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Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019
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Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
The "bucket list," a concept popularized by a 2007 movie, originally referred to a roster of things a person wanted to do before "kicking the bucket." Since then, these lists have become bigger and broader — and more common.
In fact, according to one survey, more than 9 out of 10 people have a bucket list.[1] Their aspirations typically involve wanting to travel (79%); accomplishing a personal goal (78%); achieving a specific life milestone, such as getting married or seeing the birth of a grandchild (51%); spending quality time with friends and family (17%); achieving financial stability (24%); or completing a daring activity (15%), says lead author VJ Periyakoil, MD, director of palliative care education and training at Stanford University School of Medicine.
We asked our readers and contributors what's on their bucket list, and why. Their answers varied but have one thing in common: They're roadmaps for each person's unique journey.
Image courtesy of Steve Hyman, MD
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Make Beautiful Music
Steve Hyman, MD (pictured here), an anesthesiologist in Nashville, Tennessee, cut his work schedule back to 3 days a week and used his free time to earn a master's degree in piano performance and become a concert musician. His next goal: playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with his hometown orchestra in Marion, Indiana, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Michael Privitera, MD, a psychiatrist in Rochester, New York, is also an accomplished musician, who gave up his musical career when clinical rotations took precedence over weekend gigs. Rather than returning to the drums, his former primary instrument, Privitera is learning to play the electric bass and delving into music theory. "It's really started a new passion again, which I think may help me transition out of medicine when it's time," he says.
John Nelson, MD, a hospitalist in Bellevue, Washington, took up guitar lessons when his 11-year-old son lost interest. "I had already paid for several lessons and couldn't get my money back, so I figured I would take the lessons in his place," he says. The experience "has been a path to making lots of new friendships."
Image courtesy of Bill Begg, MD
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Build Strength and Speed
Bill Begg, MD, vice chairman of emergency medicine at Danbury and New Milford hospitals in Connecticut and an avid triathlete, wants to compete in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, in 2020. An Ironman race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon. Begg has completed 18 full Ironman races over the past 10 years and is scheduled to participate in two more.
"If I complete one more, I qualify for 2020," notes Begg, who says endurance races are about more than physical accomplishment. "The long training sessions give me a chance to mentally rest, to reflect on the choices I have made personally and professionally, and to develop strategies to be a better doctor and a better person."
Image courtesy of Doug Segan, MD
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Burst Out of Your Comfort Zone and Try New Activities
Doug Segan, MD, who retired from emergency medicine and teaches part-time at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University in Long Island, knows he has to push himself. "I am way too much a creature of habit, even though I know that experiencing new things in life and feeling a little uncomfortable at times is essential for growth and joy," he says.
Recently, Segan decided to step up and take on the responsibilities of president of his temple. "It has required me to learn a totally new skillset," he says. "Getting out of my comfort zone is simultaneously a little scary and exciting, but I'm happy that I'm actually doing something new and challenging."
Image from Dreamstime
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Tap Into Your Artistic Spirit
Before retiring from his career as a radiologist, Alfred Sils, MD, began working on his next goal: to master the arts of wood turning and sculpture. He took classes, read, and spent time in his studio perfecting his technique. His work has since appeared in numerous art books and galleries, and is represented in a number of high-profile collections.
"Retirement has been like a second childhood, filled with discovery, learning, and creativity," he says. "I've met interesting artists, collectors, gallery owners, and people interested in the world around them. Every day is a new adventure."
Image from Jake Lyell/Alamy
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Pay It Back and Change Someone's World
Gratitude is a theme often reflected in doctors' bucket lists. At age 31, Henry Zeng, MD, an emergency medicine physician and a fellow in Stanford University's hospice and palliative medicine program, says his primary bucket list goal is to one day buy a house for his parents. "They've given me so much support," he says.
Lisa Larkin, MD, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based internist, says a recent medical mission trip to Tanzania changed her life and she plans to return. "To see the magnitude of need in Africa was profoundly impactful. I came home believing that those of us who are privileged and can help are really obliged to do so."
Image courtesy of Wendy Dean, MD, and Moral Injury of Healthcare
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Saddle Up and Ride a Horse!
Wendy Dean, MD, a psychiatrist and senior vice president of program operations at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, has been an equestrian since she was 6 years old. Although she once competed regularly, work and family commitments have limited the time she can devote to riding, which make Dean's bucket list item for 2020 — to ride an advanced dressage test with her horse, Ria — all the more important to her.
It takes mental, physical, and emotional strength, awareness, and control to effectively partner with a 1500-pound animal, Dean notes. Consequently, "there is little that is better for mindfulness and being present in the moment than focusing on that partnership."
Image from Dreamstime
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Learn a New Language
Speaking a new language can benefit people as they age by enhancing cognitive functioning, improving self-esteem, and increasing opportunities for socializing.[2]
When he retired, Sils and his wife set a goal to become fluent in Italian. "I have always found Italian to be a musical and beautiful language," he said. "My wife and I are now fluent and love reading the literature of Italy and using the language on our frequent trips to the beautiful country."
Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber, MD, professor of pediatrics at Indiana University, wants to improve her Spanish by interacting more with the Hispanic community. "I want to put the language to use, rather than just studying it," she says.
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Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Travel to Near and Faraway Places
Robert Arnold, MD, chief of palliative care and medical ethics at University of Pittsburgh's medical school, says he wants to travel around the world. "My stepmom has done this and it sounds amazing," he said.
Brian Harte, MD, a hospitalist and president of Cleveland Clinic Akron General, says he wants to visit the Rodin Museum in Paris. "When I was in medical school, I stumbled upon the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. Rodin was an extraordinary artist and redefined the art. Having no artistic skills myself, I am amazed by his work," says Harte, noting that he'd like to take the adventure with his 11-year-old daughter, who is learning to speak French.
Image courtesy of Ranit Mishori
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Change the System and Policies
Frustrated by the present system of care, many doctors say they want to devote themselves to improving policies that affect patients and physicians.
Ranit Mishori, MD (pictured here), a family physician at Georgetown University School of Medicine, wants to be involved in a presidential campaign and take a sabbatical to work with one of the United Nations agencies in Geneva. "I'd like to see and experience how decisions are made about health-related policies 'on the inside,' and contribute from my experience and expertise," she says.
Rohr-Kirchgraber shares a similar perspective. "Realizing that most of healthcare is actually not done in the exam room but in the statehouse, board room, and on social media sites, it is important to be one of the people who impact health by advocating for what is right and working to make it happen," she says.
Kim Templeton, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Kansas, wants to spend more time advocating on behalf of both female physicians and patients. Among the changes she'd like to see: better representation of women in clinical research, and medical training that places a greater emphasis on the importance of gender in treatment decisions.
Image courtesy of Jeffrey Livingston, MD
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Turn Adversity Into Courageous Goals
Five years ago, Lisa Larkin, MD, was going through a divorce and a career transition when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
In the face of that, "I finally gave myself permission to take charge of my own life and direct my own destiny without the constraints of societal norms," she says. "Now I am living as a breast cancer survivor, with renewed passion and commitment to caring for women, especially in areas of unmet medical need."
Larkin recently founded a company, Ms.Medicine, to advance gender-specific primary care for women. Her bucket list goal is to build a nationwide network of more than 100 providers over the next decade.
Jeffrey Livingston, MD (pictured here), a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in Panama City, Florida, who was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease 19 years ago, uses CrossFit Workouts of the Day to set daily goals for himself, to engage with a supportive community, and to raise awareness about the disease.
"I weaponized functional fitness to prolong the progression of my disease and to combat the isolation associated with degenerative neurologic diseases," he says. "I use my standing as a physician to raise awareness about the benefits of exercise in those with Parkinson's disease."
Image from Dreamstime
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Deepen Your Meaningful Relationships
Work-life balance is a challenge for doctors, so it's not a surprise that many physicians say focusing on personal relationships is one of their major goals.
"A few years ago, my bucket list might have included some thrill-seeking activity, but now my goals are geared toward my family and spending time with my daughter," says Simran Sekhon, MD, a Stanford fellow.
Larkin says her bout with breast cancer "made it all that much clearer how important and valuable close connected relationships are." Every 5 years she takes a "birthday trip" with friends.
Image from Dreamstime
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Relax and Enjoy Without Pushing Yourself to Be Productive
Unstructured time — to be with loved ones, to nurture a passion, to do nothing at all — may be the greatest luxury of all.
This winter, Hyman is planning a month-long vacation. "It's something I would have never considered in the past," he says. "We're taking our miniature Schnauzer and our vintage convertible to the sunny South for the month of January." The sabbatical "may not sound like a big deal for some people," he says, "but for me, who has been totally devoted to the work process for over 40 years, it is a big deal."
Chuck Gelber, MD, a recently retired internist from Summit, New Jersey, wants to make every moment of his retirement count. "I want to learn about different things through travel, courses, book groups, and other groups. I want to be involved in nonprofits which give back through means other than medicine. Although I might miss the human interaction that one gets through being a physician, I can obtain that through relationships with friends and acquaintances now that I have more free time."
Privitera voices a similar sentiment. "No bungee cord–jumping for me," he says. "My bucket list is more about reflection time and starting to come to terms with the fact that what I've trained to be, and have been, won't be able to continue indefinitely. So for me it's about finding or rekindling what is interesting and absorbing outside of medicine."
Image courtesy of Brian Harte, MD
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Experience the Awe-Inspiring Elements of Nature
Every year, Harte (pictured here) and his medical school friends meet for a long weekend of backpacking. This year, after hiking the first 25 miles of the lengthy John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Harte decided to add hiking the entire 200-plus-mile trail to his bucket list. "I want to test myself and see some of the most remote, extraordinary places on the continent," he says.
Bhoomika Kamath, MD, a hospice and palliative medicine fellow at Stanford Medicine, wants to see the aurora borealis with her kids. Lucy Hornstein, MD, who practices family medicine in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, wants to visit beautiful and remote places like Alaska, Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. "And I want to see whales because they're awesome."
