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According to the 2023 Physician Burnout and Depression report by Medscape, 58 percent of the 9,100 physicians surveyed across all specialties reported happiness outside of work last year. Drill down to pathologists and 62 percent of those surveyed reported feeling happy in 2023. It may be easy to assume that the workforce shortage and administrative burdens were the top contributors to physician burnout and depression, however, the Medscape report found that too many hours at work topped the list of reasons at 58 percent.
“The truth is, as pathologists we must complete a significant amount of bureaucratic tasks from transcription systems and administrative duties,” said Marisa Saint Martin, MD, FCAP, “not to mention the inherent pressure of making correct diagnoses. Those things added with the professional isolation of being removed from other specialties can make fighting burnout or depression tough.”
“Pathologists’ wellness was top of mind prior to the pandemic and will continue to be front of mind for those in practice, leadership positions, and those just beginning their career, that’s why it’s important for the CAP and members to highlight and share resources to assist in the health of our colleagues and the specialty.
Michael Cohen, MD, FCAP
Instituted in April 2021 by the Council on Membership and Professional Development, the Wellness Project Team was charged to define member needs related to wellness and burnout. There are 12 Wellness Project Team members, co-chaired by Michael Cohen, MD, FCAP, and Marisa Saint-Martin, MD, FCAP. The primary objective of the project team was to understand member needs related to wellness and the impact of burn out on pathologists. With this knowledge, the project team worked to surface wellness resources across the CAP and create ongoing educational activities available to members to ensure they could access the tools, training, and education necessary to avoid burn out and depression.
“As the leading organization for pathologists, the CAP has a treasure trove of materials and subject matter experts who are dedicated to pathologist wellness,” said Cohen. “Through our vast number of presentations and articles about wellness, we want our members to know that the CAP understands their needs and is here to support them.”
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Articles
Dan Harris spoke at the CAP 2024 Pathologists Leadership Summit. In this article he shares his story and tips for meditating and practicing mindfulness.
Although pathology is one of the medical specialties least likely to be associated with burnout, pathologists have not totally escaped this trend. Indeed, our work has certain unique traits that put us at risk of stress and potential burnout. Read more from Dr. Karcher.
There has been little rigorous assessment of burnout among pathologists and pathology trainees. Given this relative dearth of relevant literature on pathologist burnout, this report aims to raise awareness of the issue among those working in and around this specialty. Click here to read more.
In this cross-sectional study of 18 719 academic physicians, approximately one-third reported moderate or greater intention to leave. Burnout, lack of professional fulfillment, and other personal and organizational factors were associated with intention to leave. Read the article on JAMA Network Open.
Burnout levels have risen in recent years and satisfaction with work-life balance has decreased. Individual and organizational factors may affect burnout in physicians and advance practice clinicians (APCs). Meditation is a tool to mitigate stress and enhance well-being. In this study, we assessed the factors affecting work-life balance in physicians and APCs. We also measured the impact of Heartfulness meditation conference on burnout. Click here to read more.
This CAP Today article takes a look at the causes of burnout and how to address them. Click here to read.
This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study engaged pathology and laboratory medicine professionals to assess the prevalence and drivers of burnout among pathology and laboratory medicine professionals, retrospectively, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read the study in the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
While female physicians may be reluctant to draw attention to gender-related differences, they do face different challenges than male physicians, explained Gina Drobena, MD, FCAP. Click here to read.
In a remotely conducted randomized controlled trial, Yilmaz Balban et al. studied the psychophysiological effects of controlled breathwork compared with mindfulness meditation. Read the study published in Cell Reports Medicine.
Luke Perkocha, MD, MBA, a pathologist with The Permanente Medical Group, Northern California spotlights burn out and the need for wellness program in medicine. Click here to read.
In 2022, 53 percent of physicians reported burnout. This article lists how each specialty ranked. Read more.
Ziad M. El-Zaatari, MD, FCAP, surveyed residents in his practice on the lessons they learned during residency, including how to avoid burn out. Click here to read.
Research by Rachel Han, MD, shows that resident physicians face a higher rate of burnout and depression than the general population. Few studies have examined burnout and depression in Canadian laboratory medicine residents, and none during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to access the article.
Offering four reasons why pathology training can lead to burn, Justin D. Ritchey, MD, FCAP, focuses on pathology residents suffering from burnout. Click here to read.
Juanita Evans, MD, FCAP, focuses on balancing professional and personal priorities, referencing a TED talk by Laura Vanderkam. Click here to read.
