Career Resources
Physician Wellness
POSNA Wellness Initiative
POSNA recognizes the vital importance of physician/practitioner wellness among its membership and as a foundational principle for workplace culture. Developing and sustaining a career in pediatric orthopaedics is rigorous and demanding. Practitioners are at risk for depression and burnout and we need strategies to combat this.
POSNA first adopted a Wellness Charter and has now evolved into a standing Wellness Committee. Click the tabs below to navigate the wellness hub.
- AMA Education Hub - Physician Burnout - includes Playbooks, Podcasts Webinars, and Toolkits designed to combat physician burnout
- The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation
- National Physician Suicide Awareness Day - September 17
- The Berkeley Great Good Science Center - many science-related work tips
- Fundamentals of Total Worker Health - from The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on resources to help organizations support wellbeing
- Beyond Resiliency Training: Organizational Strategies to Alleviate Burnout and Increase Wellness in Academic Medicine - 14 video interviews and over 70 short clips on topics that are key to understanding and addressing the many facets of burnout. They are taken from Beyond Resiliency Training conducted at MD Anderson in September 2017
- Mini But Mighty Skills for Well-being – Collection of short videos and multimedia resources meant to teach actionable well-being skills in just 10-15 minutes from the American College of Physicians
- Orthopaedic Trauma Society (OTA) Moral Injury and Well-Being Resource Page
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Physician Satisfaction and Wellness Initiative Resource Page
- Tools and Resources for Physician Well-Being from the American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
- Well-Being and Emotional Resiliency in Academic Medicine from the Association of American Medical Colleges
- National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being from The National Academy of Medicine
- Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience from The National Academy of Medicine
- RJOS/AOFAS 2020 Physician Wellness Webinar Series
- (https://prc.aofas.org/Users/StackViewCatalog.aspx?Criteria=15&Search=wellness , CME credit available but requires creation of an AOFAS account) or through the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Orthopaedic Video Theater (OVT)
- Peer Support
- Physician Suicide - https://www.aaos.org/videos/video-detail-page/23024__Videos
- Second Victim Syndrome - https://www.aaos.org/videos/video-detail-page/23025__Videos
- Surgeons SOS: Managing Workplace Stress in the Modern Era - Presented by Drs. Brian Gilmer & Megan Terle – (University of Washington Orthopaedic Surgery Grand Rounds, May 2020)
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The Well-gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature with Sue Stuart-Smith
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Removing the Mask, Carrie Cunningham MD, MPH (2023 AAS Presidential Address)
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The Art and Science of Happiness, Arthur Brooks | TEDxKC
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Building Your Resilient Self - This free webinar led by Gail Gazelle, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, executive coach for physicians and physician leaders, teaches how to build resilience in your life and in your practice.
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Listening to Shame, Brene Brown
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How We Heal Medicine, Atul Gawande
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The Happy Secret to Better Work, Shawn Achor
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Doctors Make Mistakes, Brian Goldman
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Time Management for Leaders, Dr. Janet Jokela, from American College of Physicians (ACP) Leadership Enhancement and Development Webinar Series
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Optimizing Surgeon Wellness Webinar, OrthoTV
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Physician Burnout: Stop Blaming the Individual, Tait Shanafelt, Chief Wellness Officer for Stanford Medicine on how to start treating physician burnout as a system issue, not an individual one
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This is Water, a cinematic interpretation of David Foster Wallace’s 2005 commencement address at Kenyon College
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Why Doctors Kill Themselves, Pamela Wible
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Strategies for Building Resilience, Wayne Sotile, PhD
- POSNA Peds Ortho Podcast: Complications and Long Days (Wellness Special). Drs. Peter Waters, Kristen Carroll, and Steven Frick share their personal experiences and wisdom on surgeon wellness
- AMA STEPS Forward® Podcast Series >
LITERATURE/ARTICLES:
- Walker, S., & Goldstein, R. (2019). Surgeon Wellness and Burnout: Current Concept Review. Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, 1(1) >
- Harvard’s Arthur C. Brooks on the Secrets to Happiness at Work >
- Wellness-Centered Leadership Playbook (from the AMA) >
- Edward J. Krall, MD Ten Commandments of Physician Wellness Clin Med Res. 2014 Sep; 12(1-2): 6–9. PMCID: PMC4453302 PMID: 24415746
- Amy F T Arnsten 1, Tait Shanafelt 2 Physician Distress and Burnout: The Neurobiological Perspective Review Mayo Clin Proc. 2021 Mar;96(3):763-769. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.12.027. PMID: 33673923 PMCID: PMC7944649
- Suggested “Residency Program Best Practices” for maintaining wellness from the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) >
- Gender-Based Differences in Burnout: Issues Faced by Women Physicians – from The National Academy of Medicine >
- Interventions to prevent and reduce physician burnout: a systematic review and meta-analysis. West CP, Dyrbye LN, Erwin PJ, Shanafelt TD. Lancet. 2016 Nov 5;388(10057):2272-2281. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31279-X. Epub 2016 Sep 28. PMID: 27692469
- Executive Leadership and Physician Well-being: Nine Organizational Strategies to Promote Engagement and Reduce Burnout. Shanafelt TD, Noseworthy JH. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017 Jan;92(1):129-146. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.10.004. Epub 2016 Nov 18. PMID: 27871627 Review.
