Author: Dr Corrigan

radical-rest-doing-less

Radical rest: Why doing less made me a better doctor

Let me confess something that might sound ridiculous coming from a doctor: for most of my career, I treated rest like a threat. A sign of weakness. A guilty pleasure to be earned only after I’d answered every email, seen every patient, signed off every note, and probably rotated the tires on someone else’s car just to be safe.

A split image of a dignified man: a physician on the left and an airline captain on the right, complete with a captain's uniform, hat, and a “Sully”-style mustache.

Resilience and true grit (Part 2)

Is the motive behind resilience training to retain staff so that the system can continue to stay revenue-positive, or is it an investment in the ultimate resource of medicine, the human one?

A mature male physician with silver hair and a calm, authoritative expression, wearing a white lab coat and a surgical mask. He has reached the top of Mt Everest and is delighted. Following him is another dignified female physician in the same attire.

Resilience and true grit (Part 1)

I am just a physician who has spent 20+ years in the ER, had a few leadership roles along the way (which makes for a mildly robust LinkedIn profile), and nurtured some wisdom too. I think that is enough.

Toddler Riding Bicycle on Road

Creating a culture of psychological safety in medicine

Psychological safety, defined as a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking, is a critical component of effective healthcare delivery. Yet, numerous reports and studies indicate that a lack of psychological safety persists in many healthcare settings, leading to adverse outcomes for both patients and providers.

Cartoon of physicians wearing masks in a support group

The ROI of supporting physician mental health

The cost of physician burnout and mental illness extends beyond individual suffering; it significantly impacts healthcare organizations’ financial health. Yet investing in mental health support for physicians yields significant returns.

physician and patient in consulting room with patients waiting outside on hospital chairs

Why traditional support systems aren’t enough for physicians

Despite the availability of traditional support systems like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and institutional wellness initiatives, a significant number of physicians continue to grapple with burnout, depression, and other mental health challenges. This disconnect prompts a critical examination of why these support structures often fall short for those in the medical profession.

Coaching solution to physician burnout

Coaching: A potential solution to physician burnout?

Research suggesting low rates of help-seeking behavior among physicians. Yet an encouraging recent study showed that some 70% of physicians would engage with a professional coach. We argue that this openness to coaching provides a much-needed support system and a potential solution to the current pandemic of physician burnout and suicide.

Physician coaching

Physician coaching and wellbeing: The evidence base

In this article, we examine the evidence base for physician coaching and wellbeing, how to find a good coach, and how to tell if they’re right for you. We also note a caveat around the need for systemic change – a white coat revolution if you will – to address the underlying toxicity of modern medicine causing so much physician distress, burnout, and moral injury.

Solving medicine’s moral injury

There is clearly no quick fix to the underlying causes of moral injury in healthcare. This is not a war where a ceasefire can be declared.

So, how do we try to move from the collective moral injury experience of physicians to a systematic change in the structure of medical practice?