Christina Arnold, MD, associate professor in the University of Colorado’s Digestive Disease Service, as well as a certified professional coach with more than 1,100 hours of physician coaching experience offers five tips for avoiding burnout. Click here to read.
Books
This book provides a basic understanding of how ethics and professionalism impact pathology and laboratory medicine. Including more than 100 case vignettes to guide discussion, this texts also includes a section on physician health and wellness. Click here to purchase.
Courses
This activity will help identify burnout and underlying medical conditions that may decrease pathologists´ engagement at work. Click here to access the course.
Webinars
Karim E. Sirgi, MD, MBA, FCAP, Gina Drobena, MD, FCAP, and Judy Melinek, MD, FCAP, discuss wellness and burn out and tactics to stay healthy.
- Click here to access the PowerPoint.
- Click here for the Q&A from the Pathologist Wellness and Resilience webinar.
American Medical Association President Jack Resneck, Jr., MD, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, and a panel of physician wellness experts: Anjalee Galion, MD; Nigel Girgrah, MD; and Christine Sinsky, MD, discuss the symptoms and drivers of physician burnout and examine solutions to address this crisis. Click here to access.
Podcasts
Hosted by the 21st U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, in this podcast series Dr. Murthy and his guests explore how they navigate the messiness and uncertainties of life to find meaning and joy. By sharing openly what’s on our minds and in our hearts, we can find strength and healing through connection. Click here to listen.
Gina Drobena, MD, FCAP, chief of pathology for the clinical laboratory at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, discusses how physician burn out impacts female pathologists and ways to confront and cope with these challenges. Click here to listen.
Timothy Bono, PhD, discusses the drivers and impact of physician burn out and how pathologists can confront burn out. Click here to listen.
This CAPcast features an audio recording of a virtual roundtable discussion about pathologist wellness and resilience in the face of burnout, which was hosted by the CAP’s Practice Management Committee earlier in 2021. Moderated by Karim Sirgi, MD, panelists include Gina Ann Drobena, MD, who is a pathologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Dr. Judy Melinek, CEO of Pathology Expert. Click here to listen.
Srividya Sathiyamoorthy, MD, MS, FCAP, shares her personal journey to wellness after dealing with years of musculoskeletal pain and offers advice to other pathologists about the importance of seeking help and advocating for yourself. Listen now.
Videos
In the CAP18 Scientific Plenary, hosts Bryan Bohman, MD; Timothy Bono, PhD; James S. Hernandez, MD, FCAP, candidly discussed the epidemic of physician burn out, including national statistics and stories. They cite the sources (it’s not what you think) and signs of burn out, and the negative impact it has on the individual physician, the practice, and ultimately, the patient. Click here to watch the video.
Twitter Chats
Hosted by Amy Deeken, MD, and Gina Drobena, MD, FCAP, this Twitter Chat discussed strategies to prevent, as well as cope with burn out. Click here to access the Twitter chat.
These highlights are from a Twitter chat hosted by Nicole Riddle, MD, FCAP, with expert guests Anne Mills, MD, FCAP; Christina Arnold, MD, FCAP; and Eileen McKay, MD, FCAP. Click here to access the Twitter chat.
External Resources
The Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience is a network of more than 200 organizations committed to reversing trends in clinician burnout. Learn more.
The capacity and well-being of the U.S. health workforce has been under threat for years by an epidemic of burnout, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this systems issue. Now more nurses, physicians, and state and local public health department employees than ever are considering leaving their professions. Recognizing that the function of the U.S. health system is at stake, the National Academy of Medicine released the National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being in October 2022 to drive collective action to strengthen health workforce well-being and restore the health of the nation. Click here to learn more.
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has an excellent, collaborative website focused on the well-being and resilience (the flip side of burnout) of healthcare providers, including physicians. Learn more.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, MD, AMA President Jack Resneck, Jr., MD, as well as a panel of experts on physician well-being discuss ways to engage physician leaders from public and private health systems, as well as the AMA, about the underlying causes of burnout, who is affected, and which solutions are most effective. Click here to access the series.
Canadian pathologists were surveyed on work stresses to determine whether burnout is prevalent in laboratory medicine and why. Read more.
This scoping review examines the content, format, and effectiveness of resident burnout interventions published in the last 10 years. Read here.
The AMA developed resources to equip physicians to manage burnout and maintain wellness. Click here to access.
Written by US Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., this journal article published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) addresses health worker well-being and steps to improve the current crisis. Read here.
