401: Trauma with Dr. Melissa Hankins - Part I

Doctor Me First with Errin Weisman DO

Trauma is something that is present in all walks of life in all professions. However, one way that trauma impacts us differently as physicians is that we are taught that it is a normal part of our work as a physician and we are to stuff it down and just keep going.

The job itself as a physician is riddled with trauma with the amount of sickness, pain, and death that we face. But, a different flavor of trauma that isn’t discussed is that of the training that doctors face.

All Resident doctors turn to their Attending physician for guidance and training while they learn the ropes of medicine. Oftentimes, this training can be harsh and demanding with a focus on criticism and correction, rather than support and mentorship.

The negative impact this accumulated trauma has on the mental and emotional well-being of resident doctors is, what I believe to be, one of the first tastes of burnout we experience as physicians.

I chat with clinical psychiatrist, Dr. Melissa Hankins, and she shines some light on this trauma and the different actions we can take as Attendings and Residents to move our training forward without the damaging trauma that pushes us right down the path to burnout town.

Listen to this episode to hear more about what trauma looks like in the Resident/Attending relationship and some resources you can leverage to do better as an Attending or cope better as a Resident.

“One of the hallmarks of trauma is you feel isolated and alone.” Dr. Melissa Hankins

In this episode:

[02:02] Welcome to the show, Dr. Melissa Hankins!

[03:09] Dr. Hankins’s background and evolution as a clinical psychiatrist and her burnout journey.

[10:07] Understanding the trauma that we face as physicians and how we need to handle it.

[14:36] The trauma that Residents face from their Attendings.

[17:38] How Attendings can do better to train Residents without toxic traits.

[20:09] Actions that Residents can take to stand up for themselves and cope with the trauma they may face during training.

[27:01] You are absolutely enough just as you are!

Links and Resources

Thriving After Burnout: A Compilation of Real Stories and Strategies to Reduce Female Physician Burnout by Sharon T. McLaughlin and Female Physicians Entrepreneur Group

Connect with Dr. Melissa Hankins:

Institute of Coaching

LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

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