Balancing Career with Family and Social Life

Andrew S. Wright MD @andrewswright

Nothing to disclose

SAGES 2015 Disclosure Slide

Why Listen to Me?

• Struggle with Burnout

• Faced major health challenges

• Successful academic surgeon

– Research

– Grant funding

– Promotion

• Not as successful as I could be…but that’s ok

Balance

• Session 1: Designing and Funding Research 1hr 20min

• Session 2: Art of Scholarly Presentations 1hr 10min

• Session 3: Success In and Out of the Office

– P&T 20min

– Negotiation 20min

– Medico-legal 20min

– Financial Management 20min

Balance

• Session 1: Designing and Funding Research 1hr 20min

• Session 2: Art of Scholarly Presentations 1hr 10min

• Session 3: Success In and Out of the Office

– P&T 20min

– Negotiation 20min

– Medico-legal 20min

– Financial Management 20min

– Balancing Work and Life

Balance

• Session 1: Designing and Funding Research 1hr 20min

• Session 2: Art of Scholarly Presentations 1hr 10min

• Session 3: Success In and Out of the Office

– P&T 20min

– Negotiation 20min

– Medico-legal 20min

– Financial Management 20min

– Balancing Work and Life 15min

Issue #1

Left to the End/Easy to Ignore

Issue #2

Work Life

Not a Balance

Clinic

Childcare

Constant Juggling Act

Sick Patients

That overdue

paper

Grant funding

Personal Health

Spouse

Friends

Aging Parents

Email

Exercise

Burnout

Ann Surg. 2009 Sep;250(3):463-71

Arch Surg. 2009;144(4):371-376

Burnout

• 32% high emotional exhaustion

• 40% burned out.

• 30% screened positive for depression

• 10–15% met criteria for major depressive disorder

Risk Factors for Burnout

Consequences of Burnout

Strategies for Personal Wellbeing

Strategies for Personal Wellbeing

Strategies for Personal Wellbeing

Advice

Setting Priorities

Setting Priorities

?Family

Setting Priorities

?Family

There is no such thing as a “Triple Threat”

- and really no such thing as a quadruple threat

Career: pick 1 primary, 1 secondary

Career: pick 1 primary, 1 secondary

Career: pick 1 primary, 1 secondary

Family 1st

Learn to say “No”

Amaliacochranmd.com

You don’t have to be a chairman to be successful as a surgeon…

You don’t have to be a chairman to be successful as a surgeon…

or as a person

Papers aren’t everything…

…becoming known for something is

It’s good to self-promote, within reason

Negotiate a good job

• Salaried (low reliance on RVU)

• Supportive partners

Reflect

Amaliacochranmd.com

Read

Exercise

Be willing to blow s*** off

Don’t answer emails during family time

Outsource

Find a hobby

Be prepared for the unexpected

Build a support network

Be willing to ask for help