E64: The Human Side of Healthcare: Unlocking Psychological Safety in Medicine, with Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley and Dr. Christine Simmons

The Christina Crowe Podcast: Making the invisible VISIBLE

I’m your host, psychotherapist Christina Crowe, and I love making invisible things visible. Today I have the privilege of speaking with medical oncologists Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley and Dr. Christine Simmons, co-chairs of the Junior Mentoring Program JuMP that fosters mentorship of junior medical oncology faculty across Canada, and strong advocates for psychological safety in medicine.

Together, we cover:

• How does the hierarchy in medicine impact psychological safety and healthcare practitioners?
• What role does mentorship play in supporting junior medical oncologists?
• How can doctors manage the pressures of their job while continuing to provide the best care for their patients?
• What are the key aspects of psychological safety for health care workers?
• What are the specific disparities and challenges faced by medical professionals in different specialties?

About our Guests:

Dr. Christine Simmons is a Medical Oncologist at the BCCA Vancouver and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She completed her residency training in Toronto, and completed a fellowship at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. She recently founded the Sarcoma Outcomes Unit at the BC Cancer Agency and is Founder and Chair of the not for profit organizations, Women in Cancer and All in Cancer. She co-chairs the Junior Mentoring Program JuMP that fosters mentorship/sponsorship of junior medical oncology faculty across Canada and serves on the executive of WinC (Women in Cancer/All in Cancer).

Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley, is a practicing Medical Oncologist and the Medical Director of the Cancer Program at Sinai Health System in Toronto, Canada. She is also the Director of the Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre at Sinai Health and holds the Marvelle Koffler Chair in Breast Research. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and an Associate Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Canada. Dr. Brezden treats both breast and gastrointestinal (colorectal and gastric cancers) malignancies, which are her major areas of research interest. She co-chairs the Junior Mentoring Program JuMP that fosters mentorship/sponsorship of junior medical oncology faculty across Canada and serves on the executive of WinC (Women in Cancer/All in Cancer). She is an advocate for patients and serves as a board member of ReThink Breast Cancer and MyGutFeeling and also serves on the scientific committee for the Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network.

After the Show:

Check out Women in Cancer/All in Cancer,

The Canadian Cancer Society,

The Canadian Medical Association Wellness for Doctors site,

Information about Psychological Safety in Medicine from the CMPA,

Access: Our list of mental health resources and connections, and some free downloads, or low cost counselling in Ontario,

Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD.

Official Pod Squad Merch! ​100% of the profits from Dig Deeper Merch sales support the FREE psychotherapy program ​operated by Dig A Little Deeper, Psychotherapy & Counselling in Caledon, ON.

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A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above and on the main podcast webpage.

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