Young Doctors Need to Be Willing to Make the Ultimate Sacrifice

Congressman Greg Murphy believes medicine is a calling, and that comes with sacrifices.

Before he was elected to represent North Carolina’s third congressional district in U.S. Congress, Murphy served a different kind of calling: working as a urologist, an affiliate professor, the president of his urology group, and chief of staff at Vidant Medical Center. Today, he’s one of the few physicians serving in Congress and also the only physician politician who's still actively seeing patients, something he does completely pro bono.

According to Murphy, that’s exactly what the job demands. “Look, I could go back and earn a whole lot more money being a practicing physician,” Murphy says. “But I’m doing this because I care about where we as physicians are and the future of medicine and healthcare.”

That sense of duty and sacrifice has been the guiding principle that's driven Murphy’s entire career, as well as his vision for what medicine should be. But when he recently posted on social media that young doctors need to stop “complaining about how hard the job is” and “rethink their profession,” it set off a firestorm among physicians.

After that tweet, Offcall's co-founder Dr. Graham Walker and Congressman Murphy connected on social media and agreed to an open and honest conversation about young doctors and the future of medicine on the How I Doctor podcast. The result? A revealing, at times spirited discussion about the generational divide in medicine and the real reasons why the medical profession is at risk.

From declining autonomy and shrinking reimbursements to burnout, bureaucracy, and the erosion of private practice, Graham and Congressman Murphy actually agreed on much of the issues currently affecting medicine, but Murphy also didn’t back down from his central critique that too many young physicians aren’t willing to work hard enough and make the same kind of sacrifices he and his generation of doctors have made.

“When we’re starting to interview [young] people, the first thing they talk about is work-life balance,” Murphy said. “When I was coming through, the first thing I talked about was, ‘How many cases can I do?’”

In this episode, Murphy challenges younger doctors to remember their oath, reclaim their sense of purpose, and stand up for the future of medicine. Whether you agree with him or not, Murphy is one of the highest ranking physician leaders in Congress views and his views are very much shaping the conversation in Washington about the future of the medical profession.

Here are eight things that came up during the conversation that Congressman Greg Murphy thinks today’s young doctors must start doing in order to live up to their calling:

1. Don’t use the system as an excuse for not seeing patients who need you

“If I had to see a patient, I’d just tell the scheduler to add ’em on. Now it has to go before a committee… The doctor will say, well, I don’t have to see that patient. Sorry, you signed up to be a doctor.”

Murphy believes the increasing bureaucracy in medicine shouldn’t stop doctors from doing the right thing. He argues that institutional barriers are real — but choosing to hide behind them undermines the very reason people go into medicine in the first place: the patient.

2. Be willing to make more sacrifices in the name of patients

“You’re called to make sure that you put your needs in front of that of the patient. And I think that’s lost a lot with this generation, to be very honest with you.”

Medicine isn’t a job, Murphy says — it’s a profession, and a calling. He’s critical of what he sees as a shift away from selflessness and warns that medicine will suffer if future physicians aren’t willing to sacrifice personal convenience for patient care.

3. Don’t be so focused on work-life balance

“When we’re starting to interview people, the first thing they talk about is work-life balance. When I was coming through, the first thing I talked about was, how many cases can I do?”

While acknowledging that residency reform was necessary, Murphy believes the pendulum has swung too far. He sees work-hour limits and strict boundaries as eroding professional ownership — and ultimately leading to a generation of “clock docs” instead of committed patient advocates.

4. Push for changes to the way medical schools operate

“We have a problem with our medical schools … with the admissions process. We have a problem with the curriculum. We have a problem of setting expectations.”

Murphy doesn’t just blame young doctors — he blames the institutions training them. He believes medical schools have lost sight of their purpose and are admitting students who aren’t committed to long-term clinical work, which does a disservice to both the profession and to patients.

5. Don’t go into medicine for the wealth or the lifestyle

“If you’re in it for you, my gosh, you could pick a much easier job, easier lifestyle … It’s not about you, it’s about the patient.”

To Murphy, medicine is a profession of purpose — not perks. He calls out what he sees as a growing trend of physicians prioritizing lifestyle over service and warns that the social media version of being a doctor doesn’t reflect the true meaning of the work.

6. Be willing to donate to politicians

“Physicians need to be engaged not only politically, but financially in the future of their specialty.”

Doctors give less politically than lawyers or businesspeople, Murphy says — and that’s part of why they’re losing power in Washington. If physicians want to shape policy, they need to invest.

7. Get more engaged and advocate for other physicians

“Let’s become an advocate for our field… Go to fundraisers, meet with your representatives, treat them respectfully, but also say, this is what’s going on.”

Murphy says physicians need to show up in the political process, tell their stories, and build relationships with lawmakers. If they want to protect the future of medicine, they must make their voices heard.

8. Run for office

“You have to care more about what the future of the country is and where we can make a difference than your own personal desires.”

The ultimate act of physician advocacy, Murphy argues, is stepping into the political arena yourself. With fewer doctors in Congress than ever, he urges more physicians to consider public service — not for the spotlight, but to defend the future of patient care from inside the system.

Congressman Murphy’s message is clear: Medicine is a calling that demands sacrifice, not just skill. His challenge to young doctors is one worth wrestling with because the future of the profession depends on it.

Connect with Congressman Murphy on his website.

To make sure you don’t miss an episode of How I Doctor, subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also read the full transcript of the episode below.

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Transcript

Greg Murphy:
You're called to make sure that you put your needs in front of that of the patient. And I think that's lost a lot with this generation, to be very honest with you. And maybe that hurts some feelings. And sorry, I'm just going to call out the facts.