The pressure associated with patients' complaints, administrative responsibilities, and excessive workload poses an industry-wide burnout problem among the people working in the Chinese medical profession. Physicians have been working in an industry that chooses to ignore their mental well-being, leading to doctors leaving their practices and switching careers after years of practicing. One such recent incident involves Dr. Dong Min, a 48-year-old doctor in China, who switched her career and left medicine in 2023 after a 20-year medical career and started making a living by making steamed stuffed buns.
Dr. Dong graduated from Wuhan School of Medicine in 1999 and worked as a gynaecologist in Shenzhen. Later, she joined her mother’s private clinic in Wuhan.
After her mother’s retirement, they shut down the clinic and returned to their hometown Tianmen, Hubei. There, Dong worked as a doctor and the legal representative of a small community hospital.
As a doctor, she faced considerable mental stress. In addition to treating patients, she had to devote significant energy to managing non-medical affairs. "It is well-known that the relationship between hospitals and patients is often tense in China, such as dealing with frequent inspections from various government agencies,” stated Dong. In cases of medical disputes, she bore the full responsibility since she was the legal representative of the hospital, she added.
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Her decision to leave medicine was linked to the stress and responsibilities associated with her medical career, rather than being presented primarily as a financial decision.
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She entered the food industry almost by accident. Drawing her inspiration from a friend’s family-run food store and choosing to invest in a local bun shop.
After her head chef left suddenly, she started to learn how to make buns and fell in love with the process. Dong experiences no mental strain, even after working 10 hours daily.
She was happier after the career switch and with her business growing steadily. She plans to open a second outlet in July.
In an interview with the Changjiang Daily, Dong said, “When I was a doctor, the thought of quitting often crossed my mind. Now, running a bun shop keeps me busy and tired, but I am so happy that I can’t stop.”
At first, her family opposed her decision to switch from a respectable and decent profession.
“I am nearly 50 years old and have gone through many experiences. I don’t care what others think of me. I just want to live a life I love and live for myself,” she told the South China Morning Post.
Her mother and brother eventually accepted her decision and now help her in the store.
“There is no definitive answer in life. It is never too late to make a change. I hope to run my bun store until I can no longer move,” she added.
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Dr. Dong’s story provides insight into the pressure faced by medical professionals in China.
The South China Morning Post also reported on another doctor who left a career in a hospital laboratory in 2024 to run a street food stall after 13 years. Understanding the medical professionals’ mental health and work-life balance is the need of an hour to prevent them from leaving their careers.
(Rh/APC/MSM)