Turning “taboo” on its head: A path to total wellness | Katherine Tucker, MD
Katherine Tucker, MD
The following article is a wellness recap from the SGO 2023 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer.
Have you ever been sued relating to medical care you delivered?
If yes, did that lawsuit change you?
Have you ever been cared for by a psychiatrist?
Have you ever been on psychiatric medications?
How would you rate yourself as a “spouse/partner?”
Although not billed as a wellness event, one of the meeting’s most “well” events hosted these and other provocative questions. Congratulations to the creators and moderators of this year’s tumor board for posing these questions and making all of us in the audience feel a little (or a lot) uncomfortable!
If we aren’t willing to ask these tough questions, then who will? If we aren’t willing to discuss these traditionally taboo topics with each other, then who can we expect to mentor us when we need it most? If we aren’t willing to share that our work can be difficult for us personally, mentally, or emotionally, then how can we ever be brave enough to ask for help?
When we don’t ask for help, when work continues to demand our attention and burnout creeps (or storms) into our lives, the consequences can be deadly. Michelle Chestovich, MD, the family medicine physician and life coach featured in this year’s wellness session (Power Up Your Purpose: Getting Back to Wellness, generously sponsored by N.E.D.), shared her experience with the death of her physician sister by suicide. Her powerful account (which can be viewed on the meeting app) must serve as a wake-up call. None of us are immune to the profound consequences of physician burnout. We must advocate to enact change within our institutions and hospitals that support and improve our wellbeing.
As daunting as this sounds, we can start small. We can begin by not taking clinical work home. While our type A personalities have contributed to much career success, they hinder many of us from getting our notes done efficiently. Being willing to do B minus work (think incomplete sentences) is one of the three steps in Dr. Chestovich’s plan to help you get your notes done faster. The other two steps? Complete the note after every encounter and stop apologizing (say, “thank you for your patience,” not, “sorry to keep you waiting”). With just a few simple steps and the willingness to practice what will feel uncomfortable initially, it is possible to finish your notes at work and get back time for yourself.
Wellness hit a home run at this year’s Annual Meeting! We were asked to bare all. We were asked to rethink how we can combat physician burnout in our daily lives and at an institutional level. And, as a reward, we got to refuel with puppy-cuddling bursts of oxytocin. For all of those who were seeking a little competitive wellness time, life-sized games were available in the Exhibit Hall. There may even be some pictures of current and past SGO presidents partaking in battles of giant Jenga and Connect 4. It’ll be hard to top this in 2024. Bring it on San Diego!!
Katherine Tucker, MD, is Gynecologic Oncologist at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC.