WORKSHOP: Professional Identity Development: Links to Wellbeing and Career Satisfaction in Residents
Presenting Author(s): Dr. Monique Jericho , MD FRCPC, Dr. Rory Sellmer
Date and time: 23 Mar 2024 from 14:10 to 14:40
Location: Wildrose Salon A/B
Learning Objectives
1. Understand how a dedicated curriculum for professional identity will improve wellbeing;
2. Appreciate how psychotherapy constructs can guide these conversations; and
3. Understand the barriers and opportunities for this kind of work.
Literature References
Stay Tuned!
Abstract
Record numbers of physicians are struggling with the demands of their profession, which is evident in staggering rates of burnout and it’s associated mental health burdens, including suicide. At national level physician shortages are contributing to the straining our health care system, as many find they are unable or unwilling to face the daily demands and stressors inherent in our present systems of care. Residency training is intended to prepare young physicians for a career in medicine in the present system as it exists today and into the future. Beyond the ability to provide a high standard of patient care and competencies in CanMeds roles, resident physicians must be supported to navigate the demands and stressors of the profession if they are to thrive and provide patient care in an ever-changing landscape. We propose that residency training which explicitly supports the development and exploration of professional identity and orientation, prepares future physicians to navigate their careers with greater satisfaction and longevity. Using coaching, narrative, didactic and group-based approaches, this interactive workshop will define and explore professional identity and orientation to one’s profession, and how these topics can be addressed in the training context. We will link developmental and psychotherapeutic theory to the emergence of professional identity and orientation, exploring the barriers and opportunities for this work in the residency setting. Finally, we will discuss the links between explicit training in these domains and long term career resilience, and how it may compliment currently advances in wellness training for physician trainees.