Rediscovering meaning in medicine

04/27/22 • 30 min

Sound Mind: conversations about physician wellness and medical culture

The strain of working in a health system on the brink – not to mention two years of a pandemic – can erode the sense of meaning that motivates so many physicians. But two emergency doctors, Anthony Fong in Vancouver and Daniel Kollek in Hamilton, found inspiration by going towards, rather than away, from crisis on a volunteer medical mission in Ukraine.

“We provided emergency care in a setting that was really needed... And we didn't have all the bells and whistles you might find in an emerg (ED) in downtown Vancouver. But it doesn't matter. All that matters in that case, in that situation, is that you're communicating as a team and doing as much as you can.” -- Dr. Anthony Fong, Vancouver Coastal Health

In this episode, host Dr. Caroline Gérin‐Lajoie speaks to the two physicians about the conditions they faced at the Ukraine/Poland border, the care they provided and the impact of their experiences on their sense of purpose in medicine.

“It certainly charged my batteries. It reminded me that what I’m doing is helping people in a meaningful way. It also reminded me that we are phenomenally fortunate, not only because we're away from war, but because of all the resources we have. All that context is important.” – Dr. Daniel Kollek, Centre for Excellence in Emergency Preparedness

If you're looking for resources, tools, and research on the topics covered today, please visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub at cma.ca.

If you're looking for resources, tools, and research on the topics covered today, please visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub at cma.ca.

Previous Episode

The ‘Great Resignation’ comes to medicine.

Last year, a Texas A&M University professor predicted a mass exodus of workers in the wake of the pandemic, as people reflected on whether their jobs provided them a sense of purpose. He called it “The Great Resignation.”

In medicine, job dissatisfaction, combined with increasing levels of burnout, is also forcing many doctors to reflect in the same way. Preliminary data from the Canadian Medical Association’s National Physician Health Survey shows nearly half of those surveyed (46%) are considering reducing their clinical hours in the next two years.

Some, like Dr. Kathy Bonapace, have decided to quit the profession altogether.

“The day I knew I needed to stop was when I was operating on a patient, doing a hysterectomy, and I became so nauseous. I thought, “Oh, my God. I'm going to throw up.. And as soon as I finished that case, I went to the area where we usually dictate. I closed the door, laid on the floor with my feet up, and thought, “How am I going to get through the day?” That was the realization I needed to do something different.”

In this episode, host Dr. Caroline Gérin‐Lajoie speaks to Dr. Kathy Bonapace about the difficult decision to leave her busy practice in rural Quebec and what she’s found to fill that void.

And clinician researcher Dr. Nadia Khan shares findings from two studies looking at why so many doctors in BC are disengaged with medicine.

Next Episode

The benefits of team-based care

The shortage of health care workers in Canada is a growing crisis. The daily tradeoffs of caring for patients while keeping up with administrative demands is leading to burnout – and prompting some professionals to trade private clinics and hospitals for team-based practices.

“Working in a team makes me feel valued. I feel like I have a team that supports me just as much as I support the physician... There's no worrying about rushing to finish your shift and having to choose between not giving care rounds to my patients or not documenting in the EMR.” – Shawna Pasiciel, HealthWORX Medical Clinic

In this episode, host Dr. Caroline Gérin‐Lajoie speaks to Vancouver family doctor Christie Newton and registered nurse Shawna Pasiciel, of Medicine Hat, Alberta, about the wellness benefits of interprofessional collaboration – both for health care professionals and their patients.
If you're looking for resources, tools, and research on the topics covered today, please visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub at cma.ca.

Sound Mind: conversations about physician wellness and medical culture - Rediscovering meaning in medicine

Transcript

Caroline Gérin-Lajoie:

Welcome to Sound Mind, a podcast about physician wellness and medical culture. I'm your host, Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has triggered many emotions and reactions in the medical community. The invasion has created more than 4.5 million refugees so far. More than half of them have crossed into neighboring Poland in search of shelter and safety.

Caroline Gérin-Lajoie: