Professional Development > Careers & Education

Doc experiences 21 bleeding ulcers—'severe, chronic, work-related stress takes a toll'

By MDLinx staff

Published March 20, 2025

Key Takeaways

Today’s doctors are leveraging their platforms to spark conversations, battle misinformation, and drive positive change in health and wellness. Their influential posts are making waves—don’t miss them!

For the past 3 years, ENT surgeon Frances Mei Hardin, MD, has spent every holiday on call. She’s accustomed to being on call, but the work-related stress she experiences takes a toll.

Dr. Hardin details her journey on her Instagram profile, drawing attention to the harsh situations she's experienced throughout her training and work as an ENT surgeon and reflecting on the personal sacrifices inherent in her medical career. She expressed how these demands have led to feelings of disconnection from her personal life—a sentiment many physicians can relate to.

One post in particular captured the reality many physicians face.

“One day last year, I had such bad abdominal pain—I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “Still saw my patients, finished the day, and then went to the emergency room. I ended up going to the OR and having surgery because I had 21 bleeding ulcers through my whole stomach into my duodenum, and that was from work-related stress.”

Connecting to patient care

For Dr. Hardin, the breaking point isn’t a dramatic collapse; it’s the timely realization that she’s given up too much. Yet, like so many physicians, she keeps going—because the work matters, because patients need her, because stepping away feels impossible.

"Physicians go into medicine wanting to be the martyr. I sacrificed all this to help people. That is why I chose this path. When we realize that no all society doesn’t value it the way we do it creates sadness and regret. That is what I have seen in a large number of my colleagues. "

— Chris Thiagarajah, MD, @denvereyeliddoc

Studies show that long-term overwork leads to emotional detachment, cynicism, and even decreased patient outcomes.^[]

The expectation to be “always on” takes a toll, especially for those in high-intensity specialties like surgery, emergency medicine, and critical care.

If the system doesn’t change—if we don’t address workload, staffing shortages, and unrealistic expectations—how many more physicians will lose themselves in the job?