Reflection is a key component of growth and improvement. Naturally, the end of the year is an opportunity to look back on what we’ve accomplished. At the same time, we look forward to the new year, resolving to accomplish a new set of goals.
A lot happened in the world of physician wellness, coaching, and SurgeonMasters in 2019. Here are just a few highlights!
- January – SurgeonMasters hosts its inaugural Coach Training to bring physician coaching skills to a few select supporters.
I engage with the Association for Academic Surgery for #AAS Chat, my first live Twitter chat, to inspire young academic surgeons on how to have a life outside the OR.
- February – Physician Wellness makes it on the agenda for two years in a row at One AO Meeting, a gathering of surgical, educational and administrative leaders whose influence has an impact around the globe, this time with guest speaker Stuart Slavin, MD, MEd of ACGME to present on Quality of Life for Physicians.
- March – SurgeonMasters begins collaborative relationship with Vital WorkLife, Inc to add our peer coaching services (particularly to surgeons) to support their national behavioral health consulting practice supporting all dimensions of well-being in the workplace.
SurgeonMasters launches This Is Physician Wellness, an awareness campaign sharing the wide variety of physician wellness activities to inspire our peers.
- April – Acumed invites me as a leader in Physician Wellness to deliver the keynote address at their spring Upper Extremity meeting in Phoenix, AZ. A major company recognizing and supporting physician wellness as a keynote is an important step.
- May – Todd Swenning, MD and Phil Stahel, MD join me in Nashville, TN for the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE) Annual meeting to present a breakout session on “Strategies and Tools to Improve Physician Well-Being and Beat Back Burnout.”
Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) has a groundbreaking half-day pre-course at their annual meeting in Charlotte, NC, “Improving Patient Care through Wellness, Teamwork, and Organizational Changes.”
Burnout is officially classified as a “work-place occupational hazard” and not a medical condition by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- June – Peter Cole, MD, Director of Regions Hospital / University of Minnesota Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship aims to show that even hardworking and clinically intense performers can learn wellness and coaching skills by offering his fellows half-day SurgeonMasters Surgeon Wellness/Coach Training Program. (The fellows rate the program as excellent.)
- July – Sarah Zallek, MD, sleep medicine specialist of OSF Healthcare/ Illinois Neurological Institute in Peoria, IL, hosts the immersive learning experience “Neuroscience: A Sensory Experience” in Chicago, IL and invites me to participate in the discussion about Physician Stress, Shortages, Burnout, Depletion, and Imbalance.
- August – Mayo publishes a study showing the positive effects coaching has on the well-being of physicians. SurgeonMasters has believed this for a long time, and the research is starting to bear this out.
- September – SurgeonMasters hosts the 5th Annual Tour de Bone bike ride and other wellness events at the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) Annual Meeting in Denver. This is 8 years running SurgeonMasters has hosted wellness events at the OTA Annual Meeting to encourage wellness and camaraderie among the members.
- October – SurgeonMasters and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) announce collaboration on a Member Peer Support Program. The medical specialty society supported peer support program is the first of its kind.
- November – The SurgeonMasters podcast turns 50! Listen to all 50 here and remember we’re always looking out for new topics, strategies, and guests! It feels great to produce 50 unique episodes and is a testament to starting somewhere. I had no idea the podcast would reach 50 and we would have the listenership that we do.
What brought you encouragement, joy, and passion in 2019? We want to know. Email us or post in the discussion on the website.
I encourage you to get involved in the SurgeonMasters community in 2020 where your time and passion allows.