TAKE HOME MESSAGES for DOCTOR PASSION RELATIONSHIPS

1. Find activities that offer you skills and challenges different from your day to day work.
2. Be human. Make mistakes.
3. If you are lucky enough to find your passion, never let it out of your life!

There is much more to learn when you listen to our passionate physicians. Feel free to post your comments, ideas, thoughts, and be part of the conversation.

Humbly, Dr. and Mrs. A squared

To be continued...

DOCTOR PASSION RELATIONSHIPS

"I am trying to play; don't confuse me with work" my apologies to Plato

This is an excellent counterpoint to the last episode. Burnout happens when things are imbalanced. Our doctors in this episode show us that finding your passion(s) and spending time pursuing it often balances your life. I have canvassed my colleagues and the list is long. There are doctors who sing, dance, play musical instruments, build Lego robots or full size cars, run, ski, sew, read, travel, go to church or mosque to pray, watch TV or jump out of planes. This is not an exhaustive list just a smattering of activities. All of the doctors I met who had hobbies, outside pursuits, or passions were more relaxed, happier, balanced, and conversant.

“Doctors do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.”my apologies to Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

Dr. Ronald Weiss is a self made man. Musician for years before even contemplating medical school. Slowly and with persistence, he became a pioneer in no scalpel vasectomy (those words are music to the ears of squeamish men contemplating the path to sterility not castration). Canada's leading vasectomy doctor manages over 2000 procedures a year so he can follow his true passion - singer/songwriter/musician. And he is very good too! Within minutes of our conversation, I had lyrical pieces filled with soul and beat. He is a true gentleman. In fact, he thanked me for inviting him to the show. I enjoyed his passionate approach to music, life and love.

Dr. Eoghan O'Shea is a mentor to me. A prince among family doctors who is a well balanced and organized professor at the Civic branch of the Department of Family Medicine University of Ottawa. He treats all around him with respect and fatherly guidance. He is a strong Christian going to church regularly. He is participant in his Irish roots by playing a tin flute and dancing. He is an avid golfer. These passions enrich his life and allow him to unwind from the stressors of his professional demands. Faiza and I enjoyed his zeal for life and all things family.

You will hear performances from them.

You will understand that activities that challenge you, excite you, calm you or teach you are all empowering. You will understand that being human is making mistakes. And if you are lucky enough to find a passion that gives you happiness, you will never let it go from your life.

I look forward to bringing their stories to you.
Humbly, DR. A squared.

To be continued...

TAKE HOME MESSAGES for DOCTOR LOOK AFTER YOURSELF

1. Burnout can happen to anyone.
2. If you need help...ask.
3. There are many around who are willing to listen and will not judge you.

There is much more to learn when you listen to our doctors. Feel free to post comments, ideas, thoughts, and be part of the conversation.

Humbly, DR. and Mrs. A squared.

To be continued...   

DOCTOR LOOK AFTER YOURSELF

"No one is an island. We are all susceptible to burnout."

This is a very important episode. It deals with physician burnout but actually equalizes us all. We can all get overwhelmed, overworked, and over stressed. Then without knowing it, we are tired, angry, unsatisfied in everything we do. I have seen it happen to every strata of society. No one is immune. Our doctors speak about this condition from various perspectives. We have an internationally renowned physician wellness expert and psychiatrist treating doctors in all specialties. We have an internist working in cancer who succumbed to this condition and bravely shares her story. And we have doctor who works with those that have the least in Ottawa while at the same time setting policy and framework to protect our health care providers at The Ottawa Hospital.

Dr. Mamta Gautam started as a psychiatrist to physicians with some serendipity. Over the years she has counseled hundreds of her colleagues in all manners of mental health issues. She has helped retrain, refocus or rebalance their lives. She has given many the opportunity to return to their profession with a new awareness of proportionality. She is highly regarded as a speaker, authour, and business woman. She left Faiza and I filled with tranquility and inspiration.

Dr. Susan Aitken started in the military, climbed to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded the Order of Military Merit. In the military she did it all: going into the bush, jumping out of planes, evacuating out casualties. She moved into oncology and was involved at high level organization for Cancer Care Ontario's precursor and the province's Breast Screening Programme. She speaks candidly and unabashedly about her burnouts. She acknowledges her mistakes and offers advice for all. After adequate treatment, she returned to medicine as a coroner for the city of Ottawa. Her story is truly one of strength, then weakness; a doctor becoming the patient, then resurrecting as the mythological phoenix.

Dr. Jeff Turnbull is more than the story about physician wellness in The Ottawa Hospital. He is past president of the Canadian Medical Association, past president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, past president of the Medical Council of Canada. He is presently Chief of Staff of the Ottawa Hospital. He is the founder and medical director of the Ottawa Inner City Health Project. He is on call for the homeless in Ottawa! No wonder he is was awarded the Order of Canada. Warm, kind, approachable, friend to those with palaces and to those without homes. He is truly mindful of the value of life and how best to move the agenda forward in health care. He shares his thoughts in this episode.

