Jeff welcomes to the SurgeonMasters podcast primary care physician and physician coach, Dr. Kara Pepper.
There’s never been a more relevant time to talk about burnout in the medical community because so many physicians are experiencing it to some degree in light of the Coronavirus pandemic and the open wounds of racism. Burnout is not just common among medical professionals, it’s an epidemic. Covid-19 will shine a light on that fact.
Physicians are the glue that holds the healthcare system together. We need to do everything in our power to promote wellness and prevent burnout among physicians for the sake of our patients.
What does Kara suggest we do to combat burnout in a post-COVID world?
Suggestion 1 – Recognize a few ways how COVID-19 has changed your work routine for the better. Many physicians do not want to go back to the way things were before the pandemic, because they now realize how overworked and burned out they were.
Suggestion 2 – Understand and recognize that burnout impacts everyone differently when advocating for each other. For some physicians, it’s a distinct crash and burn. For others, it may manifest itself more subtly over time.
Suggestion 3 – Find what brings you joy and purpose and take proactive steps to incorporate more of those things into your life.
Most importantly, take stock and make the necessary changes to improve your life as a physician!
Guest: Kara Pepper, MD
Dr. Kara Pepper is a practicing primary care Internist, Certified Life Coach, and primary care physician for Atlanta Ballet. Dr. Pepper helps physicians love the life they worked so hard to create. She specializes in burnout, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome. She provides one-on-one and group coaching and speaks on topics surrounding burnout and physician wellness.