Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Physician coaching and retreats are innovative ways to fight burnout

Maiysha Clairborne, MD
Physician
February 25, 2017
Share
Tweet
Share

One of the most memorable times from my family medicine training days was the annual residency my intern year. It was the year of the World Cup, and a bonding experience that would later save my life.  Being able to be with not only my residency class, but also the faculty in a relaxed and empowering environment brought a sense of safety that allowed me to reach out to one of my classmates less than a year later when I was a pill bottle away from taking my own life.

I was fortunate, as I know physicians who didn’t make it because they felt they didn’t have support.   So many residents and even practicing physicians for that matter who do not have access to an environment (work or otherwise) where they feel safe to be vulnerable about what we are really dealing with.  Furthermore, most physicians simply do not have an outlet for when they are feeling alone and hopeless.  However, new avenues and outlets are beginning to arise and research is finding some statistical significance to their benefits.

Group physician retreats and physician coaching are two such things.  Mindfulness programs have been shown in several studies to decrease burnout and improve well-being in physicians.  Furthermore, Family Medicine Journal published a study in 2015 that showed statistical difference between residency retreats and self-care curriculum in residencies.  Additionally, Academic Medicine published a study in February 2016, showing a benefit to clinical coaching in early career hospitalists, positively impacting clinical decision making, confidence, and improved personal perception of the quality of care they delivered.  This suggests that while there is still much research to be done with regard to these types of interventions, that implementing physician retreats and physician coaching into existing (or non-existing) physician wellness programs could be a much needed innovative and effective strategies to combat the continued rising dilemma of burnout.

Besides the budding research done in this area, there are some known benefits to retreats in general.  As physicians, we are constantly on a mental and physical treadmill that leaves little to no room for the brain to be aware of, create or absorb anything new.  Retreats interrupt that process, through abrupt change of pace and scenery.  The relaxed environment and often, small intimate group setting creates a safe space for awareness, exploration, and implementation of new practices.  Furthermore, retreats provide time for reflection as well as bonding with other similarly oriented people.  So why are we not doing more of this?

Our industry is one that is grounded on only validating interventions based on evidence; which means it’s not valid unless there is research to back it. This is a serious potential pitfall. While we are busy researching whether or not physician wellness coaching or physician retreats are effective strategies for burnout, the prevalence of physician burnout and physician suicide will continue to rise. Physicians will continue experience burnout, some will quit medicine, and others will kill themselves.

The bottom line: It is important to consider implementing new innovative strategies in the battle of burnout, as we simultaneously study them, rather than wait until there is sufficient evidence to “prove them worthy.”  With nearly 1 out of 2 physicians experiencing burnout, innovative solutions to burnout like physician wellness retreats and peer physician coaching should be highly considered and gladly welcomed.

Maiysha Clairborne is an integrative medicine physician and can be reached at The Stress Free Mom MD.  She is the author of The Wellness Blueprint: The Complete Mind/Body Approach to Reclaiming Your Health & Wellness. 

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The exploding cost of prescription drugs

February 25, 2017 Kevin 1
…
Next

Obese patients are among our most vulnerable

February 26, 2017 Kevin 9
…

Tagged as: Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The exploding cost of prescription drugs
Next Post >
Obese patients are among our most vulnerable

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Maiysha Clairborne, MD

  • Psychological safety: an overlooked factor in clinician burnout and moral injury in health care

    Maiysha Clairborne, MD
  • From solidarity to co-liberation: Understanding the journey towards ending oppression

    Maiysha Clairborne, MD
  • How deep mindset work helped me find the courage to make my career transition

    Maiysha Clairborne, MD

Related Posts

  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • Fight the opioid crisis with physician assistants

    James Cannon, PA-C
  • Physician burnout is as much a legal problem as it is a medical one

    Sharona Hoffman, JD
  • Despite physician burnout, medical schools are still hard to get into. Why is that?

    Suneel Dhand, MD
  • To fight medical student burnout, focus less on the clinic and more on life

    Natalie LaBossier

More in Physician

  • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • How a $75 million jet brought down America’s boldest doctor

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • The dreaded question: Do you have boys or girls?

    Pamela Adelstein, MD
  • When rock bottom is a turning point: Why the turmoil at HHS may be a blessing in disguise

    Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD
  • How grief transformed a psychiatrist’s approach to patient care

    Devina Maya Wadhwa, MD
  • Fear of other people’s opinions nearly killed me. Here’s what freed me.

    Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The hidden cost of delaying back surgery

      Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD | Conditions
    • The dreaded question: Do you have boys or girls?

      Pamela Adelstein, MD | Physician
    • Rethinking patient payments: Why billing is the new frontline of patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why personal responsibility is not enough in the fight against nicotine addiction

      Travis Douglass, MD | Conditions
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • Alzheimer’s and the family: Opening the conversation with children [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • AI in mental health: a new frontier for therapy and support

      Tim Rubin, PsyD | Conditions
    • What prostate cancer taught this physician about being a patient

      Francisco M. Torres, MD | Conditions
    • Why fearing AI is really about fearing ourselves

      Bhargav Raman, MD, MBA | Tech

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 9 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The hidden cost of delaying back surgery

      Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD | Conditions
    • The dreaded question: Do you have boys or girls?

      Pamela Adelstein, MD | Physician
    • Rethinking patient payments: Why billing is the new frontline of patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why personal responsibility is not enough in the fight against nicotine addiction

      Travis Douglass, MD | Conditions
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • Alzheimer’s and the family: Opening the conversation with children [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • AI in mental health: a new frontier for therapy and support

      Tim Rubin, PsyD | Conditions
    • What prostate cancer taught this physician about being a patient

      Francisco M. Torres, MD | Conditions
    • Why fearing AI is really about fearing ourselves

      Bhargav Raman, MD, MBA | Tech

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Physician coaching and retreats are innovative ways to fight burnout
9 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...