She also expanded her circle of friends by volunteering for social activities at her son's school. She recalls arranging her schedule one day between surgeries so she could be the room mother at her son's class Valentine's Day party.
"You may not be able to be PTA president or chair the fundraising committee that's going to meet every week, but you can do specific functions, whether it's the book fair for a weekend or the school parties—something like that where you are being just like one of the other parents," she said. "You're physically there, your kid sees you as involved in the situation, and you have the chance to meet the other families that your kids interact with."
▸ Find a hobby. If you engage yourself in a hobby such as record collecting or league participation in your favorite sport, "you end up meeting a lot of people from all different walks of life and all different fields, yet you share that common interest," Dr. Flamm said.
Two years ago he joined a local astronomy club. He had dabbled in astronomy in high school, "but not seriously."
The club holds monthly meetings in a local auditorium and monthly star viewing parties in the desert.
Becoming a collector is another way to meet people, added Dr. Flamm, who is a longtime collector of calculators. "Most of the people who are into that are engineers who have no interest in medicine at all, but you can meet various people," he said. "When I was actively collecting calculators a few years ago, my wife and I would go to a flea market almost every weekend."
Another enriching experience for Dr. Flamm has been acquiring a springer spaniel puppy named Zoe. He and his wife brought her home after their two 14-year-old dogs died last year, and they recently adopted a 3-month-old puppy named Hunter. They occasionally take Zoe and Hunter to dog-friendly parks in their area, "where you meet the nicest people who are always interested in dogs," Dr. Flamm said.
Dr. Horbach noted the danger of living only for medicine is that you become "very one-dimensional. There is difficulty keeping up physician morale because of all the things we're battling in terms of finances, paperwork, and insurance. If you have a chance to branch out and talk with other people, you understand that many industries are going through some of the same challenges that we face in medicine. They may have different aspects, but I think you get a better perspective on the demands that are made in the professional world across the board. Everyone now is expected to do more with less and still fight issues relative to compensation. Keeping that perspective is important, so you don't foster increasing frustration, resentment, or dissatisfaction," she said.
Dr. Bruce Flamm finds that taking his dogs, Zoe (left) and Hunter (right), to a dog park is a good way to socialize. Courtesy Dr. Bruce Flamm