The ‘Great Resignation’ comes to medicine.

03/31/22 • 27 min

Sound Mind: conversations about physician wellness and medical culture

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.

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

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.

Previous Episode

Dr. Mom and COVID-19: The stress of being in constant demand

Working mothers have suffered tremendous levels of stress throughout the pandemic – and doctors are no exception. A recent study found that physician mothers scored substantially higher on measures of anxiety and depression than physician fathers, in part because they’ve had to take on a disproportionate share of the increased childcare and online schooling needs.

“When COVID-19 first started, my thoughts as a mother and a physician were... overwhelming. As women, we often make such frequent micro and macro decisions for our families, or patients or partners, and I think I speak for many women when I say the weight of those decisions felt so heavy and overwhelming.” — Dr. Rita Watterson, Psychiatrist

On this episode, host Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie speaks to two mothers in medicine — Calgary psychiatrist Dr. Rita Watterson and Winnipeg cardiologist Dr. Shelley Zieroth — about their mental health and careers in the face of COVID-19 and what medical culture can do to better support physician moms.

Want to learn more about physician wellness? Visit the CMA Physician Wellness Hub for curated, clinically-based tools, resources, and research on all the topics covered in this podcast.

Next Episode

Rediscovering meaning in medicine

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.

Sound Mind: conversations about physician wellness and medical culture - The ‘Great Resignation’ comes to 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.

Caroline Gérin-Lajoie:

Nearly a year ago, a professor at Texas A&M University predicted society would see a mass exodus of workers in the wake of the pandemic. Anthony Klotz called it the Great Resignation. He said COVID-19 caused workers to reflect on whether their jobs