The first thing many doctors do when they experience burnout is research. They want to know more about burnout and how to treat it – just like any other medical condition. In this article, we are going to offer up a few helpful resources for surgeons and physicians who are experiencing burnout.
Substance Abuse & Suicide Prevention
The most critical concern with any physician who is dealing with burnout is addressing any anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse that exist. When these elements coexist with burnout, it can be a deadly combination.
Here are a few essential resources for physicians dealing with substance abuse issues and suicidal thoughts:
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline!
- Physician Suicide: My Journey
- Physician and Medical Student Depression and Suicide Prevention
- Pamela Wible, MD
- Drug & Alcohol Abuse Center
Burnout Prevention
At SurgeonMasters we talk a lot on this site about how to prevent and treat physician burnout, but there are a lot of other beneficial resources across the internet.
Here are a few articles and sites that I find most helpful:
- Impact of Emotional Intelligence and Resiliency on Health Care Performance
- Forum Focus – Recognizing and Addressing Physician Stress and Burnout to Improve Satisfaction and Patient Care
- AMA – Physician Wellness
- Preventing Physician Burnout
- Improving Physician Resilience
Physician Well-Being in Academic Medicine
In addition to practicing physicians, burnout impacts students in medical school, as well as those completing their residencies and fellowships. Here are some resources geared specifically at helping those training to become doctors:
- ACGME SYMPOSIUM ON PHYSICIAN WELL-BEING
- Mental Health Awareness in Osteopathic Medical Education
- Well-Being in Academic Medicine
- 5 Things Institutions Can Do to Prevent Resident Burnout
- Preventing Resident and Physician Burnout
- Watch Medical Students Discuss Mental Illness
Doctors who are facing burnout can use all the help they can get. As a practicing trauma surgeon with over two decades in practice, I have dealt with my fair share of burnout. From these experiences I have developed a burnout prevention methodology that I call the 8 PRACTICEs of Highly Successful Surgeons. To learn more about this methodology and how it can help you find balance and rhythm, contact me today.