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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast pediatrician, former ACGME wellness officer, and author of the book The Success Trap, Dr. Stuart Slavin.

The primary driver of burnout and mental health issues for physicians is the system and environment. But we also have to recognize that environment isn’t the only driver. Medical professionals are particularly susceptible to self-critical mindsets that can significantly reduce well-being.

Physicians and surgeons are tough on themselves and often lack self-compassion. These mindsets contribute to self-narratives that are often inaccurate and can compound the stress of a challenging work environment. Here are a few examples of these self-critical mindsets:

• Maladaptive perfectionism - setting the bar so high for yourself that you’re continually disappointed in yourself.
• Imposter syndrome - feeling like a fraud.
• Toxic comparison - only feeling good if you’re outperforming others.
• Performance as identity - equating feedback to who you are as a person.

What steps does Stuart suggest we take to change these mindsets?

Step 1 - Recognize that these mindsets are on the rise, especially in younger students and trainees.

Step 2 - Address these mindsets early on in training. The goal isn't to get rid of these mindsets, but to recognize when you’re thinking a certain way and challenge those thoughts.

Most importantly, PRACTICE changing your mindset!

BIO

Dr. Slavin a nationally recognized well-being expert, has several lenses that inform his view of the current child and adolescent mental health crisis. A board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Slavin practiced general pediatrics for seventeen years at UCLA. As a researcher, Dr. Slavin has conducted studies involving the mental health of medical students, medical residents, medical education staff, and in recent years, high school and college students. Dr. Slavin’s interest in mental health and well-being began when, as curriculum dean at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, he spearheaded efforts to improve the mental health of medical students that led to 80% reductions in rates of depression and anxiety–all while increasing performance levels. Dr. Slavin is a frequent lecturer who speaks regularly at schools and regional, national, and international education meetings. Dr. Slavin has received numerous education, teaching, and clinical awards and recognition over the course of his career, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award in 2013.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast Adeolu Adeboye, a board-certified trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist, medical educator, author, and founder of Shekinah Global Healthcare Foundation.

One way to look at our “purpose” is by asking the question, “what are we here to contribute?”

We often underestimate the value of what has been placed in our hands simply because we use these skills every day. As surgeons, certain operations become routine and commonplace. But for a patient who has been unable to have an operation, that procedure that is routine to the surgeon is completely life-changing to the patient. Something that has become ordinary to you professionally, can be extraordinary to someone else.

It’s important to distinguish between purpose, meaning, and fulfillment. Purpose is what you’re here to contribute. Meaning comes from understanding why that contribution matters. Fulfillment is the joy that you experience when your actions align with your purpose.

Purpose is not necessarily something you find by looking for a grand calling. Often it becomes clearer when you identify what you’ve been given.

What questions does Adeolu suggest we ask ourselves to find our purpose?

• Question 1 - What has been placed in your hands?
• Question 2 - Who could benefit from the skills I have?
• Question 3 - How can I put my skills to work?

Most importantly, PRACTICE purpose!

BIO

Dr. Adeolu Adeboye is a board-certified trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist, medical educator, author, and founder of Shekinah Global Healthcare Foundation. Through the foundation, he leads free medical and surgical missions in underserved communities, focusing on expanding access to care, training local healthcare professionals, and building sustainable capacity. His work reflects a commitment to using medicine, leadership, and service to create lasting impact.

Website:

Healthcare Access for Underserved Communities in Nigeria

Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shekinah_ghf/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570593261430

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Send us Fan Mail

Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopedic surgeon, doctor of education, and retired 20 year Navy veteran, Dr. Marlene DeMaio.

When you’re working as a physician, surgeon, or resident, you’re mostly focused on getting through the day and providing the best care possible. This often comes as the expense of your own wellbeing. Looking at your situation from an outside perspective, it can be easier to see the things that may be impacting performance and what needs to change.

In the military, it’s commonplace to have a “battle buddy” - someone you trust implicitly in the most dire of situations. This is the type of person who is going to catch you before you even start falling. Whether you're a surgeon, physician, or resident, what if you had a “battle buddy” to help you through the good times and the bad?

As physicians, it’s really difficult for us to be objective about ourselves. That’s why having a “battle buddy” is so important. We need someone who can see us in a way you cannot with explicit permission to tell us.

What steps does Marlene suggest we do to implement this “battle buddy” system?

• Step 1 - Find your “battle buddy.” This buddy doesn’t necessarily have to be a work colleague, but you need to trust them and have regular exposure to them.
• Step 2 - Check in with yourself regularly. If something isn’t right, try to figure it out yourself and make a plan of action.
• Step 3 - Lean on your buddy when you need to. If something is wrong and you can’t find a solution, lean on your buddy to find a path forward.

Most importantly, PRACTICE the “battle buddy” system!

BIO

Marlene is an honors graduate of Brown University and Drexel School of Medicine. She completed her residency in orthopaedic surgery at Yale-New Haven Medical Center, followed by fellowship in orthopaedic sports medicine at Cincinnati Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center. Her 20 year career in the Navy included hospitals, ships, deployment overseas, and remote/telehealth. Marlene says it was a wonderful balance of sports medicine practice, research and education. She then served at the VA as a clinician, orthopaedic department chief, site GME coordinator, and assistant chief of surgery. She ended her federal career as a physician consultant at the VA Office of the Inspector General. In 2024, Drexel School of Education conferred an EdD to Dr. DeMaio for adult education and leadership. An author of peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and rehabilitation protocols, she also did award-winning research on body armor and knee kinematics. She has been on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Sports Medicine and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research and reviews for several journals. Dr. DeMaio is the current president of the Clinical Orthopaedic Society and a past president of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society and the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.

Social Media:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlene-demaio-b4727819/

https://www.instagram.com/demaiomarlene/

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!