In my work with over stressed physicians I have noticed a consistent misunderstanding of the pathophysiology of burnout – the hidden methods physician burnout uses to sap your energy and steal your passion for medicine.

In this post I will show you how Physician Burnout does it’s dirty work.

Once you clearly understand how physician burnout operates, you will begin to see the simple ways you can keep the normal stresses of being a doctor — from crossing the line into threatening your career, your marriage and even your life.

"Physicians suffer Imposter Syndrome more than other US Workers"

A headline that has every doctor and nurse nodding their head in agreement and my personal "DUH of the Week" in healthcare industry news.

Fortunately, the authors put together some pretty good recommendations for action steps in the end. Check it out. 

A new study from Tait Shanafelt MD, et al at Stanford is out:

Imposter Phenomenon in US Physicians Relative to the US Working Population

We All Know This is True and remember how it started way back in Medical School.

The inner voice says, "What if they find out?"
... and you are off to the Shame and Guilt Olympics.

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Did you know that your emotional responses to disaster have a known structure and a logical order you will find comforting?

I knew about the symptoms of physician burnout, Kubler-Ross and her stages, even stages of quitting smoking, but until today I had never been introduced to Zunin and Myers and the 6 Stages of Normal Human Emotional Response to Disaster.

This is a fascinating progression and strikes true for my experience of COVID so far. These stages are intertwined with physician burnout, PTSD and so many other normal and abnormal psychological responses to difficulty and struggle.

Stop Physician Burnout - Cognitive Ergonomics is the DUH of the Day

[  RANT ON  ]

What could be worse than COVID 19 Wave Four in a State with a 41% vaccination rate?

How about a Cat 4 Hurricane slapped right across your face at the very same time.

My biggest fear is that this one-two punch will destroy the healthcare delivery system in New Orleans, the state of Louisiana and any other state in IDA's path.

The buildings may remain standing, my concern is the will of the people in the front lines.

I am a big, old, straight, American cis male physician, showered in white privilege and given a free pass in the realm of bias and discrimination. 

I have coached hundreds of burned out physicians over the last 12 years. Our conversations are intimate and authentic for a simple reason; there is no change without first telling the truth.

Whenever one of my coaching clients varies from my personal characteristics - in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, native language, sexual orientation or any other variable - we both know that bias and discrimination play some role in their burnout. They tell me the truth of what is going on. I tell them when I see subtle and obvious bias and discrimination from my position of privilege.

[I freely acknowledge I did not earn this position. It is only a reflection of the random combination of chromosomes that looks back at me from the mirror in the morning. As a coach it offers me the equivalent of a Litmus Test: I ask, "if it was me instead of my client in this situation, would I be treated the same way?" If the answer is NO, bias and discrimination is in play.]

For these physicians, each week contains a subset of words and deeds that hurt. The aggressors may be patients, staff, the general population or even leaders and physician colleagues.

• Some hurt on purpose with looks, language and actions used deliberately to wound the physician as a human being.
• Others are unconsciously woven into the fabric of our society and the healthcare system itself. 

TWO (obvious) QUESTIONS:

1) Just how often do physicians who are not white and not cis males experience these feelings of bias and discrimination in the course of their work life?

2) Is the frequency of these "microaggressions" associated with burnout in these doctors?

A recent study answers both.

• 94% experienced sexist microaggressions
• 81% experienced racist microaggressions
• Each and both were linked to the physician's burnout risk

Let me show you why these results (which might seem shocking to you) are what I consider to be a best case scenario.

And ... let me ask you if this strikes you as important new information or an obvious "DUH of the Day"?