Wellness Resources

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Faculty Health in Academic Medicine: Physicians, Scientists, and the Pressures of Success

Cole, Thomas; Goodrich, Thelma Jean; Gritz, Ellen R.

We are pleased to announce the completion of the Faculty Health Book written by various faculty members.

This ground-breaking new volume is the first of its kind to conceptualize and study the emerging field of faculty health and well-being in academic health science centers across North America. In Faculty Health and Academic Medicine: Physicians, Scientists, and the Pressures of Success, scholars already published in areas related to faculty health, as well as those primed to break new ground, have created a volume that will help define this new and evolving field. Recent years have brought the realization that clinicians and researchers in academic medicine, performing daily under high levels of stress, do so at great cost to their health. Socialized to diagnose and treat disease through biomedical science and technology, physicians often wall themselves off from emotional connection with their patients. Health does not thrive under these layers of pressures, and family and personal relationships are stretched under the need to constantly perform. Faculty Health and Academic Medicine: Physicians, Scientists, and the Pressures of Success draws from medicine, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts. In addition to surveys, meta-analyses, and interviews, chapter data also calls upon history, literature, religious studies, and film to create a title that serves as a point of departure for understanding academic medicine and for designing new and innovative interventions to enhance faculty health.

Announcement on PRS Funds

The PRS Executive Council recently approved expanding the faculty development allotment guidelines, allowing faculty reimbursement for stress management and wellness classes with CME accreditation. The revised guidelines read: Reimbursement for travel and registration fees related to managing stress and promoting wellness require CME accreditation.

The revised guidelines are under the Faculty Development Allotment Guidelines under the travel section: http://inside.mdanderson.org/departments/prs/-.html. For more information, please contact PRS.

Canyon Ranch
Canyon Ranch aims to inspire people to make a commitment to healthy living, turning hopes and intentions into the highest enjoyment of life.

Institute for Religion & Health
The institute offers a wide range of programs that support healthcare provider wellness, promote compassionate health care and provide a nurturing environment for collaborative education and research relevant to health, healing and spirituality.

24-Hour Fitness
UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has taken the first step by assuring that you receive reduced monthly rates and no enrollment fees for a 24-Hour Fitness membership. No contract required. Discount code is 87736.

UT Recreation/Fitness Center
The UTHSC-H Recreation Center offers a variety of quality facilities, equipment and programs designed for health and fitness as well as for fun and relaxation. Membership is open to all UT employees and faculty.

Weight Watchers
Traditional Weight Watchers® Meetings
Mondays, 5:30 p.m. weigh in, 6:00 p.m. meeting
HMB10.123
Begin any Monday.
Join for $15, with a weekly charge of $12.
For more information, contact Linda Benson at lnbenson@mdanderson.org or (713) 792-6829.

Articles

The psychology of oncology: Physician burnout is going unrecognized. (Courtesy of HemOncToday posted June 10, 2008). Oncologists need to be aware of signs of burnout and make efforts to prevent it.

Approximately one-third of practicing oncologists experience a significant career burnout, according to data from a collection of studies.

Burnout is a “syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a sense of low personal accomplishment that leads to decreased effectiveness at work,” according to Tait Shanafelt, MD, and colleagues. The symptoms of burnout often go unrecognized and can be similar to those of depression and stress.

Lotus Therapy by Benedict Carey (NY Times published May 27, 2008). Article regarding exercise in focused awareness and mental catch-and-release of emotions.

Interest Groups

For fun and for your health, we are facilitating the formation of interest groups. In his research over many years, George Vaillant, M.D., has shown that having good friends – in fact, even one good friend – protects the body against the ravages of stress more than all other health behaviors combined. Sharing your interests with others is one way to expand your circle of friends. Contact Katrina Allen, program coordinator of Faculty Health, at kallen@mdanderson.org, for more information on getting your interest group started.

Possibilities include: