doctor, Michael Mrozinski, saying it was nothing short of “unacceptable” and that it contained “absolutely no empathy”.

Dr Michael Mrozinski explained the problem with the email. Picture: TikTok/DrMichael

He called the email ‘unacceptable’. Picture: TikTok/DrMichael

Dr Mrozinski said that people in administration basically “control” doctor’s lives but often “don’t give a s**t” about the wellbeing of the medical staff.

“Calling junior doctors ‘clinical marshmallows’ for prioritising work-life balance isn’t just insulting, it’s a reflection of a system that glorifies burnout and punishes those who set boundaries,” he said in a video shared to social media.

“The message is clear: Your worth is measured by how much of yourself you’re willing to sacrifice. But this mindset is driving doctors out of the profession.”

The doctor told news.com.au that he did his junior years in a hospital in the UK but is now working in Australia and has found that work culture issues are “universal” in medicine.

“Any doctor that’s worked in a hospital will have definitely seen this all before. Guilt-tripping, passive-aggressive emails, ‘improve your time management’, and the classic ‘we all have to make sacrifices’ type of speech,” he said.

“The reality is that junior doctors are expected to give up their personal time whenever it’s convenient for the hospital, but the second they push back, they’re suddenly ‘not committed enough’.”

The doctor argued that things need to change. Picture: iStock

Dr Mrozinski claimed that, in general, doctors and nurses are “people pleasers” and it has created a culture of it being normal for hospital workers to just accept extra hours, extra shifts, and last-minute roster changes without complaint.

“This is slowly starting to change, but because this has been accepted as normal for so long, there is pushback from HR when someone says, ‘No, actually, I can’t pick up that shift’,” he said.

Dr Mrozinski said that for the culture to change, people need to be “honest” and stop putting unrealistic expectations onto doctors and nurses.

“Hospitals don’t magically change because people decide to be tougher – they change when we stop accepting that this is not normal,” he argued.

“That means proper staffing, protected time off, and HR departments that actually do their job instead of gaslighting doctors into unsafe conditions.”

The doctor also argued that a culture of overworking medical staff impacts everyone because “tired doctors make mistakes”.

Interestingly, Dr Vivek Eranki, who worked as an orthopaedic and trauma registrar in rural and regional areas as a junior, said that while the email was “tone-deaf,” he didn’t find it completely offensive.

Dr Vivek Eranki had a different response. Picture: Supplied

“While the email is tone-deaf and the sender needs training, there is an old adage: you get out what you put in,” he told news.com.au.

“Being a doctor is not the right profession for someone with a ‘clock off at 5’ mindset. Illness and injury do not strike according to a schedule, and traditionally, doctors are required to be present and ready whenever needed.

“This personal sacrifice by many doctors is why they are held in such high regard.”

Dr Eranki argued that junior doctors may miss out on opportunities to help people if they have a “mindset of clocking off when their shift ends”.

“I have now transitioned into a full corporate and business career. Even though my vocation affords me greater freedom, I would not be successful if I did not outwork those I compete against,” he said.

Originally published as ‘Glorifies burnout’: Doctor’s disgust over leaked hospital email