Ep 35: Paola Fata

Global Scalpels: A Global Surgery Podcast

Findings from studies published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) report that more than 45% of resident physicians experience burnout and the numbers are continuing to climb. If that number didn’t surprise you, then you are well aware of the psychological stress and struggles that doctors and other healthcare workers experience on a daily basis - particularly during this recent pandemic. As a result, more than 1 in 10 physicians said they had suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately these thoughts often become action with suicide deaths among physicians is 250-400% higher than similar counterparts in other occupations. These suicides lead to more than 1 million patients losing their medical expert in the US alone - leaving a substantial number of underserved and vulnerable populations without healthcare services.

As these statistics show, mental health is a major issue among physicians and our speaker today is attempting to help alleviate that. Join us as we talk with Dr Paola Fata about protected spaces (including protected nap spaces!), increasing positive feedback and value, community ties, and helping to bring ourselves back to center in safe environments.