You will learn that burnout can happen to anyone. If you need help, don't suffer silently. Ask for help. And you will learn that there are many around you that are willing to listen without judging.

I look forward to sharing their stories with you.
Humbly, Dr. A squared

To be continued...

TAKE HOME MESSAGES for WORKING AT GROUND ZERO

1. Support your City and yourself by looking at HEAL, stop smoking, and take transit programmes
2. Don't be afraid for a house call. More and more doctors are offering this service.
3. Treat your doctor with kindness. They give you more than you see.

There is much more to learn when you listen to our primary care practitioners. Feel free to post your comments, ideas, thoughts, and be part of the conversation.

Humbly, Dr. and Mrs. A squared.
To be continued...  

WORKING AT GROUND ZERO

"Medicine at the bedside. Medicine in your community. Medicine for all of Ottawa."

The doctors in today's show are all working at ground zero. They work with dying patients in their home. They work in medical clinics inside grocery stores or travel to small communities to help those that have no one. They work with the whole city reducing health burdens like obesity, smoking, narcotic addiction and homelessness. These are the soldiers in the trenches. They are the infantry. They suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (to quote a relatively unknown bard that used to sell Avon products).

Dr. Vera Etches is Assistant Medical Officer of Health. She started as a family doctor, worked in Africa, in the Northwest, and recently moved to Ottawa. She has made Ottawa her home and her mission is to improve the health of Ottawans. You will hear her resolve.

Dr. Priscilla Bright is a family doctor extraordinaire. She actively looks after her aging population as she drives around town seeing them in their home. She is only a phone call away. She has been doing this house call service and palliative care (making the end as dignified and symptom free as possible) before it became popular. She was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for her loyalty and warmth. She is truly an inspiration to those that believe in the full service family practitioner.

Dr. Victoria Udoeyop is also new to Ottawa. A Nigerian doctor working in the UK and then immigrated to Canada to work in Cornwall. Both her and her husband live in Ottawa but travel back and forth to Cornwall to deal with their patients that no one will absorb. She feels obligated to look after them despite the 60 to 75minute commute. Her commitment is more than an arrangement, it is a covenant.

You will learn that actions you do help you support yourself and this city. You will learn that more doctors are offering house call service. Finally, you should acknowledge that you should treat your doctor with kindness since they are giving more than you know.

I look forward to bringing their stories to you.
Humbly, DR. A squared

To be continued...

TAKE HOME MESSAGES for HOW I STARTED MY MEDICAL CAREER...

1. Please let medical students be involved in your health care journey.
2. If you want to support the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine contact them to volunteer.

There is much to learn when listening to our students and the Vice Dean. Feel free to post your comments, ideas, thoughts, and be part of the conversation. 

Humbly, DR. and Mrs. A squared.
To be continued...  

HOW I STARTED MY MEDICAL CAREER...

"I remember back to my early days in medical school..."

The students doctors and Vice Dean at the University of Ottawa medical school are an exceptional bunch. These young men and women are brilliant. They have achieved great academic achievements, traveled extensively, volunteered with the needy, published papers, and matured beyond their years. The Vice Dean finds their optimism and exuberance energizing. This is where it all begins. The journey in a medical career starts for all of us in medical school and it really is the best of times, the worst of times, the most challenging of times, and the most rewarding of times.

Your "metal" is heated to a white glow in medical school, then forged in residency, and finally plied in medical practice.

I recall how hard I worked and what I had to give up or delay. I recall my fears, my victories, and uncertainties. I never regretted the journey but it was not easy.

Dr. Melissa Forgie is a highly awarded teacher and physician at the Ottawa Hospital. She is a bilingual hematologist. She is an alumnus of this medical school and brings a great perspective to then, now, and the future. She has had her role as Vice Dean for around 2 years, but fits into the role with aplomb. With her and Dr. Bradwejn leading the way forward, our medical school will be the medical school to emulate.

Aliza Moledina is a first year student. She speaks with confidence. She is truly representative of the strong candidates that are attracted to U of O. She volunteered in Kenya and Sri Lanka. She is a hard working and talented student. She volunteers at her mosque. You will admire her story.

Ellyas Omar is a final year student that is excited to return to his home town to pursue a residency in family medicine. He is empathic, conscientious, and ethical. He is a well balanced athlete that will model great behaviour to his patients. You will revel in his candour.

These stories will endear you. Our future is in the hands of those that teach our medical students and the students themselves. They will be there to offer us judicious counsel, treat our medical conditions, and support us in times of illness. You will feel optimistic about our future when you hear these stories.

I look forward to bringing their stories to you.
Humbly, Dr. A squared.

To be continued...

TAKE HOME MESSAGES for VIRTUAL MEDICINE BEYOND BORDERS

1. Find medical counsel that you can trust for medical education and asking your questions.
2. Educate yourself with the facts so you don't have to rely on advertisements or sensationalism.
3. Track and record your own health concerns.

There is much more to learn when you listen to media gurus. Feel free to post comments, ideas, thoughts, and be part of the conversation. 

Humbly, Dr. and Mrs. A squared
 To be continued...