Dr Mark Seaman is a GP, mental health advocate, and fitness enthusiast.
In this article, Mark chats candidly to Medworld Institute about what inspired him to become a doctor and offers advice for other doctors looking to take care of their mental health and wellbeing.
Tell me about yourself and why you wanted to become a doctor.
I often wonder what exactly drew me to medicine, too. I was not sure what I wanted to do as a career path and had many different ideas, eventually coming down to choosing between training as a vet or a doctor. I loved science at school and learning how and why things work the way they do—especially how animals and the human body work.
I also grew up working in pub kitchens from a young age. I enjoyed meeting new people and being part of a service industry, which has helped me with shift patterns and working in pressurised teams.
I did not go straight to medical school (medicine was not really even on my mind when applying for university), and I did a degree in Biomedicine in the north of England, which was a great experience, and I developed a lot as a person. During the studious part of my undergraduate degree, I realised I enjoyed learning about the pathology of disease more and more and that working in a lab was not for me. I think this combination led me to know I wanted to do something that helped or provided a service whilst also keeping alive my love of learning. What made me commit to applying for medicine was a survival first aid course I took, and some paramedics and doctors encouraged me to apply. I then spent a year working as a healthcare assistant and a chef at a local pub to save for medical school, which I was fortunate enough to get into.
What area of medicine are you currently working in?
I am currently in my final year of GP training. During medical school, I thought I would pursue surgery as I like practical problem-solving tasks and enjoyed theatre. Still, during my foundation years, I realised I also enjoyed medicine a great deal, so I pursued a further two years of medical training in the Republic of Ireland and got my MRCPI. During this time, I started thinking about what speciality I wanted to spend my career in. I realised I could not pick one and enjoyed everything in parts, which led me to return to the UK to start GP training.
One of the great things about medical training is that there are always lots of choices, and it's okay to be unsure and change your mind.
Have you ever experienced burnout? If yes, can you tell me a bit about it and how you got through it?
I have been asked this question a fair few times now and often considered what burnout means. It is defined as unmanageable stress rooted in the workplace, with feelings of exhaustion, dissatisfaction with or negative about your job, and being less efficient at it. Have I felt the exhaustion? Yes. Have I felt negative about my job? Yes. Have I been less productive during those times? If I am honest with myself, then probably yes. I have certainly had low points where I have felt all of those, particularly during the height of the pandemic on the medical rota but also at separate times on certain jobs throughout my career.
I feel burnout can be a spectrum, with signs at the beginning that if you can recognise you can take actions to help yourself -the problem is often it's hard to notice it in ourselves and this is why having honest and supportive friends, family and colleagues can be so important.
We all need to look out for each other and ask, "Are you okay?" from time to time. Checking in on yourself and asking the same question honestly can also be helpful.
If you find the answer is "no, I am not okay," ask yourself why and what it is. Can you do something to change it? For me, taking a break was important. I took leave and focused on myself and on returning to work. I made sure I did the simple things like taking breaks, checking in with friends, spending time on hobbies, and going to the gym.
I see that you are a passionate advocate for mental health and wellbeing. Was there a specific incident that motivated you to get involved in this field?
There has been no one particular event that I can pinpoint and say is why it is so important to me, but rather multiple events throughout my career so far, including my time at medical school, that have highlighted the importance of mental health and wellbeing. The mental health and wellbeing of ourselves as doctors was something I can't recall being well addressed at medical school, but I think it would have helped a lot.
From a young age, I have been enthused about physical wellbeing and fitness, though it has only been in recent years that I have started to understand that mental fitness is just as important. At the foundation of our wellbeing, we have our health, which is equal parts mental and physical.
To get the very best out of ourselves, I am a firm believer in developing an understanding of yourself which is very much a journey.
Learning what gives you energy and what makes you whole is different for everyone. I recommend everyone try looking inward and exploring what keeps them well and whole. There is an endless supply of resources on well-being out there, but learning what works for you and what you enjoy doing for your well-being will be unique to you—that is what I believe will make it sustainable and beneficial.
How do you look after yourself and your mental health and wellbeing?
I am continuing on from the last question here and starting by saying what works for me won't necessarily work for you. I think there are key pillars to mental health that include; sleep, being active, having a network (friends, colleagues, family), having a purpose (it doesn’t have to be your job it can be a hobby!), and nutrition.
By no means am I always doing well at all of those, but I really do notice the difference when I do. I am lucky; I enjoy going to the gym and running, but that doesn't have to be the way that someone else stays fit and active.
Finding something that’s good for you and that you enjoy is often the key to sustaining a good habit.
I also love reading and try to make sure I read a book that is not related to my day job every day. During the pandemic, I also started drawing again, which is a great way for me to let my mind wander.
I do check in on myself regularly. Often, when running in the countryside, I let my thoughts drift and see if there's anything bothering me subconsciously. If so, during the run, I often manage to think it out and feel settled by the end.
From your Instagram, I can see you spend a lot of time outdoors and focus on physical fitness. How do you prioritise to create such a positive work/life balance?
Well, I certainly don't always get it right, especially not initially.
I think it is important where you can to prioritise the things you enjoy and try and make the most of them.
I make things work around the job and also remember that it is healthy to leave work/handover and take time for things outside your job. It can be very easy with exams, projects, audits, and portfolios to let them eat up your free time - which happened at the beginning and still does occasionally, though less so, as I am better at setting boundaries within my personal time and work time for these things. I am more productive at work and better for it.
Do you have any advice for other doctors who want to prioritise their own health and wellbeing?
Remember it is a job, it can be a great job with so many amazing experiences and opportunities, but it is still a job.
Prioritising your wellness is not selfish and it certainly isn't always easy but it will help you have a happier career. If you are just starting to look at your own wellbeing it can sometimes be overwhelming, start small find things you enjoy and build on these. Small sustainable actions beat sudden unsustainable ones every time.
For more, follow @dr_marks_journey on Instagram.
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