- Daniels AH, DePasse JM, Kamal RN.Orthopaedic Surgeon Burnout: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2016 Apr;24(4):213-9. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-15-00148. PMID: 26885712
- Ames SE, Cowan JB, Kenter K, Emery S, Halsey D. Burnout in Orthopaedic Surgeons: A Challenge for Leaders, Learners, and Colleagues: AOA Critical Issues. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2017 Jul 19;99(14):e78. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.16.01215. PMID: 28719565
- Jennings JM, Gold PA, Nellans K, Boraiah S. Orthopaedic Surgeons Have a High Prevalence of Burnout, Depression, and Suicide: Review of Factors Which Contribute or Reduce Further Harm. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2022 Mar 1;30(5):e528-e535. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-21-00299. PMID: 35171879 Review.
- Carter CW, Talwalkar V, Weiss JM, Schwend RM, Goldberg MJ. Pediatric Orthopaedists Are Not Immune: Characterizing Self-reported Burnout Rates Among POSNA Members. J Pediatr Orthop. 2020 Jul;40(6):e527-e531. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000001440. PMID: 32501927
- Physician Well-Being: The Reciprocity of Practice Efficiency, Culture of Wellness, and Personal Resilience. Bohman B, Dyrbye L, Sinsky CA, Linzer M, Olson K, Babbott S, Murphy ML, deVries PP, Hamid MS, Trockel M. NEJM Catalyst. 2017 April.
- What Do We Mean by Physician Wellness? A Systematic Review of Its Definition and Measurement. Brady KJS, Trockel MT, Khan CT, Raj KS, Murphy ML, Bohman B, Frank E, Louie AK, Roberts LW. Acad Psychiatry. 2018 Feb;42(1):94-108. doi: 10.1007/s40596-017-0781-6. Epub 2017 Sep 14. Review.
- Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace - by Stephen Swensen MD MMM (Author), Tait Shanafelt MD (Author)
- Recommended by POSNA member Dr. Kristin Livingston “This is a surprisingly easy to digest book, useful for anyone looking to help improve workplace satisfaction and decrease burnout on the division- or system-level in healthcare. It lays out a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to improve morale, align values, cultivate leadership and strengthen resilience. This book is a great framework for anyone looking to improve the lives of their colleagues in medicine.”
- Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals - by Oliver Burkeman
- Recommend by POSNA member Dr. Dan Miller. “This book really provided some well needed, perspective for how I think about time. Not as an asset, but as an ever-present moment. If you have ever been frustrated trying to fit “all the big rocks first” into your proverbial bucket, this is the book for you.
- Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven
- Recommended by POSNA member, Dr. Will Cutchen, “I really enjoyed this book. It’s short, only 130 pages, but filled with great stories. A former Navy SEAL, Admiral McRaven addresses topics like attention to detail, failure, and changing the world. If you don’t like to read just pull up his Texas commencement address on YouTube”.
- Why We Sleep – by Matthew Walker
- Recommend by POSNA member Dr. Dan Miller. “I read this after a chance viewing of the author’s Masterclass while on a flight. It is both incredibly fascinating and eye opening. It is delightful to learn about how different creatures in the animal world sleep (a dolphin sleeping with one half of a brain at a time, a Frigate bird taking “micro naps” while crossing an ocean etc.) The evidence of the deleterious effects of even minor sleep deprivation is alarming. Reading this book helped me understand and prioritize sleep for myself, my family, and my patients.”
Please note that all links in this section are sourced from https://www.aamc.org/news/wellbeing
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Physician Support Line: 1-888-409-0141
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline >
- Mental Health America: A community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Interactive Screening Program: Institutions can implement this online program utilized by mental health services
- Preventing Physician Suicide: An online module from the American Medical Association’s (AMA's) Steps Forward initiative (0.5 CME credits)
- Validated Instruments to Assess Work-Related Dimensions of Well-Being: from the National Academy of Medicine's Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience
- Wellbeing & Resilience for Physicians, an online self-paced program from the University of Minnesota >
- Designing and Leading Well-being at the Unit Level - Stanford: A virtual six-week educational series equips leaders with knowledge and tools to advance well-being at the unit level in departments, divisions, practices, sites, and groups. Designed for Department/unit physician well-being leaders, chiefs, chairs, medical directors, wellness committee leaders, quality improvement leaders, program improvement leaders, residency program directors, practice/clinic leaders and others who are positioned to influence physician well-being at the unit level in their organizations