Image courtesy of Whitney You, MD
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Express Yourself and Connect Through Writing
"Writing has become sacred space for me, and I would love to find a way to make it a solid part of my career," says Whitney You, MD (pictured here), who practices high-risk maternal-fetal medicine in Chicago. You earned an MFA in creative nonfiction writing in 2018.
Prateek Mendiratta, MD, an oncologist in Cleveland, began journaling as a way to get to know his own patients better. He got the idea after a frustrating visit to his own PCP, who seemed to know nothing about him as a person. Now, at the end of every patient encounter, Mendiratta asks patients to share something about themselves, which he records in a confidential journal. "I can see the world better through their eyes and experiences," he says.
Image from Dreamstime
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Become a Coach or Mentor to Younger Physicians
Many doctors look forward to nurturing a new generation of medical professionals.
"I have found that the part of my job I find most fulfilling is mentoring trainees and walking patients through difficult pregnancies," You says. "It is not my clinical life that gets me up in the morning; it is emotional connection with the women who come in to my office, and watching people grow in their careers, that bring me joy." You recently enrolled in a professional/personal coach certification program, which she hopes to complete next year.
Image courtesy of Martin Kane, MD
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Turn Your Pastime Into a Service
Martin Kane, MD, a semi-retired psychiatrist in Delray Beach, Florida, and a lifelong card magician, is perfecting his sleight of hand so he can perform for patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Kane, who has published books of original card tricks, says his bucket list goal is to be able to cheer up and entertain patients. Beyond lifting their spirits, Kane says helping patients in a nonprofessional capacity has an added benefit: "I won't worry about lawsuits if I commit an error."
Image from iStock
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Pursue Research That Could Lead to Better Medicine
For many years, the idea of starting a research center topped VJ Periyakoil's bucket list. In 2018, with the establishment of the NIH-funded Stanford Aging and Ethnogeriatrics (SAGE) center, her goal became a reality.
"Supporting diverse junior investigators is really important to me, as that is a tangible way to invest in the future of medical research," she says. Checking that item off her bucket list provides her with ample opportunities to pursue research and to champion the work of her team.
Image from Dreamstime
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Pay Off Debts and Start Your Future
Bucket lists aren't just about leisure-time pursuits and trips to wonderful places.
Lan Jin, MD, a Stanford hospice and palliative medicine fellow, says her bucket list goals include paying off her medical school debts and having a baby by the time she is 35. Beyond that, "everything is a little more nebulous."
Jin says that the lack of a defined future path doesn't bother her. "Life is unpredictable, and people are unhappy when their expectations don't line up with their realities. It's healthier to be able to change."
Image from Dreamstime
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Embark on Joint Goals With a Loved One
"I would like my wife and I to become accomplished dancers," says Greg Hood, MD, an internist in Lexington, Kentucky. Because both are busy doctors and making it to dance classes is a challenge, Hood purchased DVDs so they could practice. "Workarounds like that help bucket list accomplishments outside of a physician's work schedule," he says.
After Kamath set her personal goals for the next 2 years, which include running a half-marathon, she went through a goal-setting exercise with her 9-year-old son. "It was a very good way to find out what is important to him," she says. In addition to setting his own personal goals — he wants to try water polo — they set goals that they want to accomplish together, such as getting a pet and learning a language. (Kamath wants to learn Spanish; her son is lobbying for Chinese.)
Image courtesy of Robert Lee, MD
Doctors' Bucket Lists: 20 Things to Do Before You 'Kick the Bucket'
Shelly Reese | September 10, 2019 | Contributor Information
Carpe Diem
Some doctors say they revise their goals so frequently that their approach is more "seize the day" than "set a goal."
"I don't have a 'bucket list' so much as a 'bucket life,' Hornstein says. "If there's something I really want to do, I do it."
Robert Lee, MD (pictured here), who practices family medicine in Johnston, Iowa, ticks items off his list so quickly – "Last year I hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu with my wife and sons" — that the word "list" no longer applies.
"Working in medicine has shown me many times over that you'd better live in the present and make the most of each day," says Michelle Davis, MD, who practices family medicine in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "You have to take advantage of every opportunity that comes up, even if it means living outside of your comfort zone. Things are much more meaningful when you do them as soon as you are able, rather than adding them to a bucket list."
Medscape's report looks at how happy physicians are and why, as well as the state of their marriage and self-esteem, what cars they drive, how much time they spend on the Internet, and much more.Medscape Features Slideshows, January 2019
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Shelly Reese
Freelance writer
Cincinnati, Ohio
Disclosure: Shelly Reese has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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References
Periyakoil VS, Neri E, Kraemer H. Common items on a bucket list. J Palliat Med. 2018; 21:652-658. Source
Klimova B. Learning a foreign language: a review on recent findings about its effect on the enhancement of cognitive functions among healthy older individuals. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018; 12: 305. Epub 2018 Jul 30. Source
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