There is no doubt that physician burnout is a growing epidemic with significant impact on patient
safety and quality of care as well as the mental and physical wellbeing of physicians.
Surgeons face their own particular set of challenges when it comes to wellness. We often simply accept demanding hours, inability to keep up and maintain balance as a way of life and fail to recognize that there maybe a better way. Changing a culture of isolation, sense of invulnerability and shame is our biggest challenge.
The Department of Surgery is prioritizing wellness not only for our staff but our training residents and fellows as well. Our newly-formed Wellness Committee is embarking on an exciting journey to identify initiatives that can be of value and work towards implementing them. We are fortunate to draw examples from successful wellness programs in Emergency and General Medicine. We are looking forward to collaborating with colleagues and moving towards a culture that respects and appreciates shared organizational responsibility for physician wellbeing and patient quality of care.
Wellness is not created overnight so it is imperative to change our approach and build practices that can increase the chances of experiencing wellness.
- Glykeria Martou (Wellness Lead for the Department of Surgery)