The simple joy of being a doctor, of having the chance to serve, is something that we can all be thankful for.

On Thanksgiving day, I always like to take some perspective and look at what we can be thankful for as a profession and what is working for us.

With this is mind, I here are 5 reasons why I am thankful to be a doctor, working in the modern world of medicine.

1) Ability to help and heal

I am grateful to have the opportunity to help my patients solve their medical worries, and at times, help to save their lives. I believe this is the reason most doctors chose their profession in the first place. We want to help and are blessed to be in a position to do so. No matter how small the act, helping someone to heal is a gift that I am always grateful for.

2) Amazing Team Support

Doctors are often held up as the expert and the solution providers, both in primary care, and also in hospitals. Yet the truth is we are surrounded by a mass of incredible support from the teams of nurses, advisors, and aides, that allow us to accomplish so many things in a typical day.

3) Breakthrough Medical Research

Being alive at a time of such amazing innovation is truly a blessing. Today people are living longer and we are overcoming many diseases and maladies at an amazing rate, thanks to the incredible work of medical researchers.

4) An Abundance of Resources

Thanks to growth of information online, I have at my fingertips a wealth of information and resources. Everyday I am amazed at all the people who take time to add to the pool of medical knowledge available for physicians and patients.

5) Emerging Technology

Some doctors argue that we are still in the digital dark ages, however I personally see this as a time of progress. We are getting closer and closer to the digital revolution of medicine. I believe the future will soon see a new era of connected medicine; doctors and patients will have a more direct way to reach each other, and the ability to share medical information more freely. Through my work with liveClinic, I am fortunate to be involved with the development of some of this technology, and am excited about what the next few years will bring.

At the end of the day, if we choose to only look at the challenges that we face, we only see a bleak future, but I also believe that change is happening, through the hard work of physicians, medical professionals, researchers and the entrepreneurs working to design a better, healthier future.

To all my fellow physicians and healthcare peers, thank you for your hard work, every day of the year, and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Today, let’s celebrate the joy of being a doctor.