Thriving in Scrubs

The path through medical training and practice can be winding, but we try to remain connected to our goals and values on the horizon. What happens as we evolve, and our perspective changes? We speak with Effie, an emergency physician, about how her engagement with her work changed as her career evolved. Guest: Dr. Effie Branton @yogadoc22 (IG) Interview: Annie Robinson Editing: Abigail Ford Winkel Sound Engineering: Greg Dorsainville #thrivingnotjustsurviving; #meded; #thrivinginscrubs

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but it’s always a good time to think about this issue and how it impacts physicians. We talked with Garseng and Lila, two psychiatrists-in-training who have devoted themselves to exploring how our minds and emotions work. Listen to more of their reflections in their own podcast, The Work Room. Guests: Dr Lila Flavin and Dr Garseng Wong @doc.wong (IG) @lilaflavin (IG and Twitter); http://www.lilaflavin.com The Work Room podcast – https://anchor.fm/theworkroom Interview: Annie Robinson Commentary: Abigail Ford Winkel and Annie Robinson Editing: Abigail Ford Winkel Audio Engineering: Greg Dorsainville

Life in medicine is always looking ahead at the next milestone, the next hurdle, working towards the next achievement. What does looking at our lives this way do to how we see the present? As we look towards the end of another year in the medical calendar, we share some conversations we had as a group of new interns as the year began. #thrivingnotjustsurviving; #transitions; #meded; #thrivinginscrubs Guests: Amma, Aarti, Adam, Caroline Interviewers: Abigail Ford Winkel, Jillian Pecoriello Commentary: Abigail Ford Winkel and Annie Robinson Editing: Abigail Ford Winkel Sound Engineering: Greg Dorsainville

Doctors are often called to medicine as a way to express their personal values with their work. We talk about medicine a calling based on improving the lives of others. Nicole, a urogynecologist with an MBA and experience in different health delivery systems talks with us about those times when the business of medicine clashes with those values. We think about the complicated feelings this generates and how to turn those feelings into action. #thrivingnotjustsurviving; #burnout; #meded Guest: Nicole Roselli Interview: Abigail Ford Winkel Commentary: Abigail Ford Winkel and Annie Robinson Editing: Abigail Ford Winkel Sound Engineering: Greg Dorsainville

Perseverance, achievement, and getting things done are valorized in medicine. Learning how and when to take breaks is an essential part of sustaining engagement and doing good work. We speak with a palliative care social worker, about her experience working at the front lines during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, and how we can apply what she learned to our own lives. Interview: Annie Robinson Editing: Abigail Ford Winkel Audio Engineering: Greg Dorsainville

Boundaries are essential guideposts for our wellbeing. But they can be tricky to set and uphold - especially in a high-pressure culture like medicine. Joining us on this episode is Alan, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and expert in the science of well-being, who shares his experiences with and tips for working with boundaries.

Imposter syndrome is something many medical trainees experience, yet it is rarely formally discussed. We talk to Mia, Lynette, and Hayley, three fourth year medical students, about their own experiences with imposter syndrome and how they’ve learned to both recognize and address it. We discuss that while imposter syndrome has the potential to distance us, it also has the power to build community and relationships based on these shared experiences.

Doctors and medical trainees often refers to their careers in medicine as a "calling." But when everyday life challenges this calling, how do those in the medical community continue to find meaning and inspiration in work? Jenny, an internal medicine resident, shares her story of finding and rediscovering meaning in medicine.

In this episode we consider the other pandemic that plagues our society: systemic racial inequity and injustice. Rhonda, a pediatrician in New York City, talks with us about how to approach our efforts to learn and grow.

As COVID-19 continues to affect lives around the world, we are united by stories of hope, bravery, and overcoming adversity. In this episode, Rosa, a physical medicine and rehabilitation resident, shares her reflections on what it has meant to her to work on the front lines in New York City during the spring peak of COVID-19. We are given a firsthand look into challenges faced, lessons learned, and even some a positive perspective on what we could gain from this experience.

News around the world tells the story of how the COVID-19 epidemic has changed all of our lives. But how does it feel for those working in the heart of healthcare? Gaby, a pulmonary and critical care fellow, inspires us with her bravery and clarity of purpose, and we consider how it feels personally to be sick, scared, and alone in the face of this crisis.

Why is it so hard to take our own good advice about maintaining health? We talk to Barbara, an internal medicine physician about nutrition, and consider why doctors don’t take their own advice about sleep and exercise and other good habits.

At some point in their education, doctors start talking about “normal people” with a mixture of envy and curiosity. Why do doctors feel this distance from others, and from the parts of their own selves outside of their profession? We talk to Nicole, Sarah and Emma, three OBGYN residents at different stages of training about how they recognize, love and forgive the normal parts of themselves. Spoiler alert: it’s all about the friends who keep us from feeling alone.

Fictional accounts of medical encounters often feature the conversation when a patient asks their doctor to predict the outcome of their disease. Doctors in real life have to answer these questions, too, but without the benefit of a pre-written script. Thinking about prognostication means trying to answer difficult questions, but more importantly trying to get to the heart of what the patient may really be wondering. It’s about trying to connect with the heart of what patients need in times of uncertainty about their health. It’s also about understanding how these conversations affect us doctors as people who struggle with some of the same questions ourselves. In this episode, Susan, a palliative care doctor, Edie, a rabbi and chaplain who works with the palliative care team, and Meg, a geriatrics and palliative care physician speak to us about the struggles and honors that come with the job of prognostication.

Becoming pregnant and having children is a part of life for many doctors that challenges their efforts to balance their personal and professional selves. This deeply human experience adds insight into the experiences that patients have, but adds weight to the personal demands and experiences the doctors have. Tracey, a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation resident, and three OBGYN residents: Bibi, Arielle and Olivia, talk about what this experience was like in two different professional worlds.

One of the most traumatic experiences doctors go through is making mistakes. Though they try to prevent errors at all costs, they will inevitable make mistakes at some point in their training and career. How can they cope with the repercussions - for the patient as well as for themselves, legally, mentally, and emotionally? How can the medical community support one another through the process, instead of silencing the mistake, thus perpetuating shame and guilt? Jared, a Pulmonary and Critical Care fellow, shares his story of a mistake he made in training and how it has shaped his development as a physician.

Thriving in Scrubs is a podcast series that comes from our research into how physicians develop resilience. We learned that resilience grows as doctors in training grapple with challenges and make connections between their professional aspirations and their personal values, deepening their engagement with the work as they find their identity in the work and their connections to colleagues and patients. When participants in our research heard each other’s stories, they found comfort in learning that about the vulnerability they shared with their colleagues. Thriving in Scrubs aims to explore, recognize, and appreciate the stories of healthcare practitioners. By sharing these audio stories, we hope to build community, diminish isolation, and provide insight (and entertainment!) to the greater medical community. This project is powered by an Arnold P. Gold Foundation Mapping the Landscape Advocacy Grant.