Physicians Face Identity Conflict After Serious Illness

Physicians who experienced a life-threatening illness or medical event described conflict between their roles as clinicians and patients. Institutional policies and leadership responses also influenced their return-to-work experiences, according to a qualitative study published in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with board-certified physicians who were in active clinical practice when the illness or event occurred and who had attempted to resume work, successfully or unsuccessfully. The interviews were conducted virtually or in person from October 1, 2024, through May 31, 2025. The study used narrative inquiry to analyze the interviews.

The study included 22 physicians from 7 specialties and 16 institutions. Participants were aged 43 to 77 years, and 12 (55%) were female. Investigators found that experiences of illness and decisions about resuming clinical work were framed by shifts in professional identity. Some participants wanted to return but could not because of their clinical outcomes.

The analysis grouped these tensions into five areas involving diminished control, loss of perceived invulnerability, reconsideration of professional identity, the mixed advantages and burdens of medical expertise, and the role of institutional practices in work reentry. Participants reported that leave rules, available assistance, and leaders’ sensitivity affected whether they could resume work and how they viewed themselves during and after the transition.

The authors said institutions should consider moving from procedure-focused reentry processes toward relationship-centered policies and interactions. They noted that the sample size may limit generalizability and that retrospective narratives were subject to recall bias. Specific diagnoses were not reported to preserve confidentiality, and the study included only physicians’ perspectives, without those of colleagues or institutions.

Source: Ellison AM, Wu K, Jones F, et al. Physicians’ experiences with life-threatening illness and return to work: a qualitative study. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(9):e2632989. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.32989