During my 2nd year of medical school, I had a conversation with one of my colleagues that I still think about today. In fact, he was my roommate for a couple of years. It was one night late in our Spring semester, as we are preparing for a set of exams that I walked into his room and asked him a question about some of the material. From there the conversation waded into other topics, especially with how hard things had been with studying and managing all the things around school, our professors, and our families back home.
You are involved in that program that helps look after other students, right? He asked.
I affirmed that I was. Have you had to talk with anyone before?
I had not, and I was not sure where the question came from or where the conversation was headed. The student affairs office had a peer-to- peer program that had student volunteers signed up to look after one another and their wellness. We were a peer resource for our classmates to turn to in case they were struggling and could plug them into staff to get them the support they may have needed.
From there we talked about other things in preparation for the exam. Little did I know until months later that my roommate was struggling with balancing all that we were dealt. Between family responsibilities and the pressures and the gravity of our exams, he was not feeling well or doing well with where he was in school, in life, and feeling that he was not good enough. As I remember that evening, I missed an opportunity to find out where he was. I was blind to see that someone close to me was not doing that well, in fact even someone who lived in the next room. I was ignorant of what was going on around me and do not want to find myself making that mistake again.
Fortunately, my classmate did well- he finished up school, matched in residency, and is blessed with a wife and children. My roommate was not considering taking his life or taking drastic measures, but as we look back on that time, it was a valley, a low point in his life and I was not keen to pick up on his struggles. As physicians, we all find ourselves being in that place at some point in our lives. We are goal-oriented and driven individuals, who carry significant responsibilities and cares on our shoulders. From our patients and their outcomes to our office staff to our families and the needs at home, it is easy to lose track of the important things in life and to feel like we are drifting at sea without any sight of the shore. Physician burn out is something that is not discussed much and is a hard pill to swallow for those who strive to excel at everything they have tried to do. We all struggle and it is hard to admit that we need help. Sometimes harder to get that help, whenever we are supposed to have the answers, and our world is spinning widely out of control.
At the VCMS, physician well-being and community is our priority. This month we are rolling out our Wellness 360° initiative and want to help support you and all of your efforts. We need to take the time to care for ourselves. Moreover, when any of us are not well and are struggling, we are a haven that you can turn to for guidance and support. This is an exciting time for the VCMS as we grow and introduce programs that enable us to look after our own. Keep on reading to see what we have in store for you. If you need someone to talk to, to walk beside you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your friends at the VCMS. We are here for you.
