#ResilientResidencyInsights 1 - Find your Purpose and Stay Grounded in your Intention

As-salamu alaykum,

Welcome to the 1^st “chapter” in the #ResilientResidencyInsights series on this 1^st day of the best 10 days of the Hijri calendar year.

This year, it also coincides with a Friday – an unmatched day for Muslims that Allah, the Most High, singled out to be the best of the weekdays.

On this special day (and for the next 9 days, In sha Allah) we will walk alongside friends sharing 10 key insights that are crucial to stay resilient through residency and burnout-proof your journey (while maximizing the best 10 days of the year!)

Let’s jump right in, Bismillah!

Today’s conversation centers around 2 key words, Purpose and Intention or more aptly, Niyyah!

Kendall Cotton Bronk, Ph.D., a Professor of Psychology in the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the Claremont Graduate University defined purpose in life as “a long-term, forward-looking intention to accomplish aims that are both meaningful to the self and of consequence to the world beyond the self.”

We understand from this that purpose is intention tied to the long game!

Healthcare workers and, specifically, medical professionals understand the idea of the long game and delayed gratification that comes with the journey of medical training.

Clarity on the why behind this journey is where purpose and niyyah come in.

The famous hadith narrated by Umar ibn Al-Khattab establishes the pre-eminence of niyyah for a person’s actions; for the purposes of our discussion – residency or the long-term practice of Medicine.

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, deeds are only with intentions, and every person will have only what they intended. Whoever emigrated to Allah and His Messenger, his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger. Whoever emigrated to get something in the world or to marry a woman, his emigration is for that to which he emigrated.” [Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 54, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1907]

Why is cementing clarity on purpose and intention relevant to your resiliency through residency?

Again we turn to the experts, Prof. Bronk referenced above shared that “a growing body of research suggests that, compared to others, individuals with a purpose in life tend to be more resilient. Being inspired by a personally meaningful goal that is larger than the self serves to keep individuals committed to long-term aims, despite challenges and setbacks.”

The story of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) is instructive in this regard; he weathered many storms on his journey to finding Allah – a deeply centered purpose that was crystal clear in his mind as was his wife, Hajar, in her quest to access the blessings of Allah in order to be able to support her helpless baby as she made the laps (Sa’ee) between the mountains of Safa and Marwa when her husband left on an important journey ordained by Allah.

Friends and colleagues, you too will weather many storms on your residency journey and it will shape you in profound ways but there’s an inherent risk of chronic stress and burnout that must be proactively managed.

Consider these 3 self-reflective questions;

1. Why did you choose to pursue a career in medicine and this specific path of residency?

2. What kind of impact do you want to make in the healthcare field and/or your community?

3. How might you align your journey through residency training and your future work with the pursuit of Allah’s pleasure and your success in the hereafter?

Taking the time now, before that journey starts in just a few weeks, to explore your intentions, clarify your purpose and elevate your intentions “from the mundane to the most profound” in the service of Allah through your service to humanity will help burnout-proof your journey by Allah’s will.

May Allah, the Most High, bless your journey through healthcare training and work and strengthen you and us on the path of service to humanity in ways that bring us closer to Him. Amin

Sincerely,

Sulyman

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