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Taylor Riall: Recent Commentary on Recognition, Treatment, and Prevention of Burnout in Surgeons, Resident and Associate Society

American College of Surgeons (RAS-ACS)/Journal of the American College of Surgeons Social Media Discussion, 2016 Clinical Congress

In the 2016 Medscape Physician Lifestyle Report, the prevalence of burnout ranged from 40-55% of physicians across specialties, with surgeons nearly topping the list at 51%. Burnout has significant consequences on individual surgeons, their organizations, and the patients they treat and it presents a potential threat to the surgical workforce.

In addition to the challenges we face daily in the changing health care environment, the unique surgical culture compounds the problem by creating an environment were we are made to feel guilty when we take care of ourselves. In my surgical training, we used to walk around saying things like “pain is weakness leaving the body” or calling others weak if they called in sick or wanted to spend time with their family. And we were taught to believe this.

Having navigated my own personal experience with burnout, I am struck by the number of surgeons who strongly identify with (at least part of) my story as I begin to share my experience. This makes me believe that, while some surgeons lack awareness or recognition when they are experiencing symptoms of burnout, most surgeons do NOT. Rather, they are reluctant to share those feelings openly for fear of being judged as “weak” by their colleagues and mentors. Furthermore, they do not believe that they can lead a happy, healthy personal life and have a successful career. The two seem mutually exclusive, especially in the context of the traditional surgical model, which defines success rather narrowly.

We teach surgeons to operate. We teach them to take care of patients. But we don’t teach them to effectively respond to the stressors inherent in their environment in a way that promotes their wellbeing. As a surgeon and certified professional coach, I feel this is essential; our ability to respond to whatever challenges arise in our lives lies at the core of our wellbeing. We need formal programs (at all levels) that teach mindfulness, resilience, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence. These programs should help surgeons gain clarity and focus around their goals in order to develop clear and achievable plans to successfully integrate the many facets of their life that make them whole.

To prevent or treat burnout, we need to create a surgical culture that recognizes that surgeons can’t take care of patients if they do not take care of themselves; we need to create a culture that encourages physicians to openly discuss the challenges they face in meeting the multiple demands of their job as well as integrating their complex personal and professional lives. As times change, traditional models of “success” in academic surgery must change as well. In fact, it is critical to do so, or we will continue to lose the best and brightest of the current generation of surgeons to burnout, and the best and brightest of future generations will opt out.

Hear Taylor Riall

Behind the Knife, March 15, 2017

https://behindtheknife.org/podcast/102-dr-taylor-riall-tackles-burnout-and-importance-of-coaching-surgeons/

Motivate Me! with Lynette Renda Podcast, February 24, 2016

iTunes link: https://motivatemepodcast.com/2015/mm155/

Listeners without iTunes: www.motivatemepodcast.com

How to Cut it Out: Responding vs. Reacting to Your Environment

Taylor Riall, MD with Jeffrey M. Smith, MD | January 23, 2016