Physician wellness is an important issue and a growing concern within the medical profession. The recently released CMA National Physician Health Survey (2018) revealed that physicians experienced high burnout (30%), depression (34%), and lifetime suicidal ideation (19%). In addition, surgical specialists had 1.74 higher odds (74% increase in odds) to report low emotional well-being than those practising in other areas. Research has demonstrated that both intrinsic (e.g., personal traits) and extrinsic factors (e.g., high workload, long working hours, poor work-life integration, practice environment) adversely impact physician wellness.

In this one-day workshop, we will address physician wellness by introducing and developing mindfulness skills in participants so that they could tackle these contributing factors more skillfully at personal, interpersonal, and system levels. The emphasis will be placed on experiential exercises and everyday strategies aim to enhance personal and situational awareness in a physician’s busy life. A variety of formats including mindfulness training, didactic sharing, dyad exercises, prose/poem reading, and group discussion will be used to ensure an interactive experience that is invigorating, informative, and practical.

Maximum attendance: 30 participants

Advanced registration is required.