Voices: Wellness Q and A with SGO President Warner K. Huh, MD

Wellness Q and A with SGO President Warner K. Huh, MD

Warner K. Huh, MD, is the 51st President of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO). Dr. Huh is a Professor, Vice Chair and Division Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). For this month’s SGO Wellness blog, Dr. Huh describes his favorite wellness activities and how he encourages others to take time for themselves.

Warner K. Huh, MD

1. Do you have a favorite wellness activity?

Squash during the non-summer months and wakesurfing (or taking others wakesurfing) during the summer months

2. How do you incorporate wellness activities into your day?

I try to play squash, workout or take my 4 dogs for a walk while listening to podcasts. I try to make a daily commitment to one of these activities everyday (see reason below)

3. What do you do as a leader for your team in regards to wellness?

Every day at 5:00 p.m., after our shifts have ended, our division gets together with our fellows and residents to do ”sit downs.“ This has been a UAB tradition for over 25 years. The primary intent was to review inpatients for the on-call team, but this has turned into a time to decompress, vent, joke and tell stories. We have been known to crack open a beer or two or have some bourbon or scotch. As a leader, I am just happy to keep this tradition going.

4. What wellness advice do you have for members?

On the day I graduated from my residency, one of my faculty mentors pulled me aside and gave me a small piece of advice: Try to carve out at least 30 minutes for yourself, and only for yourself. His only requirement was to make sure that the time was uninterrupted and spent away from work. I have used and passed on this advice for 20 years and it has served as the cornerstone of my personal wellness. Perhaps the best of advice that I have ever received.

5. What are your goals as SGO President?

Strategies for maintaining balance: Try to carve out time for myself (and myself alone) every day. Also, delegation is important to maintaining sanity but that becomes a delicate balance as well (i.e., balancing with being a servant leader).

Goals for SGO: Promoting and building on the excellent work that the SGO Wellness Task Force has accomplished over the last several years. I would like to see SGO become a leader in this area, for all medical disciplines and training.