Physician wellness programs are lipstick on a pig

Here it comes — another email about “physician wellness,” advertising mindfulness training, an ice cream social, or a volunteer day. As a psychiatrist, I can attest to the importance of tending to one’s own mental and physical health in order to strive for wellness. However, the trend of implementing physician wellness programs throughout the U.S. is nothing more than putting proverbial lipstick on a pig. Or, stated differently, this may amount to a very muted and unintentional form of victim blaming: “If doctors just learned to take better care of themselves, they wouldn’t feel burnt out!” Physicians in the U.S. are not well. Our chances of suicide are significantly higher than the average person’s. More than half of thousands of U.S. physicians surveyed in a Mayo Clinic Proceedings study reported professional burnout. Burnout is a syndrome characterized by a loss of enthusiasm for work (emotional exhaustion), feelings of cynicism (depersonalization) and a low sense of personal accomplishment. So, it might seem natural to try to help physicians out in some way. But the focus on training physicians to be more “well” in an increasingly difficult and toxic health care system is akin to telling a domestic violence victim to take better care of him- or herself to better tolerate the abuse. That would never happen! Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Medical school Psychiatry Source Type: blogs