I’d like to welcome you to this special edition of IMpact focused on resiliency!
As a prior clerkship director and head of a residency training program in addition to having navigated the medical training process myself (albeit many years ago!), I am keenly aware of how personally difficult the process of becoming a doctor can be. Add to this the unexpected pressures of a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and its associated individual and societal consequences, widespread civil unrest, and the resulting significant alterations to your medical education journey, and it is no wonder that our ability to respond to these added stresses in a healthy, adaptive way is being challenged every day.
This is why, in this edition of IMpact, we want to share with you stories to connect you with other students who have confronted significant challenges in their personal and professional lives and have not only been able to bounce back from them but also emerged as stronger individuals and trainees through the process of dealing with them. We also want to provide you with some observations from experienced physicians, as well as tools and resources for nurturing your own resiliency skills that may be helpful during these unique and difficult times and beyond.
Medical training is hard, and developing our resiliency skills—much as we work to expand our medical knowledge and clinical abilities—is essential to our becoming an effective physician as well as our personal growth and well-being as humans. But it is reassuring to know that as we confront the significant challenges we face today, we do so not only as individuals, but also as part of a greater medical community in which we can support one another in seeking to thrive in this turbulent world.
So, please stay safe and take care of yourself!
Philip A. Masters, MD, FACP
Vice President of Membership and Global Engagement
Medical Student Story Slam Videos
View the following extraordinary stories of resilience from some of our ACP medical student members.
Syed Ahmed
Step 1 Failure
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Class of 2021
Max An
Asking the Right Questions
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Class of 2021
Andrea Anampa-Guzmán
Mental Health Matters
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
Class of 2021
Waqas Haque
Treating a Patient Who Endorses Hate Speech Directly Against You
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Class of 2021
Srdjan Nikolovski
Healing Yourself by Practicing Medicine
University of Belgrade School of Medicine, Department of Postdoctoral Studies
Class of 2020
Daniel Oh
Not Being Able to Get Out of Bed in the Morning
University of Missouri – Kansas City
Class of 2023
Alessandra Pitco
We Can't Always Be 100% Students – Perspective From a Young Mother, Hurricane Evacuee, and Medial Student
Ross University School of Medicine
Class of 2021
Eight Ways to Develop Your Resilience
Mukta Panda, MD, FRCP-London
Dr. Panda is an award-winning physician, speaker, and facilitator whose work seeks to transform the heart of patient care and medical education. Dr. Panda is the Assistant Dean for Well-Being and Medical Student Education and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Tennessee, College of Medicine at Chattanooga, and is a former chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. Author of over 60 publications, her writing focuses on educational and curricular development, spirituality in medicine, addressing fatigue and stress, and promoting the well-being of health care professionals.
ACP Physician Well-being and Professional Fulfillment Resources
The American College of Physicians (ACP) is dedicated not only to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of health care, but also the well-being of individual physicians. The ACP offers guidance and resources to promote well-being, focusing on the practice and organizational environment, local communities of well-being, and the physician. Check out the following resources to improve your own well-being and those of your colleagues.
Webinars
Medical Student Well-being: Don't Forget About Us
Building Your Resilient Self®
Positive Psychology in Times of Crisis
Optimizing Well-being, Practice Culture, and Professional Thriving in an Era of Turbulence
Articles and Resources
Medical Student Perspective: 10 Tips on How to Be Happy in Medical School
Individual Physician Well-being and Burnout Tools
ACP IMpact is copyrighted ©2020 by the American College of Physicians.