Pomegranate Health podcast: Coming back from burnout

Not a day goes by that there isn’t a headline about the over-stretched healthcare service and the struggling professionals within it. It isn’t COVID-19 that has created this situation. The pandemic was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.

At RACP Congress 2022 in May, Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon Dr Eric Levi FRACS explained why burnout should be considered not as a mental health condition, but as an occupational disorder. And apart from the stressors of the job itself and the work relationships, the medical profession has a way of consuming one’s personal life.

Associate Professor Michelle Telfer FRACP talked about being hounded for two years by the conservative press over her work with young people struggling with their gender identity.

Pain specialist Dr Olivia Ong FAFRM FFPMANZCA described how she’d been driven by an unhealthy professional identity until a traumatic spinal injury forced her to reconsider the meaning of self-care. Both physicians found the courage to take control of the situation and define their roles on their own terms.

Listen now

Subscribe to email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, or any podcasting app. Fellows of the RACP can claim CPD credits for listening via MyCPD. For a transcript and further references please visit our website. 

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