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- Talk
- USA
Surgeon and Family Quality of Life as a Priority: A New Paradigm of Work Life Balance for Orthopaedic Surgeons
Description
This is a transcript of a presentation by Dr. Colm McCarthy, a fellow at Brigham Women's Hospital associated with Harvard University. Dr. McCarthy introduces himself and addresses financial and personal disclosures, emphasizing his privilege as a cis heterosexual white male in a medical landscape. He discusses the issue of burnout in medical professionals, citing alarming statistics, especially among female surgeons, and the importance of normalizing discussions around mental health and seeking help.
Dr. McCarthy presents a multi-tiered approach to wellness, looking at infrastructural, cultural, and personal factors. He offers insights into the difficulties surgeons face in advocating for support outside the operating room, urging for a culture that accommodates wellness facilities, shared responsibilities at home, and open discussions about mental health. He highlights personal experiences that reflect on the importance of parental leave and the need to support gender equality and diversity in the field.
Throughout the presentation, he stresses the need for proactive measures to prevent burnout, encourage support networks among colleagues, and break down the stigma surrounding mental health. He calls for engagement as allies in promoting diversity and inclusion in medicine, encouraging personal accountability and support for colleagues experiencing burnout. Finally, Dr. McCarthy concludes with a reminder of the necessity of stepping away from work, normalizing breaks, and being approachable for discussions about these critical issues.