the grind

I worked for 2 weeks now and it hasn't been that bad. Fortunately, they have started me on 50% of my patient panel which is less than what I saw as a resident. The following week I was at 75% and I'll be at that this week as well. Next week, I'm back down to 50% since we're transitioning over to an electronic medical record.

The other day, I saw my 11th patient for the half day and I felt that familiar "rush" that I would get as a resident. It's this substernal race against time. We are booked a patient every 10 minutes and of course, many patient visits take longer than that. In between sessions I bill, write prescriptions, find my medical assistant if she isn't around, write consults, write X-ray/procedure referrals, etc. There is a pressure within me--within all docs-- to be efficient with patients yet give them quality care. The pressure gets worse when I get a walk-in with chest pressure or a fracture or who is just really sick and needs an admission.

Can I do this till retirement?