On the occasion of Doctors’ Day today, May 17th, Sigurður M. Albertsson, Chief Physician and Surgeon at SAk, shares his journey into medicine, the challenges of the profession, and his reflections on the future of the healthcare system. Every doctor has a story about how they came to choose their profession—but in Sigurður’s case, the story began not with a dream of medicine, but with love itself.
Fell in love with the woman—then with medicine
Sigurður has decades of experience as a doctor, and his passion for the profession is obvious to anyone who speaks with him—he describes it as a calling. However, it wasn’t born out of a childhood dream, as he explains with a glint in his eye and a smile:
"At the end of my high school years, I met a wonderful girl who later became my wife—and thankfully still is, despite all my many flaws. She decided to study medicine, and I just followed her. I was far more interested in her than in medicine, which I hadn’t really considered before. At the time, I had no concrete dreams about a future career. But as my studies progressed, my interest in the field grew steadily. Over time, I became captivated by it and felt that familiar ‘calling’ many describe. Eventually, I became part of a structured work culture that wasn’t exactly ‘family-friendly’—and still isn’t, although younger generations of doctors are gradually making progress in that regard.”

A system burdened by infrastructure debt
When asked about the challenges of the job, Sigurður doesn’t hesitate:
"The greatest challenge is probably finding—or creating—a working environment where one can fully utilize their education and expertise, and provide the care they are trained to give, in a healthcare system that is significantly underfunded. The system suffers from infrastructure debt, evident in understaffing, long waiting lists, outdated equipment, deteriorating facilities, and staff on the verge of burnout. This is not fertile ground for job satisfaction—which is essential for being a good doctor. Underfunding is the root of many problems and doesn’t align with increasing pressure and developments in medicine. The population is growing and aging. People seek medical attention more readily than before. Administrative demands and paperwork have increased. We haven’t managed to boost staffing accordingly—especially evident in primary care, where doctor shortages and long wait times increase pressure on those who remain. This, in turn, adds strain on hospital emergency rooms and others who shouldn’t be the first point of contact.”

Rewarding to help people
Sigurður finds the job of being a doctor deeply enjoyable and fulfilling. When asked what he likes most, he says:
"The variety, the interactions with excellent colleagues, and daily contact with patients. It's incredibly rewarding to be in a position to help people with a wide range of problems and contribute to their health, quality of life, and well-being. Most daily tasks are interesting, enjoyable, and even exciting—especially teaching junior doctors and medical students, which has become increasingly common in recent years.”

A lifestyle or a calling?
The conversation turns to how the medical profession has changed. Sigurður believes that changes vary between specialties but observes:
"There’s an ongoing debate among doctors—should medicine be a lifestyle or a calling that requires personal sacrifice for the benefit of society, often at the expense of family life and personal health? Or should it be a regular job with standard working hours? It's mostly the younger generation of doctors who have advocated for the latter, and the work environment has slowly evolved in that direction.”

We must protect clinical intuition
Sigurður also mentions the digital transformation—from paper to paperless—but also scientific advancements:
"For example, in cancer types and their treatment. New and better drugs have emerged, along with significant technological advances in imaging. However, the old ‘clinical eye’ for diagnosis has suffered in this process and is no longer held in the same regard, which is unfortunate. We should protect and value that skill as much as possible.”

More specialization: pros and cons
With more knowledge and technological progress, medical specialization has increased significantly:
"Many doctors now work within a very narrow field. That has pros and cons. Treatment has improved and become more efficient—but on the flip side, it's harder to staff shifts that require broad expertise.”

Workload impacts job satisfaction
As has often been discussed, the challenges facing Iceland’s healthcare system are considerable, and Sigurður is clearly concerned about current trends:
"The consequences of underfunding in infrastructure, equipment, and human resources have continued to worsen. Combined with ever-increasing demands for documentation, this has gradually altered doctors’ workflows and created excessive workloads—reducing job satisfaction and increasing burnout. For some reason unknown to me, there is still no defined maximum workload for doctors, unlike many other professions, such as pilots or professional drivers.”

Adequate funding is essential
We ask Sigurður to reflect on the future. He emphasizes that if the role of doctors is to evolve positively with new technologies and methods, investment is essential:
"Otherwise, we’ll be stuck in an outdated system, further increasing infrastructure debt. Medicine only advances if we fund the necessary changes. As technology becomes more advanced and costly, it may become harder to keep specialist services close to patients—in their local areas. That will be a challenge for both doctors and policymakers, who must find a workable compromise.”

More weight to the voice of frontline doctors
Sigurður expresses concern that doctors have less influence in the planning and governance of the healthcare system:
"Doctors’ ability to influence the organization of healthcare and their work environment has gradually diminished, as managerial respect for doctors and their opinions has declined. Doctors’ roles in governance have shrunk. For example, doctors’ councils have been abolished, and the gap between doctors and managers has widened. Physicians in leadership roles still have a vote, but now often sit on both sides of the table. The voice of the frontline doctor no longer carries the same weight. In many ways, democracy is on the retreat.”

AI could become helpful
When asked about artificial intelligence, Sigurður says he finds it hard to believe it will send doctors on vacation—but sees its potential:
"It will no doubt be very helpful in areas such as diagnostics, interpreting test results, and medical imaging. Specialization within the profession will continue to grow, with the pros and cons I mentioned earlier.”

Incentives for rural doctors should be considered
As previously noted, Sigurður believes it is crucial to increase healthcare funding:
"That would lead to many other positive changes. We could steadily repay the system’s infrastructure debt, renew buildings and equipment at an acceptable pace, hire more staff, and offer competitive salaries. We could improve work environments and compensation. We could also provide incentives for working in rural areas to attract more healthcare professionals—just as is common in other countries. These incentives could include help with housing, daycare access, tax breaks, or student loan forgiveness.”

The healthcare system is the road network of the sick—there are big drifts to clear
The conversation turns to nursing homes, which Sigurður sees as a priority in improving healthcare:
"We need to better prepare for an aging population. A major effort is required here, and we need to rethink how we prioritize public spending. If the national power company can’t meet energy demand, we build new plants and lay new power lines. If road maintenance can't keep up with snow clearing and traffic is backed up, we roll up our sleeves and do more. Anything else would be unacceptable. Now there’s a long and growing waiting list for patients at Kristnes, and what do we do? We don’t clear the backlog—we shut down for summer. Services funded by our taxes must be better prioritized. The healthcare system is the road network of the sick—and it’s blocked with snowdrifts we urgently need to clear.”

Would likely be a teacher if not a doctor
After all this reflection on healthcare, the conversation takes a lighter turn. When asked what he would do if he weren’t a doctor, Sigurður says he isn’t entirely sure—but probably some form of teaching:
"I’ve always enjoyed teaching others things I know well, and I think I have a reasonable talent for it. I considered it during my teenage years, but never decided on a specific subject. At one point, I had a strong interest in photography and took many photos during high school. I wouldn’t have minded studying that. I’ve also always been fascinated by aviation. I got quite far in my private pilot’s license but didn’t complete it. Still, the training was very interesting and educational. I never dreamed of flying professionally but could have imagined a job connected to aviation. Fishing was never an option—I get seasick.”

Might become the bass player in a band of seniors
Sigurður has always had a deep interest in music, although music school wasn’t available in his hometown when he was young:
"I enjoy playing different instruments, performing in bands, composing, and recording music. I built a decent recording studio in my old house in Hrísey, where I’ve spent many good times with friends. Maybe I’ll get a permanent gig as the bass player in a senior citizen band in Akureyri once my time at SAk is done. Who knows?"