Practicing medicine in both the outpatient and hospital settings has allowed me to see patients in the best of health and at their worst. What I find inspirational are the patients that cross my path who are facing their worst fate and yet they look at the world with optimism and not despair. Many of us find ourselves wanting to gravitate towards people who have an optimistic look at their own life and the world around them. Looking to embrace that optimism, I went in search of resources to help see how that optimism can be a prescription for health and well-being both personally and professionally.
What It Sounds Like on the Other Side of the Stethoscope
As I sat there, having started the day like any other with the hustle and bustle of hospital medicine and residents and making sure every ‘I’ was dotted and every ‘T’ was crossed, I was quiet. Listening and yet not quite hearing, feeling the stillness between each of my breaths as my mother was working her way through a lengthy explanation of her medical journey over the past month to get to – “I have cancer.”
Finding Balance and Healing: A Physician’s Guide to Ho'oponopono
In the demanding world of medicine, where the weight of responsibility and the pressures of caring can sometimes lead to unintended harm or emotional strain, finding avenues for personal wellness and healing is essential. Ho'oponopono, an ancient Hawaiian practice centered on reconciliation and forgiveness, offers a profound framework that physicians can integrate into their lives to restore balance and cultivate inner peace.
In my quest to hold everything together I had forgotten how to take care of myself. In medicine it is often considered a badge of honor to realize at the end of a twelve-hour shift that you haven’t gotten a chance to use the restroom or eat. I learned to question the notion that not attending to normal bodily functions was somehow honorable. I learned to confront the culture in medicine many of us were brought up in; a culture that leads us towards burnout.
As I walked into the lecture hall, I spotted my not-so-assigned seat. Familiar faces greeted me while I made my way to the familiar space and time. The standard set up ensued, making room for bags, snacks, and books. That day, I had brought in special banana bread with nuts and chocolate chips to support the appetites and nutrition of my lovely friends and colleagues, who always met me with smiles. I would “break bread" with those in the shared row who quickly became a chosen family.
One of the things I have begun to do more of over the past few years is to take the extra few seconds to show gratitude. Whether it be with friends or colleagues, it costs almost nothing, and science suggests there are many very real and measurable benefits both to the one expressing gratitude as well as the recipient.
As we begin a new year, many of us will think of new beginnings. We don’t need to wait until January of every year to start fresh. Popular poet, Juansen Dizon, wrote “I hope you realize that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.” We can write new chapters every day, and our story can take a new course any time in the year, not just on January 1.
Depression, Burnout & Wellness: Lasting Pandemic Lessons for a Rural Physician
ACOI member, Nathan P. Samsa, DO, FACOI, felt overwhelmed by pressures and expectations brought on by the pandemic that neither his community, nor the U.S. as a whole, could have foreseen. He was the only physician at his hospital who was managing the patients on ventilators and oxygen in the COVID ward. He acutely felt the health emergency as did many rural communities where approximately 6.6 million COVID-19 cases and more than 175,00 COVID-19 related deaths (as of June, 2022) have been recorded according to the USA Facts and Centers for Disease Central and Prevention.
Physician Suicide Tragedy Influences Member’s View of Prioritizing Wellness
Insights From the Wellness Task Force - Dr. Julie Sterbank speaks on the loss of a colleague to suicide and the importance of finding ways to protect ourselves and each other.
A prominent pillar woven into the very fabric of the ACOI is Wellness. Our daily philosophies seek wellness for our families, friends, and patients with drive and determination. The toil of such a life can sometimes become overwhelming.
Thank you to ACOI member, Charlene Lepane, DO, FACOI for sending this very helpful information to share with our membership! Dr. Peter Tsai, inventor of the filtration fabric in the N95 mask recommends the following methods for reusing the N95 respirator:
