Healthcare systems facing widespread physician burnout may need to fundamentally reconsider how they balance meaningful work with sustainable working conditions. This dual approach could reshape medical education and practice environments across specialties. A new conceptual framework proposes that sustainable physician well-being requires integrating two distinct psychological concepts: eudaimonia (meaning-derived satisfaction from purpose and virtue) and hedonia (pleasure-based comfort from positive experiences). Rather than treating these as competing priorities, the framework suggests healthcare systems must deliberately cultivate both dimensions simultaneously. The eudaimonic element preserves the deep sense of purpose that draws many into medicine—the profound satisfaction of healing, alleviating suffering, and serving others. Meanwhile, the hedonic component addresses practical sustainability through adequate compensation, reasonable hours, supportive work environments, and resources that make daily practice manageable rather than overwhelming. This represents a departure from traditional medical culture that has often glorified sacrifice and suffering as inherent to the profession. The framework challenges healthcare leaders to move beyond superficial wellness initiatives toward systemic changes that honor both the calling and the human needs of physicians. From a workforce sustainability perspective, this dual approach could prove essential as healthcare demands continue rising globally. However, implementing such comprehensive changes requires institutional commitment that goes far beyond individual resilience training. The framework's emphasis on preserving meaning while ensuring comfort may offer a more realistic path forward than approaches that address only one dimension, potentially helping retain experienced physicians while attracting new talent to a profession increasingly viewed as unsustainable.