In this episode of the SurgeonMasters Podcast, Jeffrey M. Smith, MD, FACS, PCC interviews a Harvard ENT specialist James Naples, MD, and clinical sports psychologist, Jim Doorley. They discuss integrating psychological strategies from sports performance into surgical training, emphasizing the importance of mental fitness, emotional regulation, and resilience in enhancing surgical performance and how it relates to addressing physician burnout.
The discussion underscored the importance of mental resilience and psychological skills for surgical success, paralleling their significance in sports. James Naples, MD, and Jim Doorley highlighted techniques for immediate recovery from intraoperative mistakes and long-term well-being strategies. Efforts are underway to develop a customized curriculum for surgical trainees to address their specific performance mindset needs and challenges. The conversation also addressed balancing emotional detachment and empathy in medicine and how the process relates to physician burnout. Additionally, there was a light-hearted debate on the pros and cons of listening to music in the OR, reflecting diverse preferences among surgeons. Finally, the team addressed the need for institutional support in providing resources and training to enhance surgeons’ mental fitness and overall performance.
1. Surgical Mindset vs. Performance Mindset
- Discussion on the overlap between surgical mindset and performance mindset.
- Emphasis on the importance of mental aspects in surgical training, often overlooked in favor of technical skills.
2. Challenges in Surgical Training
- The psychological hurdles trainees face are often more significant than technical challenges.
- Importance of addressing these mental aspects for better performance and well-being.
3. Initial Collaboration and Goals
- Jim Naples’ proactive approach to integrating psychological principles into surgical training.
- The collaboration aims to tailor sports psychology skills to the needs of surgeons and trainees.
4. Curriculum Development
- Focus on building a curriculum informed by sports psychology and surgical training.
- Collection of qualitative feedback from trainees to refine and improve the curriculum.
5. Key Skills and Topics
- Cognitive restructuring, self-talk, and mindfulness tailored to surgical settings.
- Emotion regulation and its impact on decision-making.
- Techniques for immediate and long-term rebound from mistakes.
6. Experiential Learning
- Real-time debriefing and emotional support immediately after surgery.
- Normalizing the experience of making mistakes and learning from them.
7. Broader Mental Fitness Concepts
- Preoperative visualization and managing distractions in the operating room.
- The role of music in the OR and its potential as a distraction or focus tool.
8. Performance and Resilience
- Drawing parallels between high-performing athletes and surgeons.
- Importance of mental skills for handling stress, rebounding from errors, and maintaining overall well-being.
9. Burnout and Emotional Management
- Addressing the balance between depersonalization (a component of burnout) and maintaining empathy.
- Implementing effective coping mechanisms to prevent burnout.
10. Institutional Support
- Advocating for institutional investment in mental fitness programs.
Emphasizing the benefits of such programs for improving surgical performance and patient outcomes.
Overall, the podcast underscores the critical role of psychological training in enhancing surgical performance and the need for a comprehensive approach to integrating these skills into surgical education.
- Jeffrey M. Smith, MD, FACS, PCC, orthopaedic trauma surgeon and SurgeonMasters CEO.
- Dr. Jim Naples, a Harvard ENT at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Jim Doorley, Clinical and Sports Psychologist for the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Research Fellow in Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School
James Naples, MD
Dr. James Naples is the Residency Program Director of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and a Clinical Advisor at Harvard Medical School. He has mentored residents and students through various stages of their training, and focuses on ways to improve their performance. Clinically, he is interested in cochlear implant, Acoustic Neuroma and vestibular disorders.
Dr. Naples earned his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and stayed there to complete his residency training in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. He then completed his fellowship training in neurotology at the Perelman School of Medical at the University of Pennsylvania.
Jim Doorley, PhD, CMPC
Jim is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified mental performance consultant through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. He is a full-time psychological services provider in the Sports Medicine division of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, where he supports athletes’ mental health and performance across varied sports (primarily Winter Sport athletes based out of the Lake Placid Olympic & Paralympic Training Center).
