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70 | EYEWORLD | AUGUST 2019 I N THE PRACTICE sabbatical during which he finished two several hundred-page books on natural philosophy that he said will be published. "There is no way I could have written those books without taking that time. It was an impossibility with my lifestyle. I have a practice, I work 6 days a week, and this was the only way this could happen," Dr. Bashour said. Coming back from sabbatical was dramatic for Dr. Bashour. "It was coming back into my life … seeing my girlfriend again, seeing my children again, seeing my friends again, seeing the city I had left behind. … I missed those 3 months in many ways, but it's nice to be back; everything is kind of new now," he said, noting that he has a "renewed appreciation for everything, but also an appreciation that I should have been taking more than 2 weeks off every year." Dr. Bashour recommends that everyone take a trip like this without family or friends at some point in their lives. "I highly recommend doing something out of your comfort zone," he said. Dr. Bashour does not recommend taking a break to those just out of training though. "Finish residency and just start because your skills are still nascent, and you need to build them up. I don't recommend doing this until at least 5–10 years in practice," he said. Dr. Modi said that patients need to be informed of who will be responsible for their care while you're gone. "Communication rather than surprise is key," he said. On the flip side, Dr. Modi continued, partners need to be educated on the status of patients. "Our doctors are the key ingredient of the practice, so their absence is a challenge for everyone," he said. "In order to make sure emergencies are properly triaged, other doctors in the practice have to pick up for the vacation- ing doctor. But with proper planning, everyone in the practice can take a deep breath and work on some of the projects that get put to the side when all doctors on staff are working." Taking a sabbatical Taking off a week or two here or there is rela- tively common among doctors, but a sabbatical takes more preparation. For refractive surgeon Mounir Bashour, MD, taking such an extended hiatus was worth it. Dr. Bashour said his practice hired three doctors to take his place while he was on a 3-month sabbatical in Thailand. Patients who sought his care specifically were either fit in be- fore his trip or had to wait for his return. Upon his return, he has been having to get through a backlog of patients. For Dr. Bashour, a 3-month sabbatical was not just to unplug from medicine but every- thing. "I 100% unplugged. … I left my girlfriend behind. I left my two children behind. I un- plugged from my whole life, in general, not just practice. It was the best thing I've ever done," Dr. Bashour said. He had been toying with the idea of writing a couple of books for a few years, and the occa- sion of his 50th birthday pushed him to take a continued from page 68 "Recharging my batteries gives me a chance to refresh, renew, and bring fresh insight to everyday care." —Satish Modi, MD Financial interests Bashour: None Gerlis: None Modi: None FACEBOOK @EyeWorldMagazine TWITTER EyeWorldMag YOUTUBE EyeWorldTV.com eyeworld 24/7 INSTAGRAM @eyeworldmagazine

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