'We are all struggling in the same ways': Two doctors launch program that fosters self-compassion, life balance among oft-overwhelmed physicians
Tyra Fainstad, MD, and Adrienne Mann, MD, had heard stories about physician burnout before launching their careers as members of the University of Colorado School of Medicine class of 2011. It wasn't long before the national crisis became personal, however, as the young doctors and new mothers both struggled with work-life balance, self-criticism and other challenging issues.
In 2019, an idea sparked that would offer healthcare professionals a path toward better life balance and work satisfaction. On this episode of Health Science Radio, Fainstad and Mann talk about their fast-growing physician coaching program and the systemic drivers behind the burnout crisis.
Listen to the episode
"We were doing chalk talks, PowerPoints and mentoring students and wanted to do this lovely sort of mushy-gushy coaching program to help people come out of their shell and thrive at work," Fainstad said. "And we knew that to legitimize what we were doing, we were going to have to show that it works."
A growing crisis The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. will face a shortage of between 38,000 and 124,000 physicians by 2034. Statistics show that the scope of the physician burnout crisis has only worsened since the COVID pandemic. In 2021, a study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings showed that 63% of physicians tested positively for burnout. |
Show they did. Before long, Better Together Physician Coaching was off and running. In randomized controlled trials - including a national RCT that enrolled over 1,000 residents and fellows - they showed statistically significant burnout reductions in coaching participants.
The doctors discovered thematic areas of burnout on which to build a curriculum: perfectionism, imposter syndrome, trouble with confidence, receiving feedback and challenging relationships at work. "I mean, the secret is that actually we all are struggling in the same ways," Fainstad said. "The circumstances might be different, the logistics of the problem that they bring to us are a little bit different, but when we drill down to it, the thoughts tend to be the same."
As classmates over 15 years ago, the two doctors barely knew each other. Now Mann and Fainstad are close friends who are pleasantly surprised by their entrepreneurial success. Better Together now annually serves more than 4,000 physicians and healthcare professionals at over 60 institutions.
"To be talking about this feels a little surreal, but I think it shows that if you can dream of something and use the resources available to you, you can make a big difference," Mann said. "It's been a blast. It's like the highlight of my career."
Added Fainstad, "Hopefully, it's the start of a grassroots culture change in our field."
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