June 2009  |  Welcome to Finding Balance eNews


Mandatory physician wellness?

Sorry I missed writing a May newsletter – Just too darn busy! Being in balance (mostly), I took on no extra tasks.  My Molokai program was great.  Maybe Omega or next year in Hawaii would work for you.

Upcoming programs & events:

Colorado Integrative Medicine; Focus on Mind Body Medicine – Estes Park, CO, July 17-19, 2009

And my five day, late summer program, at the Omega Institute, in upstate New York,  Aug.30-Sept 4, 2009

This is a great opportunity to dive in and enjoy yourself.  All are welcome. This is not just for those of us in health care.

I am also one of the course directors for the The 10th Annual Science and Clinical Application of Integrative Holistic Medicine to be held this year at the Westfields Marriott Washington-Dulles, Chantilly, Virginia. October 4-8, 2009

Mandatory Physician Wellness
An interesting debate has arisen in California and other states regarding the implementation of mandatory CME programs for Physician Wellness, starting in medical school and into practice.  The California Medical Board has been speaking of this since their November meeting. Members of the California Medical Association are questioning the validity of such a program.

The Medical Association is balking at the concept because it basically indicates that physicians are unable to maintain their own well-being.  With up to 76% rate of burnout, (varies by study), divorce rates 20% higher than the average, and rates of suicide 40% higher for men and 130% higher for women, maybe we are not able to help ourselves. (Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161:2295-2302)

How could a group of intelligent, educated, and caring individuals be this messed up?  At first glance, you can clearly say that the work is hard and stressful. There is no doubt about this.  Then why are our outcomes different than other stressed working population, (police, firemen and women, airline pilots?)  One key reason is that we are very well trained to manage crises, but not small annoying stressors.  In crisis, we can “kick butt.”  However, problems in relationships, office management, and business responsibility can consume us over time.

Another reason is that when compared to other workers, we don’t seek help when we are not doing well.  We are trained to manage our careers as if we were the only persons who could do this.  In a small town or crisis, this may be of value, but working with others becomes very difficult.  To paraphrase my good friend Joe Bujak, from his book Inside the Physician Mind, we are experts working with other experts, not colleagues or co-workers.  This fierce independence prevents us from seeking help and lends to the belief that we can just fix it ourselves if we worked harder at it.

A third reason for our continued struggle is that we have no support system in most practice environments.  There is no “Employee Assistance Program” for most practicing docs.  Even when there is, such as in Kaiser-Permanente, these services are grossly under-used, due to our independent expert mentality and desire to fix it ourselves.

All in all, I believe that Richard Fantozzi, MD of the California Medical Board may be right when he says, "What I want is a policy, preferably a statute, that dictates there should be wellness education that starts in medical school, so it becomes part of our culture through all the years of practice."

Wouldn’t it be nice to work in a culture where self-care was a primary consideration, so that we could work hard, feel supported and learn to excel while caring for others?  Maybe we need help after all.

Thanks and see you sometime!

Just for fun
My wife Kathy and I were in New Orleans for the Jazz Festival a few weeks ago and I was blown away by Jon Cleary and his band, The Absolute Monster Gentlemen.  Jon is originally from England, but New Orleans has been his home for many years. He has been a part of Bonnie Raitt’s band for years and is an amazing keyboardist.

His new live CD MO HIPPA truly rocks, from New Orleans Jazz, R & B, to the Blues, it is bound to blow you away.  I was especially impressed by his version of the Professor Longhair tune “Tipitina.”  The interplay of Jon with his bass and guitar players is phenomenal.  Enjoy!