Confronting Stress Before and After High Acuity Shifts: A Discussion with Performance Psychologist Dr. Jason Brooks

It’s almost the end of your sixth shift in a row. You are trying to finish up notes when you hear an overhead page. You find yourself in the middle of a pediatric code that has a poor outcome and you have 5 minutes to spend with the family before being pulled into another patient’s room. You have no time to address the difficult case you just encountered. As an emergency physician, this may happen on a daily basis but some cases hit closer to home. How do you recover after these shifts, and how do you prepare for the next difficult patient encounter? Members of the ALiEM Wellness Think Tank recently spoke with performance psychologist Dr. Jason Brooks about how to mend these wounds and improve performance in the workplace. We provide a summary of our conversation and link to the podcast.

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By Kuljit Kaur, DO|2019-02-19T18:38:25-08:00Apr 30, 2018|Professional Development, Wellness, Wellness Think Tank|

3rd Annual Emergency Medicine Wellness Week | 2018 Highlights

We are set to wrap-up the 3rd Annual Emergency Medicine Wellness Week. The ALiEM Wellness Think Tank (WTT) collaborated with CanadiEM, ACEP, and the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) to encourage participation from EDs across North America and around the world. Many of you shared your individual and group successes, which have helped to build collective wellness across the specialty. We are proud to present some of the Wellness Week highlights, and remain hugely motivated to participate in this important movement! When you’re done reading, be sure to welcome today’s newly matched EM interns with the hashtag #WelcometoEM!
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By Sarah Mott, MD|2019-02-19T18:59:05-08:00Mar 16, 2018|Wellness, Wellness Think Tank|

Resilience in EM Despite Litigation: An Interview with Dr. Gita Pensa

You have just signed out from one of the best shifts in your career. You feel like you were born to do this! You’re a great EM doctor! Then, you spot him, a man in a dark suit making eye contact as you walk through the lobby towards the exit. He stops and asks, “Are you Dr. About-to-get Sued?” Being named in a malpractice lawsuit is a potentially devastating, frequently unmentioned, and yet rather common event in EM. Providers may find themselves feeling isolated and ashamed, questioning their career choice regardless of the trial outcome. Members of the ALiEM Wellness Think Tank recently spoke with Dr. Gita Pensa about how to find resilience in EM despite involvement in a lawsuit. We provide the full podcast and a summary below.

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By Alecia Gende, DO|2019-02-19T18:38:21-08:00Mar 15, 2018|Medicolegal, Wellness, Wellness Think Tank|

3rd Annual Emergency Medicine Wellness Week | March 11-17, 2018

In 2016, Emergency Medicine led the national charge to promote physical, mental, and emotional health of physicians. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) promoted the first EM Wellness Week, with the goal of reminding EPs and colleagues to take time to care for themselves. This initiative continues to expand and impact EPs across the country. Last year, The ALiEM Wellness Think Tank joined forces with CanadiEM, ACEP, and Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP). This year, we hope to raise the bar. The ALiEM Wellness Think Tank is inviting residents from ALL programs to participate in daily challenges related to wellness, and discuss it with colleagues in and outside EM.
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By Sarah Mott, MD|2020-04-20T19:50:28-07:00Mar 12, 2018|Wellness, Wellness Think Tank|

Call to EM residents: Apply to join the 2018 Wellness Think Tank

This is a call to action for residents who have the creativity and passion to make life better for all trainees. The 2017 Wellness Think Tank survey of more than 1,500 EM residents found that, on average, 15 out of every 16 residents are struggling with burnout. It’s time to change that! We are looking for motivated residents to be a part of a one-of-a-kind grassroots movement to create a better and more sustainable culture within Emergency Medicine. Apply to join the 2018 Wellness Think Tank today!
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By Jon Smart, MD|2018-01-16T19:36:19-08:00Jan 15, 2018|Wellness, Wellness Think Tank|

26 Best Wellness Apps for Emergency Physicians | A Wellness Think Tank Initiative

If you have spent any time working in an emergency department in the last 10 years, you have undoubtedly come across a conversation about wellness and burnout in medicine. Despite increasing awareness, the data is bleak: Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians experience burnout more than any other specialty.¹ As we consider that EM was the second most popular Match in 2017, it’s important to focus on collaborative efforts and ensure that the increasing number of EM trainees does not lead to a generation of burned out EM providers.²

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By Jordan Spector, MD|2019-04-10T04:38:52-07:00Sep 8, 2017|Social Media & Tech, Wellness, Wellness Think Tank|

Announcing a Crowdsourced Wellness Initiatives Database for EM Residency Programs

“The part can never be well unless the whole is well.” – Plato

The rigors of post-graduate training can strain even the most stoic of residents – the next task, the next project, the next shift. These reduce our resiliency to stressful situations. The likelihood is that your program has worked very hard to develop new and innovative initiatives to improve resident wellness and resiliency. And chances are, they have done this in-house. It takes tremendous efforts, however, to create and revise the efforts. In this digital age of social media, this siloed approach no longer is necessary because programs can easily get feedback and share their experiences with others.

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By William Denq, MD CAQ-SM|2019-08-29T17:26:02-07:00Aug 30, 2017|Social Media & Tech, Wellness, Wellness Think Tank|